BCM1-LABSAFETYRULES.pptx

LABORATORY SAFETY RULES AND REGULATION The first rule of self protection is alertness at all times. Stay informed, use common sense and always listen to any instructions PSYCHOLOGY OF SAFETY 1. Laboratory safety necessitates the effective control of all haza...

LABORATORY SAFETY RULES AND REGULATION The first rule of self protection is alertness at all times. Stay informed, use common sense and always listen to any instructions PSYCHOLOGY OF SAFETY 1. Laboratory safety necessitates the effective control of all hazards that exist in the clinical laboratory at any time. 2. Safety begins with the recognition of hazards and is achieved through the : a) Application of common sense b) Safety-focused attitude c) Good personal behaviour d) Good house-keeping e) Continual practice of lab. Technique PSYCHOLOGY OF SAFETY  3. inexperience may cause some accidents; others are results of ignoring known risks, carelessness, fatigue or mental preoccupation  4. preventive measures  Annual safety reviews  Safety drills  General consciousness  Appropriate orientation to safety rules  Safe work environment SAFETY AWARENESS FOR CLINICAL LABORATORY PERSONNEL  1. health care organizations focus their responsibility in protecting their employee from infection especially against hepatitis B(HBV) and immunodeficiency virus(HIV).  2. The Centers for Disease Control updated its guidelines for isolation precautions through the release of the UNIVERSAL PRECAUTIONS in 1987  3. the CDC recommends that blood and body fluid precautions should be consistently used for all patients regardless of their blood-borne infection status SAFETY AWARENESS FOR CLINICAL LABORATORY PERSONNEL  4. the universal precautions of the CDC states that all blood and body fluids are considered potentially infected with blood borne pathogens  5. potentially infectious materials include  A. Body fuids(semen, vaginal secretions, pericardial fluid, peritoneal fluids, synovial fluid, pleural fluid, amniotic fluid, saliva, CSF, urine and breast milk.  B. Unfixed tissues, organs, or blood slides. SAFETY AWARENESS FOR CLINICAL LABORATORY PERSONNEL  6. precautions include: a. Appropriate barriers, such as gloves, gowns or laboratory coats. b. Appropriate engineering controls( devices or equipments that minimizes or removes hazards). SAFETY AWARENESS FOR CLINICAL LABORATORY PERSONNEL 7. Universal practice include: a. Wearing of gloves when performing phlebotomy b. Handwashing after removal of gloves, after any contact with blood or body fluids and between patients. c. Washing and reusing gloves between patients is discouraged because microorganisms that adhere to gloves are difficult to remove. 7. UNIVERSAL PRACTICE INCLUDE: d. Laboratory coats must be done on site or handled professionally e. Eating, drinking, smoking, applying cosmetics or touching contact lenses is probihited in lab. work areas. f. Infectious agents may be inactivated by: 1. heat sterilization (250 C for 15 minutes) 2. ethylene oxide (450 to 500 mg/dl at 55 to 60 C) 3. 2% Glutaraldehyde 4. 10% hydrogen peroxide 5. 5.25 Hypochlorite( bleach) 6. 10% (V/V with tap water) of common household bleaches makes a very effective and economical disinfectant inactivating HBV in 10 minutes and HIV in 2 minutes.  SAFETY AWARENESS FOR CLINICAL LABORATORY PERSONNEL  8. another safety precaution recommended by the CDC’s advisory committee on immunization practices is vaccination against HBV specifically for medical technologist, phlebotomist and pathologists.  9. appropritae signs to identify hazards are critical not only to alert laboratory personnel to potential hazards, but also to identify specific hazards that arise because of an emergency such as fire or  SAFETY EQUIPMENT  1. safety equipment has been developed specifically for use in the clinical laboratory.  2. all laboratories are required to have safety showers, eyewash stations and fire extinguishers and to periodically test and inspect the equipment  3. mechanical pipetting devices must be used for manipulating all types of liquids in the laboratory.  BIOLOGICAL SAFETY  1. all samples and other body fluids should be transported, handled and processed using strict precautions.  2. gloves, gowns, and face protection must be used if splash or splattering is likely to occur.  3. specimen should be “capped” during centrifugation.  SAFETY EQUIPMENT  4. any blood, body fluids or other potentially infectious material spill must be cleaned up. a) Wear appropriate protective equipment b) Use mechanical devices to pick up broken glass or other sharp objects. c) Absorb spills with proper towels, gauze pad or tissue. d) Clean the spill site using a common aqueous detergent e) Disinfect the spill site using approved disinfectant or 10% bleach using appro. Contact time. f) Discipline all materials in appro. Biohazard containers.  SAFETY EQUIPMENT  5. OSHA occupational safety and health organization administration blood borne pathogens standard requires written “exposure control plan”  6. categories of exposures are the following:  A. Category I-daily exposure to blood and body fluids  B. Category II- regular exposure to blood and body fluids  C. Category III- no exposure to blood and body fluids.  D. Employees must offer Hepatitis B vaccine at no cost to all personnel in Category I and Category II.  7. biological safety cabinets should be installed in strategic places to facilitate manipulations of infectious materials.  SAFETY AGAINST EXPOSURE TO TOXIC CHEMICALS  1. OSHA published its hazard communication standard in 1983 to minimizes the incidence of chemically related occupational illnesses and injuries in workplaces.  OSHA REQUIRES: A. develop hazard communication programs for employees exposed to the hazardous chemicals. B. Clinical laboratories should develop and institute a chemical hygiene plan. C. Hospitals and laboratories are obliged to maintain an inventory of all hazardous substances used in the workplace.  SAFETY AGAINST EXPOSURE TO TOXIC CHEMICALS  2. to comply with OSHA regulations, the employer must maintain and update its inventopry of toxic chemicals periodically and to communicate the hazards to employees. coomunications maybe achived by:  A. Labelling the containers and posting warnings  B. Informing employees of employer’s responsibilities and training employees  C. Developing and implementing a written program of hazard communication  SAFETY AGAINST EXPOSURE TO TOXIC CHEMICALS  OSHA requires that ( MSDS) be provided for each chemical by manufacturers and suppliers and must be made available on site for laboratory personnel. MSDS contains information regarding the properties and effects of each chemical: flammable, caustic and combination of these effects.  SAFETY AGAINST EXPOSURE TO TOXIC CHEMICALS  4. the NFPA has developed a labelling system in which labels are a standard format and divided into four color coded sections: i. RED COLOR- designates flammability ii. BLUE COLOR- indicates health hazards iii. YELLOW COLOR- indicates reactivity level iv. WHITE- indicates special considerations  5. laboratories should also be provided with fume hoods where reagent preparation is done  RADIATION SAFETY  1. a radiation safety policy should include environmental and personnel protection  2. all areas where radioactive materials are used and stored must be posted with caution signs and traffic in these areas should be restricted to essential personnel only  3. records must be maintained as to the quantity that is disposed. Records must be maintianed for the lenghyt of employment plus 30 years  RADIATION SAFETY  4. radiation monitoring utilizes film badge or survey meter. The exposure limit ( maximum permissible dose equivalent is 5000 mrem/ year whole body).  5. the Wipe test (Leak Test) involves wiping laboratory surfaces with moistened absorbent material and the radiation contained in each wipe is counted.  FIRE SAFETY  1. basically a chemical reaction that involves the rapid oxidation of a combustible material or fuel, with the subsequent liberation of heat and light and all the elements essential for fire to begin like present- fuel, heat or ignition source and oxygen(air) are present in the clinical chem,istry laboratory  FIRE SAFETY  2. fires have divided into 4 classes based on the nature of the combustible material and requirements for extinguisher:  A. Class A- ordinary combustible solid materials  B. Class B- flammable liquids/gases and combustible petroleum products  C. Class C- energized electrical equipment  D. Class D- combustible/ reactive metals such as magnessium, sodium and potassium