MT 103 LEC [L1: LABORATORY HAZARD & SAFETY]

SAFETY  Should be provided by an employer to the employees

 The clinical laboratory contains a variety of safety and includes the following:
hazards, many of which are capable of producing
serious injury or life threatening disease. A. Engineering Controls
 To work safely in the laboratory the personnel must: 1. Providing sharps disposal container and
a. learn what hazards exist needles with safety devices.
b. the basic safety precautions associated with them 2. Required discarding of needles with the
c. how to apply the basic rules of common sense safety device activated and holder attached.
required for everyday safety for patients, co-workers, 3. Labeling of all biohazards.
and themselves
 Some hazards are unique to the health-care B. Work practice controls
environment, and others are encountered routinely 1. Requiring all employees to practice Standard
throughout life. Precautions and documenting training on an
annual basis.
Safety procedure manuals: readily available in the laboratory; 2. Prohibiting eating, drinking, smoking and
describe the safety policies mandated by CDC and OSHA applying cosmetics in the work area.
3. Establishing a daily work surface disinfection
CDC: Center for Disease Control and Prevention protocol.
OSHA: Occupational Safety and Health Administration
CLSI: Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute C. PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)
* Provision of PPE Set
UNIVERSAL PRECAUTIONS
 Drafted by CDC and OSHA D. Medical
 All patients are considered to be possible carriers of 1. Providing immunization for Hepatitis B virus
blood borne pathogens. free of charge.
 Recommends wearing of gloves, face shields and 2. Providing medical follow-up to employees who
disposal of sharps in appropriate container. have been accidentally exposed to blood
 PROBLEM: Excluded urine and body fluids that are borne pathogens.
not visibly contaminated by blood.
E. Documentation
BODY SUBSTANCE ISOLATION 1. Documenting annual training of employees in
 Not only limited to blood borne pathogens; all body safety standards.
fluids. 2. Documenting evaluation and implementation
 Considers all body fluids and moist body substance of safer needle devices.
to be potentially infectious. 3. Involving employees in the selection and
evaluation of new devices and maintaining a
 PROBLEM: does not recommend hand washing after
list of those employees and the evaluations.
removal of gloves not unless with visual
4. Maintaining a sharps injury log including the
contamination.
type and brand of safety device, location and
description of the incident and confidential
STANDARD PRECAUTIONS
employee follow-up.
 “new guidelines”, a combined feature of Universal
Precautions (UP) and Body Substance Isolation (BSI)
 Accidental exposure must be immediately reported to
 Drafted by CDC and HICPAC (Healthcare Infection
the supervisor.
Control Practices Advisory Committee.
 After evaluation, PEP (post exposure prophylaxis) must
Stipulates the following precautions:
be given right away.
 Hand hygiene
MAJOR IMPORTANT PRACTICES IN THE LABORATORY
 Gloves
 Mouth, nose and eye protection PROPER HAND HYGIENE
 Gown  Hand Contact: primary method of infection
 Patient care equipment transmission.
 Environmental control  Hand Hygiene: includes both hand washing and use
 Linen of alcohol based antiseptic cleaners.
 Occupational health and blood borne  Hand Hygiene is done:
pathogens 1. before and after patient contact
 Patient placement 2. after gloves are removed
 Respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette 3. before leaving the work area
4. at any time when knowingly contaminated
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE TO BLOOD BORNE 5. before going to designated break areas
PATHOGENS STANDARD 6. before and after using bathroom facilities

 A Law monitored and enforced by OSHA Hand washing procedure includes:

 Lathering and removal of debris (at least 20 seconds)
 MT 103 LEC [L1: LABORATORY HAZARD & SAFETY]

 Singing of Happy Birthday 2X

Hand Washing Procedure

Equipment:
1) Antimicrobial soap 3) Running water
2) Paper towels 4) Waste container

Procedure:
1. Wet hands with warm water. Do not allow parts of
body to touch the sink
2. Apply soap, preferably antimicrobial.
3. Rub to form a lather, create friction, and loosen debris.
4. Thoroughly clean between the fingers and under the
fingernails for at least 20 seconds; include thumbs
and in the cleaning.
Rinse hands in a downward position to prevent
recontamination of hands and wrists.
5. Obtain paper towel from the dispenser. BIOLOGIC HAZARDS
6. Dry hands with paper towel.  Chain of infection: the process
7. Turn off faucets with a clean paper towel to prevent of microorganism transmission.
contamination.  Infection Control: Procedures
to monitor and control the spread
CORRECT DISPOSAL OF CONTAMINATED EQUIPMENT of an infection.
 All waste are placed in designated containers with the  Biologic Safety: concerns with
BIOHAZARD symbol. the prevention on chain of
 Decontamination: Incineration, Autoclaving, or infection completion.
picked up by waste hazard companies.  CONTACT WITH PATIENT
 Urine Specimen: Poured on a laboratory sink and SPECIMEN: most direct contact with a source of
flushed with water. infection in the clinical laboratory.
 Sink can be disinfected with 1:5 or 1:10 dilution of
 Sodium hypochlorite. Prepared solution can last for 1 SHARP HAZARDS
month.  Includes: Needles, lancets,
 Empty urine containers can be discarded as non- broken glassware
biologically hazardous waste.
PRECAUTIONS
WEARING OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT  All sharps must be disposed
PPE properly in a sharps container:
1. Gloves (latex, nitryl or vinyl) 1. puncture resistant
2. Gowns - completely buttoned, gloves be pulled over 2. leak proof
the cuffs, fluid resistant, removed prior to leaving the 3. with biohazard symbol
work area. 4. located as close as practical to where sharps
3. Eye and face shields are used.
 masks and goggles, full-face plastic shields  The container should not reach beyond the capacity
that cover the front and sides of the face, mark before replacement.
mask with attached shield, and Plexiglas
countertop shields. CHEMICAL HAZARD

PRECAUTIONS
 When skin contacts with a
chemical, flush the area with
large amount of water for at least
15 minutes.
 Contaminated clothing should be
removed right away.
 Do not neutralize chemical spills.
 Cleaning up spills kit: Protective apparel, non-reactive
absorbent material, bags for contaminated materials.

CHEMICAL HANDLING:
1. Acid should always be added to water and not vice
versa.
2. Wear goggles and mix reagents inside the fume hood.
3. No mouth pipetting of chemicals.
 MT 103 LEC [L1: LABORATORY HAZARD & SAFETY]

CHEMICAL HYGIENE PLAN WARNING

 Appropriate work practices Electrical Hazards
 Standard operating procedures Authorized Personnel Only.
 PPE
 Engineering controls, such as fume hoods and PRECAUTIONS
flammables safety cabinets.  Equipment should not be operated
 Employee training requirements with wet hands.
 Medical consultation guidelines  Do not use frayed cords and overloaded circuits; if
found must be reported to the supervisor.
CHEMICAL SAFETY AIDS  Wet equipment must be unplugged and dried
 Emergency Shower completely before next usage.
 Eye Wash Station  In cleaning: equipment needs to be unplugged.
 All electrical equipment should be grounded with three
pronged plugs.
 Turn off circuit breaker, unplug instrument, or move
instrument using non-conductive material.
 Shock victims should immediately receive medical
assistance.

FIRE/EXPLOSIVE HAZARDS

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care

CHEMICAL LABELING
Organizations (JCAHO) requires that all health-care institutions
post evacuation routes and detailed plans to follow in the event
of fire.

FIRE HAZARD SYMBOL EXPLOSIVE HAZARD SYMBOL

MSDS (MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET)

Information contained in an MSDS includes the following:
1. Physical and chemical characteristics
2. Fire and explosion potential
3. Reactivity potential
4. Health hazards and emergency first aid procedures
5. Methods for safe handling and disposal
6. Primary routes of entry
7. Exposure limits and carcinogenic potential

RADIOACTIVE HAZARD
 Can be encountered in
laboratories that make use of
radioisotopes.
 Radiation exposure is related to:
time, distance and shielding IN CASE OF FIRE:
R Rescue Rescue anyone in immediate
PRECAUTIONS danger.
 Symbol must be displayed on A Alarm Activate institutional fire alarm.
doors with potential hazard.
C Contain Close all doors to potentially
 Pregnant employees should avoid rooms with the
affected areas.
symbol.
ELECTRICAL HAZARDS
 MT 103 LEC [L1: LABORATORY HAZARD & SAFETY]

E Extinguish Attempt to extinguish the fire; if

Evacuate ppossible exit the area.

HOW TO MANIPULATE FIRE EXTINGUISHER?

 P - Pull the pin
 A - Aim at the base of the fire
 S - Squeeze the handle
 S - Sweep side to side

PHYSICAL HAZARD

PRECAUTIONS
 Decorum: Uniform with laboratory
gown and closed-toed shoes.
 Avoid running in rooms and
hallways.
 Watch for wet floors.
 Avoid dangling jewelries.
 No eating and applying of make up inside the
laboratory.
 Maintain a clean and organized working area.