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The importance of laboratory safety
The importance of laboratory safety
Lab safety at work
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A lab can be a hazardous place to work. There are inflammable solvents, poisonous and corrosive chemicals, electrical tools, delicate glassware, and more (Coen.boisestate, 2015). The possible for injury from these dangers can be decreased if people are aware of and follow appropriate safety procedures (Coen.boisestate, 2015). The most important safety precaution which can take is to come to lab totally prepared, and to think about what you doing every step of the way (Coen.boisestate, 2015). The most dangerous thing in a lab is an unprepared student trying to carry out a technique he or she does not understand (Coen.boisestate, 2015).
Analysis Different laboratories conduct different experiments which could involve radioactive chemicals, pathogenic micro-organism which can cause infectious diseases, flammable and explosive substances (Hse.gov.uk, 2015). So the laboratory personnel have a greater effect on the safety as it affects them and the laboratory environment because each individual workers attitude will decide whether they will undergo injury or damage to themselves or the laboratory (Hse.gov.uk, 2015). So without following a proper safety procedure it may lead to huge environmental damage, personal injury or death (The MITRE Corporation, 2015). These situations can be avoided easily by following
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The responsibility of ensuring that the industrial hygiene safety plans for individual laboratories comply with OSHA standards is done by the central administration of the specific organization (Furr, 2000). At the end of each period of work, staff must remove their laboratory coat and rinse their hands before exit the laboratory. Laboratory coats and disposable gloves should not be worn in non-laboratory areas (Hampshire College,
It is vital when investigating or using law that you look at the most up to date version, as some things may modified to meet current standards. All the laboratories workers should be aware of this law. In laboratories there must be 'Health and Safety at Work' displayed somewhere because posters explain the basics laws and
There were minimal risks in this section of the practical as glucose is a sugar and is not harmful; however we still wore lab coats and goggles to protect our clothing and eyes from any accidental splashing. We also had to take care when using the pipettes so not to stab ourselves or anyone with them so we had to make sure that we had full concentration on the task and that no one was in too close proximity of you so that they are in danger of getting injured. We also had be careful not to smash any of the glass equipment as this could cause someone to get cut so to prevent this we tried hard not to smash any of the equipment and any breakages are cleared up following laboratory procedures and practices.
Greer, M. E. (2001, October). 90 Years of Progress in Safety. Professional Safety, 46(10), 20-25. Retrieved April 22, 2014, from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=5367632&site=ehost-live&scope=site
The extern washing her hands before setting up the examination room is important because she will be touching sterilized equipment, and in order to prevent cross contamination, gloves and hand hygiene is not only important but necessary.
"Preventing Exposures to Bloodborne Pathogens among Paramedics." Workplace Solutions (2010): n. pag. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Web. 9 Feb. 2014.
(2014) shed light on two key components for infection control, which includes protecting patients from acquiring infections and protecting health care workers from becoming infected (Curchoe et al., 2014). The techniques that are used to protect patients also provide protection for nurses and other health care workers alike. In order to prevent the spread of infections, it is important for health care workers to be meticulous and attentive when providing care to already vulnerable patients (Curchoe et al., 2014). If a health care worker is aware they may contaminate the surroundings of a patient, they must properly clean, disinfect, and sterilize any contaminated objects in order to reduce or eliminate microorganisms (Curchoe et al., 2014). It is also ideal to change gloves after contact with contaminated secretions and before leaving a patient’s room (Curchoe, 2014). Research suggests that due to standard precaution, gloves must be worn as a single-use item for each invasive procedure, contact with sterile sites, and non-intact skin or mucous membranes (Curchoe et al., 2014). Hence, it is critical that health care workers change gloves during any activity that has been assessed as carrying a risk of exposure to body substances, secretions, excretions, and blood (Curchoe et al.,
More than 375,000 nail technicians face possible health hazards everyday (“Health Hazards”). Today’s salons are investing in the latest products. Sanitation is the most important in any salon to prevent disease or injury to cosmetologists and for clients. The ingredients in these hair products are becoming stronger for some clients to handle. Cosmetologists need to understand how to keep ourselves and our clients safe. Tools, implements, and cleaning furniture is the most important. Customers are always going to be coming in and out of the salon. Cosmetologist will not always know who the person is in the salon. Wash and sanitize your hands before and after a client. Wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) will also help prevent disease (Frangie). To prevent disease and bacteria, cosmetologists need to sanitize the tools and furniture before and after they give a service to a client.
...s and hoses, control buttons, switches, hand pieces, and X-ray units (Collins). After every patient’s visit, the operatory is to be sterilized and disinfected. All areas that were that were not covered with a barrier, or if the barrier was compromised, must be wiped down with surface disinfectants similarly used in hospitals. OSHA requires disinfectants to be potent enough to fight against HIV and HBV infections (Collins). If there is any blood present on a surface, tuberculocidal type disinfectant should be utilized.
Safety is a primary concern in the health care environment, but there are still many preventable errors that occur. In fact, a study from ProPublica in 2013 found that between 210,000 and 440,000 patients each year suffer preventable harm in the hospital (Allen, 2013). Safety in the healthcare environment is not only keeping the patient safe, but also the employee. If a nurse does not follow procedure, they could bring harm to themselves, the patient, or both. Although it seems like such a simple topic with a simple solution, there are several components to what safety really entails. Health care professionals must always be cautious to prevent any mishaps to their patients, especially when using machines or lifting objects, as it has a higher
Understanding the standard necessities of protection, gives an individual the knowledge to know efficient ways to protect themselves against microbes. It is also good to know that OSHA provides information for the selection of proper equipment. The process of how to safely remove ones attire is explained in OSHA. However, an induvial should keep in mind that the garment they use as well as the masks, goggles and gloves are infested with microbes during the course of the day since they are most likely splattered with fluids. That is why at the end of the day the equipment is removed safely without touching your face.
Safety remains one of the key elements in modern school labs; it is necessary for the staff to ensure the safety of all the lab users. Every chemical and equipment in the laboratory have the potential to harm if adequate safety measures are not taken into account. As lab uses, you have to consider that you follow the basic safety guidelines for the lab sessions. Always be aware of all the general safety precaution and familiarize yourself with the appropriate protective measures that can keep you safe (NIOSH, 2006). It is important to consider that serious damage could occur if the basic safety rules and regulations for lab practice are not followed. It is in this light that a clear guideline for safety and protection
Biosecurity, on the other hand, is most commonly used to refer to mechanisms to establish and maintain the security and oversight of pathogenic microorganisms, toxins and relevant resources. The biosafety program ensures the competency of the laboratory staff in safely performing their job through training and documentation of technical expertise. The laboratory staff must manifest professional responsibility for the management of research materials, complying with appropriate materials management procedures. A hallmark of biosafety practices requires laboratory access to be limited to essential personnel only when work with biological agents is in progress.
Emphasis for cleaning and disinfection should be placed on surfaces that are most likely to become contaminated with pathogens, including clinical contact surfaces in the patient-care area. When these surfaces are touched, microorganisms can be transferred to other surfaces, instruments or to the nose, mouth, or eyes of the patients. Specifically in the pediatric clinic at the SDM, carts are used to put instruments due to the nature of open lay out of the clinic. The carts are considered the operator’s working field and are wiped with disinfectant wipes, and patient napkins are used as a barrier to put on top. Once the sterile instruments are opened and laid on the cart, non-sterile objects cannot be set down or else the whole field would become contaminated.
A hazard is defined as an activity or object that has the potential to cause harm if contact is made with the person, object or activity (MHS, 1996; Harmse, 2007; HSE, 2006). These hazards in a work place need to be identified and dealt with accordingly to prevent any harm to employees or any individual acquainted to a certain activity or establishment. The key roles and principles of occupational hygiene are Anticipation, Identification, Evaluation and Control (Schoeman and van den Heever, 2014; Harmse, 2008; SAMTRAC, 2012). To practise in accordance to the above principle; a hazard identification and risk assessment needs to be conducted. Anticipation is the foreseeing of the activity
Chemical and fire hazards in the workplace cause serious injuries that in most cases are fatal.