MEDT-350

Clinical Foundations
General Laboratory Safety

Types of Safety Controls

There are different types of safety controls. They may not
necessarily be those found in a bottle. They can also be rules,
guidelines, or devices (such as a barrel for phlebotomy).
Engineering controls are manufactured devices for everyday use
such as a face shield, fume hood, splash guard mask etc. in the
hood they use directional air flow and a barrier. The air flow has
negative pressure to ensure that the air is not being exposed to
you. It is sucked into the hood and filtered out.

Types of Safety Controls

Work practice controls are behaviors that minimize risks
of exposure to hazards by altering the manner by
which a task is performed. This changes the process
of what you are doing to ensure that you are doing it
in a safe manner.

Work practice controls

Traffic control includes clean and dirty areas, and restricting
access.
Dirty areas are analytical area where there are specimens out.
These areas should be handled with only PPE. Refrigerators and
cabinets that are for specimens or reagents only are also
considered dirty areas. They may need to locked depending on
what is kept in those areas. The clean areas include offices, and
patient drawing stations. The person doing the drawing must
remove PPE before doing draw.
Restricting access is required depending on what is inside the lab
and may require a key or code to access it. Entrances are
marked with hazard signs that are appropriate for the area.

Personal grooming is forbidden in the laboratory including

applying cosmetics. This is because it exposes the risk of
pathogens to the individual. The only exception is handcream.
Eating/drinking is strictly prohibited in laboratory areas.

Work practice controls

Hand washing is very important in the laboratory. Soap & Water
is required for about 15-30 seconds. This is important when degloving in between patients. You must wash before and after
leaving the lab
Sanitizer are not effective against C. diff, does not remove dirt
and is usually not good for you because it can kill the good
bacteria on your skin.

Physical injury must be prevented by:

Clear work areas and pathways: such as cords that run on the
floor. Also uneven or not leveled surfaced will be a hazard;
damaged carpeting, or when going up stairs or ramps specimen
must be covered.
Poor lighting: best is fluorescence.
Loss of traction due to spills.
Lifting and carrying in the lab. Load must be carried near the
body. Never carry more than you can carry. Use the carts
available to you.

Report all injuries and unsafe conditions!

Negative Pressure Cabinets

There are two different kinds of NPC: the fume hood or
the biological safety cabinets. The sash height is the door
that creates a barrier between the worker and the hazard.
The optimal height for the sash is located on the side of
the hood. If it is moved too high you may encounter
splash dangers or this may disrupt the way that the air
flow works. You must try to keep it as low as possible.
The placement of working materials must be about 6 inches
behind the window/ sash.
The Fume hoods Air is filtered and vented to outside.
The Biological safety Cabinet is a different kind of hood that
is Usually found in microbiology. The air is sent through a HEPA
Filter and then re-circulated.

Emergency Eyewashes
These must be testes every day. There are two types:
Plumbed or Gravity fed eyewashes.

Emergency Eyewashes
Deliver 0.4 GPM for 15 min @ 30PSI
Controlled flow of tepid water (60 100o F) to
both eyes simultaneously
Removing the cover should activate the
eyewash
Provide room to hold eyes open and flow water
Must remain on once opened until it is
closed
Clearly marked with signage
Tested weekly
Roll eyes while water is spraying for min of 15
minutes

Personal Protective Equipment

PPE are Specialized clothing or devices worn by an
employee for protection against a hazard. PPEs
include:
N95 respirator: designed to filter 95% of airborne
particulates.
Non-latex gloves: should be changed between each
patient.
Fluid resistant lab coat: must always be closed while
working.
Eye Protection
Face Shield

Sharps
Containers are red, puncture resistant and Leakproof on sides and bottom. They must all have
biohazard label and should be closable

Needle Safety devices should completely cover

sharps. They are easy to use and cannot be
deactivated. They Dont compromise the health and
safety of the patient and will not interfere with the
procedure being performed.

Electricity
Current is the flow of electrons through a conductive medium. Wires are
conductive mediums made out of metal. The rubber or plastic that the wires
are wrapped in are the insulations as they do not conduct electricity. The
insulation provides resistance. Resistance is the hindrance of charge flowing
provided by the medium through which it must pass. Amps, amperes, is the number
of electrons flowing down a path. Voltage is the force at which the electrons travel. A
Circuit is always needed. The electrons will flow away from the source to the usage
point and back t to the source within the circuit. Electricity will always take the path
of least resistance. Humans are great conductors of electricity.
Electrical Injury: the level of injury is determined by: Amount, duration,
pathway, type.
Amount: the higher the voltage will increase the severity of an injury. A small
injury is a static shock.
duration: the longer the exposure the more severe the injury.
pathway: this is where the electricity makes contact with you body. Tissues with
a higher electrolyte fluid are more conductive. The chest, back and head are the
most conductive and will produce the most injury. Bone and skin are the most
resistant to electricity unless your skin is wet then the resistance is decreased.
type: house wires (A/C) produces more serious injuries than D/C. with higher
current this can result in sustained muscular contraction.

Electricity
Static electricity is an unbalance Buildup of positively or
negatively charged particles on an object which is
generated through friction. It occurs in dry environments
and involved electrons jumping. It can be prevented in lab
by humidifiers and anti-static mats. For some procedures
you must Turn off computer monitors before cleaning. You
can also use grounding which lessens the risk of getting
shocked.

Emergency power supplies

Laboratories must have these, even if they are on
standby. All instruments have specific ways that they
must be shut down and are very sensitive. These
power supplies include:
Generators are hooked up to RED Outlets that is crucial
for hospitals with patients that are on machines or for those
in ORs.

Uninterruptible power supplies: these are equipped with

batteries that will immediately provide power however it
will not last a long time.

OSHA recommended safeguards

OSHA: occupational safety and hazard agency. They are a government run agency that creates
the rules that keeps us safe throughout the institution. Their recommendations include:
Insulation: all wires and plugs should be covered by intact insulation and should not be wrapped
with electrical tape. If a wire becomes exposed it must be discarded and not covered with tape
Guarding: high voltage equipment should be placed in areas where there is restricted access.
Grounding should never be removed from plug and an adaptor should not be used.
Outlets and equipment's must be inspected annually.
Circuit protection devices are devices that detect excess current and breaks the circuit. Examples
are circuit breakers and special outlets GFCI. Serge protectors have mechanical interrupters that
can be reset. Fuses have multiple wires and must be replaced.
Safe work practices are recommended by manufacturers that goes along with the equipment. They
include: Never handle electrical cords with wet hands. Limit the use of electrical cords, they should
be temporary use only. Do not use octopus adapters. Many devices such as ovens or refrigerators
may have features that make them acceptable for use in a potentially hazardous environment.
Lockout/Tag-out: this is a method of taking electrical devices or water pipes and valves out of
service. Switch is locked in off position and tagged and only the person that tagged it can unlock it. This is
an OSHA requirement (OSHA standard CFR1910.147). The purpose of the lock out is to avoid damage
due to the premature restoration of use.
Activation procedure defined

Fire elements
There is either a triangle or tetrahedral. The triangle uses oxygen, heat and
fuel. The tetrahedral uses oxygen, heat, fuel and a chain reaction. The fuel
is the material that stores energy, heat is the ignition source and the
oxygen is what keep/ supports that chemical reaction that is causing the
fire. Burning is defined as rapid oxidation.

Types of combustibles
Class A ordinary combustibles
Class B Flammable liquids
Class C energized or electrical
Class D Metals
Class E uncontrollable
Class K Cooking oils

In case of fire we use:

R.A.C.E: rescue/remove, alarm, contain,
extinguish/evacuate.
Know 2 ways out
How to work fire extinguisher: P.A.S.S- pull,
aim, squeeze, sweep
Stop, Drop, & Roll
Fire Blanket
Fire Hose

Fire-related injury involves:

Burns
Smoke inhalation
Causes of fire related injury include:
Improper Storage of liquids or other
combustible liquids.
Overloaded or poorly maintained electrical
Compressed gas cylinders
Poorly placed combustibles

Labels must include:

Identity of chemical common an IUPAC name
(international union of pure and applied chemistry)
Dates
Name/initial
Hazards
1 blue for health
2 red for fire
3 yellow for radioactivity
4 special hazard for material

Special instructions

DOT Placarding system

(department of transportation)

DOT classes of chemicals

Safety Data Sheets

MSDS information
Chemical identification
Composition/ingredients
Hazards identification
First aid measures
Firefighting measures
accidental release
measures
Handling and storage
Exposure
controls/personal
protection

Physical and chemical

properties
Stability and reactivity
Toxicological
information
Ecological information
Disposal
considerations
Transport information
Regulatory information
Additional information