MLSP PRACTICAL

• The employer and the employee share safety responsibility, with the employer having the ultimate responsibility for safety and delegating authority for safe operations to supervisors
• Safety management in the laboratory should start with a written safety policy
• Laboratory supervisors, reflecting the attitudes of management toward safety, are essential members of the safety program
• OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) regulations include Bloodborne Pathogens, Universal Precaution, Hazard Communication, and Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals
• OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogen Compliance Directive establishes responsibilities for personnel service firms to provide hepatitis B vaccinations, postexposure evaluation, follow-up, and record keeping on their employees
• Universal Precaution dictates that all human blood, tissue, and most fluids are treated as if known to be infectious for HIV, HBV, and other bloodborne pathogens
• Hazard Communication, also known as the OSHA HazCom Standard, ensures that hazards of all chemicals used in the workplace are evaluated and this information is transmitted to employers and employees
• Proper handwashing involves using antimicrobial soap, paper towels, running water, and a waste container

  
• Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals, also known as the OSHA Lab Standard, addresses the handling of hazardous chemicals in laboratories, requiring the appointment of a chemical hygiene officer and the development of a chemical hygiene plan
• During handwashing, it's important to remove any jewelry from the hands, wrists, and fingers
• Safety equipment in laboratories includes safety showers, eyewash stations, fire extinguishers, blankets, spill kits, and first aid supplies
• Types of safety hazards in laboratories include biological hazards, chemical hazards, sharp hazards, radioactive hazards, electrical hazards, and fire/explosive hazards
• Handwashing is crucial in laboratories to prevent infection transmission, especially after gloves are removed, before leaving the work area, when hands are contaminated, before going to break areas, and before/after using bathroom facilities
• Steps for handwashing:

  1. Stand a few inches in front of the sink

  2. Turn on the faucet and place hands in running water

  3. Use soap and work up lather

  4. Scrub for at least 15 seconds, ensuring all surfaces are scrubbed, especially in-between fingers and knuckles

  5. Rinse hands from the wrist downward to fingertips

  6. Dry hands using a paper towel

  7. Use a paper towel to close the faucet
• Chemical hazards in laboratories involve spills, handling, chemical hygiene plans, labelling, MSDS, physical and chemical characteristics, fire/explosion potential, reactivity potential, health hazards, emergency first aid procedures, and safe handling/disposal methods
• Signage and labelling in laboratories use a hazards-identification system developed by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) with diamond-shaped, color-coded symbols indicating severity from 0-4
• Proper removal of soiled gloves:

  1. Grasp the wrist part of one glove with the opposite hand

  2. Pull the glove inside-out and off the hand

  3. Place the removed glove in the gloved hand

  4. Slip the fingers of the non-gloved hand under the wrist of the remaining glove without touching the exterior surface

  5. Pull out the second glove and dispose of both gloves in the appropriate waste container
• Radioactive hazards in clinical laboratories are encountered during procedures using radioisotopes, requiring precautions like time, distance, and shielding
• In case of electrical shock in laboratories, actions include shutting off the electricity source, using non-conducting material to remove the source, calling for medical assistance, starting CPR if needed, and keeping the victim warm
• Donning of PPE:

  1. Gown should be worn first

  2. Mask should be worn next

  3. Gloves should be worn last

  • Goggles, respirators, and face shields are worn after the mask but before the gloves
• Fire/explosive hazards in laboratories involve the elements essential to begin a fire: fuel, heat/ignition source, oxygen, and a reaction chain
• Physical hazards in laboratories are not unique and routine precautions observed outside the workplace apply
• Doffing of PPE:

  1. Gloves should be removed first

  2. Gown should be removed next, from the shoulders toward the hand

  3. Mask should be removed last, holding only the strings

  • Goggles, respirators, and face shields are removed after the gloves