SAFETY IN THE CLINICAL LABORATORY

• Safety


  The condition of being free from injury
• Clinical laboratory


  • Can potentially expose staff to a variety of hazards through contact with patients, specimens, equipment and routine daily tasks
• Hazards present in the laboratory

  • Electrical hazards
  • Radioactive hazards
  • Fire hazards
  • Chemical hazards
  • Physical hazards
  • Biological hazards
• What to do in cases of an electric shock


  1. Remove the source of electricity or turn off the source

  2. Ask for medical assistance

  3. Start Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if necessary

  4. Keep the victim warm
• Radioactive hazards


  • Personnel should wear protective equipment at all times
  • Special precautions are mandatory for pregnant women
• Fire types and extinguishing materials

  • Class A (wood, paper, clothing) - Water, water-based solutions
  • Class B (flammable organic chemicals & vapors) - Dry chemicals, carbon dioxide, halon
  • Class C (electrical) - Dry chemicals, carbon dioxide, halon
  • Class D (combustible & reactive metals) - Sand or dry powder; dry chemicals
  • Class K (Grease, oils, fats) - Liquid designed to prevent splashing, cooling, & smothering the fire
• What to do in cases of fire

  1. RESCUE - Rescue anyone in immediate danger

  2. ALARM - Activate the institutional fire alarm system

  3. CONTAIN - Close all doors to potentially affected areas

  4. EXTINGUISH - Attempt to extinguish the fire if possible; exit the area
• Chemical handling


  • Never mixed chemicals unless specified in the instruction kit
  • Always add acid to water
  • Wear personal protective equipment (PPE)
  • Chemical preparations must be performed under a fume hood
  • Never pipet chemicals using mouth
• What to do when skin comes in contact with chemicals

  Flush the area with large amounts of water for 15 minutes
• Chemical labeling


  All chemicals must be labeled according to its potential effects to the user: Poisonous, Corrosive, Carcinogenic
• General precautions for physical hazards

  • Avoid running in rooms and hallways
  • Be alert for wet floors
  • Bend the knees when lifting heavy objects
  • Keep long hair tied back and remove dangling jewelries
  • Used closed-toe shoes that can provide safety and comfort
  • Maintain a clean, organized work area
• Biological hazards


  Agents of biological origin that have the capacity to produce harmful effects on human
• Common biological hazards


  • Bacteria
  • Viruses
  • Fungi
  • Parasites
• Most common biological hazards

  • Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)
  • Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)
  • Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis
• Biosafety


  Used to prevent and protect clinical laboratories from harmful incidents caused by laboratory specimens that are potential biohazards
• Ways exposure to biohazards can occur

  • Airborne
  • Ingestion
  • Non-intact skin
  • Percutaneous
  • Permucosal
• Laboratory-associated infections can occur from mouth pipetting, consumption of food in laboratory, spills or splashes on unprotected skin, membranes, or open cuts, Needlesticks, Aerosol contamination was related to inoculating loops, spills on laboratory counters, and centrifugation of infected fluids
• If exposed to a bio-hazardous specimen: immediately wash with soap and water, flush splashes to nose, mouth or skin with water, irrigate eyes with clean water or saline, perform background tests
• Risk of infection after exposure: if vaccinated against hepatitis B (HBV) - no risk; if unvaccinated - risk factor of 6–30%; Exposure to hepatitis C (HCV) blood - risk is 1.8%; HIV needlestick/cut exposure - 0.3%; HIV exposure to eyes, nose, or mouth - 0.1%; HIV exposure to nonintact skin - 0.1%; intact skin - no risk
• Universal Precautions


  States that all blood and substances contaminated with blood are potential sources of infection, created by CDC in 1985, changed to Body Substance Isolation (BSI) in 1987, currently known as STANDARD PRECAUTIONS
• Shock


  A condition when there is not enough blood that circulates back to the heart, which results in inadequate supply of oxygen in the body
• First-aid procedures for shock

  1. Keep the airway open

  2. Call for medical assistance

  3. Keep the patient lying down

  4. Control any bleeding or other cause of shock

  5. Keep the patient warm
• CPR steps


  1. Push hard, push fast - Place hands in middle of chest, administer 30 compressions at 100/min

  2. Deliver rescue breaths - Tilt head back, pinch nose, make seal over mouth, deliver 2 breaths

  3. Continue CPR steps - Keep performing cycles of compressions and breathing until person exhibits signs of life or you cannot continue
• Frequent safety reviews, disaster drills, and people awareness help maintain a safe work environment