Transcript Document 7488220

Basic Laboratory Safety
Clinical Laboratory
Science
Student Orientation
What’s All The Fuss About?
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Laboratory Safety
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Potential hazards in lab
Chemicals and reagents
 Patient samples
 Instruments, electricity
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Many lab accidents preventable
Use common sense
 Follow standard operating procedure
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Safety Standards: OSHA
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1970, formal regulation of safety
and health of all employees required
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Law administered through
U.S. Department of Labor by OSHA
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$7,000 – $70,000
fine for each infraction!
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Safety Standards: OSHA
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Written safety manuals required
Specific policies and procedures
 Safe work environment
 Documentation of annual review is
mandatory
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OSHA mandated programs
Blood Borne Pathogen Safety
 Chemical Hazards Safety
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What’s wrong with
this picture?
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Slide #1
Slide #2
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PPE: What is it?
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Personal Protective
Equipment
Lab coat
 Gloves
 Goggles
 Face mask
 Foot protection
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PPE: How and When
Lab coats worn in lab only
 Lab coat must cover full
length of arms (do not roll up
sleeves)
 Lab coat must be buttoned
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PPE: How and When
No bare legs, arms or feet
 No sandals, no open-toe
shoes; no shoes with holes
 Must follow dress code of lab
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PPE: How and When
Gloves
(band-aid for booboos)
 Eye goggles for specific
procedures
 Face masks, fitted respirators for
suspected TB (N95)
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PPE: How and When
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Wear appropriate PPE when
handling equipment that
may be contaminated:
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Instruments: gloves, lab coat
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Phone: gloves? no gloves?
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Clean area: gloves? no gloves?
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PPE: How and When
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Wear appropriate PPE when
transporting specimens from
point A to point B:
Lab coat, gloves
 Specimen must be in a ‘secondary
container’ to protect personnel in
case of accidental breakage and/or
spillage
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• Test tube rack
• Plastic bag
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What’s wrong with
this picture?
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Slide #3
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Slide #4
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No Eating in the Lab
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Put nothing in your mouth
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Gum, mints, pipettes, pencils
No food or drink in lab
Refrigerator
 Microwave
 Countertops
 Drawers
 File cabinets
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Never Mouth Pipette
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Always use a safety
bulb!
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Protect Mucus Membranes
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Don’t touch
mucus membranes
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Discourage use of
contact lens
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Protect Mucus Membranes
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Open tubes of blood
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Away from your face
Behind a shield
Using a tissue to entrap aerosols
Using a centrifuge
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Specimens should always be covered
Only open centrifuge after it has completely
stopped spinning
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What’s wrong with
this picture?
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Slide #5
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Slide #6
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Biohazardous Waste
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Blood
Drip, flake, potentially
contaminate
Reaction tubes
Soiled gloves
NO paper towels used to
dry your hands
NO needles
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Non-biohazardous Waste
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Regular trash
Empty kleenex boxes
Paper towels used to
dry your hands
NO needles
NO blood
NO reaction tubes that
contained patient sample
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Biohazardous Sharps
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Needles and sharps ONLY
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Container must be
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Puncture resistant
Have biohazard signage
Must be near point of use
Discard when ¾ full to
avoid accidental injury
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Sharps
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‘Safer’ needles
Never broken or reused
Always discard in
puncture resistant
container
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Glassware
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Do not use if
cracked, chipped,
broken
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Proper disposal
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Hand Washing
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First line of
defense
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Interrupts
transmission
and spread of
infectious
pathogens
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Hand Washing
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Do it right!
Soap, water
 15 seconds friction
 Scrub between fingers
 Use paper towel
to shut faucet off
 Use clean paper towel
to dry hands
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Hand Hygiene Policy
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Mandated compliance for personnel
involved in direct inpatient care
Routine: 15 seconds
 Alcohol based hand sanitizers unless
hands are visibly soiled
 NO artificial fingernails or extenders
 Natural nails maintained at ¼ inch
 Nails must be clean
 Nail polish not chipped or peeling
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Eye Safety
Location
 Proper use: 15 minutes
 Contact lens discouraged
 Eye goggles
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Overhead Shower
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Location
Proper use
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Decontamination
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Keep work surfaces clean
Beginning and end of shift
 When infectious material
spilled
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Bleach: 1 part bleach
plus 9 parts water
 Phenolic disinfectant
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Fire Safety: RACE
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Rescue
Activate alarm, alert
Contain, close doors
and windows
Extinguish,
evacuate, escape
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Fire Safety: PASS
Pull the pin
 Aim at base of fire
 Squeeze
 Sweeping motion
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Severe Weather Safety
Watch (prepare) vs Warning (take shelter)
 Always follow facility protocol
 Evacuate to predetermined
location
 Stair wells,
away from glass
 Avoid elevators
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Document All Accidents
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Use Standard Precautions
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All patient samples are
treated as potentially infectious
(biohazardous)
Working in the lab
 Handling body fluids,
tissues
 Drawing blood
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Body Fluid Exposure
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Always follow facility protocol
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Clean wound or splash site
immediately
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Notify appropriate
personnel and seek
medical care
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Body Fluid Exposure
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Notify appropriate personnel
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UNMC: *9-888-OUCH(6824)
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Affiliate site: follow site protocol
And then notify UNMC OUCH hotline
1-402-888-6824
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Latex Allergy
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Health care professionals are at
increased risk of developing
sensitization to latex products
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Increased exposure to latex via
powdered gloves (PPE)
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Latex Allergy
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Reactions vary in severity:
Contact (irritant) dermatitis
 Delayed hypersensitivity reaction
 Systemic reaction
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Varies person to person
 High risk individuals
 Exposure routes:
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skin, mucus membranes, inhalation
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Latex Allergy
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Contact (irritant) dermatitis
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Dryness, redness, cracking
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Aggravated by:
• Glove powder
• Frequent hand washing
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This is NOT a reaction to latex
• Common, non-allergic reaction
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Latex Allergy
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Delayed hypersensitivity reaction
(type IV)
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Generally localized reaction occurring
6-48 hrs post exposure (in persons who
have been previously sensitized or
genetically predisposed)
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Latex Allergy
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Delayed hypersensitivity reaction
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Itching, swelling, redness, cracking,
eczema
Aggravated by:
• Glove powder
• Additives to latex products
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Can unpredictably develop into
systemic reaction
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Latex Allergy
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Systemic (type I) reaction
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Immediate systemic reaction (person
previously sensitized)
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Intense allergic reaction
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May be life-threatening
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Latex Allergy
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Systemic (type I) reaction
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Hives, itching eyes, swelling of lips or
tongue, wheezing, scratchy throat,
shortness of breath, runny nose,
conjunctivitis, red cheeks, dizziness,
nausea, shock, anaphylaxis, death
Aggravated by:
• Duration of exposure (type and amount)
• Pre-existing conditions
• Portal of allergen entry
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Latex Allergy
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Latex-free environment
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Prevent exposure
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Latex gloves: NO powder
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Education and awareness
Early detection
 Identify persons at increased risk
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