pmls midterms

• Safety begins with the recognition of hazards and is achieved through the following: Application of common sense (think before you act), Listen to the instructions, A safety-focused attitude, Good personal behavior, Good housekeeping in all laboratory work and storage areas, Continual practice of good laboratory technique
• Two Primary Causes of Accidents


  • Unsafe activities
  • Unsafe environmental conditions (i.e., broken pipes or leaking gasses)
• Safety Equipment

  • Safety showers and eye wash station (used in case of spillage)
  • Fire extinguisher
  • Fume hood
  • Biosafety cabinets
  • Personal Protective Equipment
• Laboratory cannot operate without safety equipment
• Types of Safety Hazard

  • Biological
  • Chemical
  • Radioactive
  • Electrical
  • Fire / Explosive
  • Physical
• Biological that pose a threat to the health of living organisms, primarily that of humans
• These microorganisms are frequently present in the specimens received in the clinical laboratory
• Infection Control


  Healthcare facilities developed procedures to control and monitor infections occurring within the facilities
• Healthcare facilities / Institution have Infection Control Program
• Different facilities, different protocols
• These laboratories cannot operate without Infection Control Program
• Universal Precautions (1985)


  Blood and body fluid precautions should be consistently used for all patients
• All body fluids are treated as INFECTIOUS (even sweat and urine)
• Biological Hazard


  • Infectious agents
  • Reservoir
  • Fomites
  • Portal of Exit
  • Mean of Transmission
  • Portal of Entry
  • Susceptible Host
• Proper hand hygiene, correct disposal of contaminated materials, and wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) are of major importance in the laboratory
• Categories of Exposure


  • Category I – daily exposure to blood and body fluids
  • Category II – regular exposure to blood and body fluids
  • Category III – no exposure to blood and body fluids
• Employers must offer HBV vaccine to all personnel (Category I and II)
• Specimens should be "capped" during centrifugation
• Any blood, body fluid, or other potentially infectious material spill must be cleaned up using Spill cleanup kit, Common aqueous detergent, 10% bleach using appropriate contact time
• Chemical Hazard


  Chemical spills and Exposure: When skin contact occurs, the best first aid is to flush the area with large amounts of water for at least 15 minutes and then seek medical attention
• Chemical Handling


  Chemicals should never be mixed together unless specific instructions are followed, and they must be added in the order specified
• Chemical Hygiene Plan


  OSHA requires all facilities that use hazardous chemicals to have a written chemical hygiene plan (CHP) available to employees
• Types of Chemicals


  • Flammable / Combustible Chemicals
  • Corrosive Chemicals
  • Reactive Chemicals
• Chemical Labelling


  Hazardous chemicals should be labeled with a description of their particular hazard, such as poisonous, corrosive, flammable, explosive, teratogenic, or carcinogenic
• Contents of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)


  • Physical and chemical characteristics
  • Fire and explosion potential
  • Reactivity potential
  • Health hazards and emergency first aid procedures
  • Methods for safe handling and disposal
  • Primary routes of entry
  • Exposure limits and carcinogenic potential

  
• Fire Hazard


  The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) requires that all health-care institutions post evacuation routes and detailed plans to follow in the event of a fire
• Actions to take when a fire is discovered


  • Rescue
  • Alarm
  • Contain
  • Extinguish / Evacuate

  
• NFPA 704 – hazardous material symbol


  • Blue – health hazard
  • Red – fire hazard
  • Yellow – reactivity
  • White – specific hazard
  • Numbers – degrees (level)

  
• Radioactive Hazard

  Equipment and radioisotopes
• Exposure to radiation during pregnancy presents a danger to the fetus, and personnel who are or who think they may be pregnant should avoid areas with this symbol
• Electrical Hazard

  • Equipment should not be operated with wet hands
  • Designated hospital personnel monitor electrical equipment closely
  • Equipment that has become wet should be unplugged and allowed to dry completely before reusing
  • All electrical equipment must be grounded with three-pronged plugs
• Sharp Hazard

  Pertains to needles, lancets, broken glassware/glass slides
• All sharp objects must be disposed in puncture-resistant, leak-proof container with the biohazard symbol
• Exposure to blood or other body fluids can cause possible infection
• There are certain blood pathogens that can be transmitted
• Physical Hazard

  Physical hazards are not unique to the laboratory, and routine precautions observed outside the workplace apply
• General precautions to consider

  • Avoid running in rooms and hallways
  • Watch for wet floors
  • Bend the knees when lifting heavy objects
  • Keep long hair pulled back
  • Avoid dangling jewelry
  • Maintain a clean, organized work area
  • Wear closed-toed shoes that provide maximum support
• Mechanical Hazard

  • Centrifuges must be balanced to distribute the load equally
  • Never open the lid until the rotor has come to a complete stop
  • Load must be equally distributed (to balance)
• Disposal of Hazardous Materials

  • Biological / Biohazardous Waste
  • Chemical Waste

  
• Decontaminate the sink by 1:5 or 1:10 dilution of sodium hypochlorite (bleach solution), and disinfection of the sink should be performed daily