CLINICAL CHEMISTRY LECTURE

LESSON 2: Laboratory Safety and Regulations

OSHA SIGNAGE & LABELLING:

Occupational Safety and Health Act/Public Law 91-
596
Goal: provide all employees with a safe work
environment
Includes: Bloodborne pathogen std, Formaldehyde
std, Lab std, Hazard Communication std,
Respiratory Protection std, Air Contaminants Std
and PPE std
SAFETY EQUIPMENT
OSHA SUBPARTS
● Safety showers
1) Hazard Comunication - ensures that ● Eyewash station
information from from all chemicals be ● Fire extinguisher
transmitted to employers and their employees ● Periodical inspection of equipment for
proper operation
2) Occupational Exposure to Hazardous ● Others- fire blanket, spill kits & first aid
Chemicals in Laboratories - requires chemical supplies
hygiene officer & chemical hygiene plan
Fume hood- contain & expel hazardous
SAFETY AWARENESS fumes from chemical rgts
● EMPLOYER’S RESPONSIBILITY
Biosafety Cabinet- remove particles
- Establish lab work method & safety policy hazardous to the employee
- Provide supervision & guidance
- Provide safety information, training, PPE
& medical surveillance
- Provide & maintain equipment &
laboratory facilities hazard free & adequate
for task required
- Know & comply with the lab safety
- Have a positive attitude toward
supervisors, co-employee, facilities & safe
training
- Be alert & give prompt notification of
unsafe conditions to supervisors
- Engage in the conduct of safe work
practice and PPEs

GUGUA NATIONAL COLLEGES- BSMT3

 tion age
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nts
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sur of ent lab Cla din

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 s Showe
ss
g or - Samples are not guaranteed contaminated
tha r on isol
t exit
III
ate with room air
or I
po All d
or
se materi zon
a al
II
e ● BSC Class II
BS
hig decont
C
De ■ TYPE A1
h aminat dic
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in
ate - 30% of air
co
k exit
mb
d is exhausted, 70%
of from sup
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ina
ply recirculated as
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exh downflow
thr aust
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uu ■ TYPE A2
ng m
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-
and - has positive
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dec pressurized
Ae ont
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air
ami contaminated
sup
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tra on
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ns syst
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itiv
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d
pre
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ssu ■ TYPE B1
inf
ect
re - 30% of air is
per
ion
son exhausted, 70%
s
or
nel recirculated as
suit
rel downflow
ate
d
ag ■ TYPE B2
ent
s - has positive
wit pressurized
h
un contaminated
kn plenum
ow
n
ris
k
of
tra ● BSC III
ns
mi - has glove ports
ssi During operation it
on
has negative pressure.

- Also has HEPA

filter (may be
doubled)

PSYCHOLOGY OF SAFETY
BIOSAFETY CABINET ● Laboratory safety necessitates the effective
control of all hazards that exist in the
● BSC Class I
clinical laboratory at any time
- Stream of inward air
● Safety begins w/ the recognition of hazards
moves into the cabinet
and is achieve through the application of
 HEPA filter 
common sense, as safety-focused attitude,
exhaust
good personal behavior, good housekeeping
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 in all laboratory work and storage areas and laboratory coats to prevent contact
the continual practice of good laboratory with blood or other body fluids.
technique ✔ Appropriate engineering controls
● Inexperience may cause some accidents: includes shields, sharp containers,
others are result of ignoring own risks, haste mechanical pipetting devices and
carelessness, fatigue or mental air respirators
preoccupation
● Preventive measures practiced in the UNIVERSAL PRACTICES INCLUDES:
laboratory to diminish unnecessary
● Wearing of gloves when performing
exposures to health and safety risk include:
phlebotomies especially when the health care
✔ Annual safety
worker has cuts or other open wounds of his or
✔ Safety drills
her skin when the worker anticipated hand
✔ General consciousness
contamination
✔ Appropriate orientation to safety
● Hand washing after removal of gloves, after
rules
any contact with blood or body fluids and
✔ Safe work environment
between patients
SAFETY AWARENESS FOR CLINICAL ● Washing and reusing of gloves between
LABORATORY PERSONNEL patients is discouraged because microorganisms
that adhere to gloves are difficult to removed
● Health care Organizations focus their ● Laboratory coats must be removed before
responsibility in protecting their employee leaving the laboratory area and never taken
from infection especially against Hepatitis B home or outside the laboratory
virus (HBV) and Human Immunodeficiency ● Cleaning of laboratory coats must be done on
Virus (HIV) site or handled professionally
● The Center for Disease Control updated its ● Eating, drinking, smoking, applying cosmetics
1983 Guidelines for Isolation Precautions in or touching contact lenses is prohibited in
Hospitals with the release of its Universal laboratory work areas
Precautions in 1987 because of the growing ● Vaccination against HBV specifically for
concern for HIV medical technologist, phlebotomist and
● The CDC recommends that blood and body pathologists
fluids precautions should be consistently ● Appropriate signs to identify hazards are
used for all patients regardless of their critical to alert laboratory personnel to
blood-borne infection status potential hazards but also to identify hazards
● The Universal Precautions of the CDC states that may arise
that all blood and body fluids are considered
potentially infected with blood borne DEACTIVATING MICROORGANISMS
pathogens. They are meant to minimize
✔ Heat sterilization (2500 degree C for 15
occupational exposures of employees’ skin,
minutes) *- inactivates HBV in 5 minutes and
eye, mucous membrane or parenteral contact
HIV in 2 minutes
with blood or other potentially infectious
✔ Ethylene oxide (450 to 500mg/L at 55 to 60
materials w/c may have HIV, HBV or other
degree C)
blood-borne pathogens. Such potentially
✔ 2% glutaraldehyde
infectious materials include:
✔ 10% hydrogen peroxide
✔ body fluids (semen, vaginal
✔ 10% formaldehyde
secretions, pericardial fluid,
✔ 5.25% hypochlorite (bleach)
peritoneal fluid etc)
✔ 10% of common household bleach*
✔ Unfixed tissues, organs, or blood
slides.
SAFETY EQUIPMENTS
✔ Precautions include: appropriate
barriers such as gloves, gowns, or

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● All laboratories are required to have the ❖ A radiation safety policy should include
following: environment and personnel protection
✔ Safety showers, eyewash stations, and ❖ All areas where radioactive materials are used
fire extinguishers. or stored must be posted with caution signs and
✔ Periodically test and inspect the traffic in these areas should be restricted to
equipment for proper operations. essential personnel only
✔ It is recommended that safety showers ❖ Records must be maintained as to quantify of
deliver 30-50 gal/min of water at 20- radioactive material on hand as well as the
50 psi. quantity that is disposed. Records must be
✔ Other items that must be available for maintained for length of employment plus 30
personnel include fire blankets, spill years
kits and first aid supplies. ❖ Radiation monitoring utilizes film badge or
✔ Mechanical pipetting devices must be survey meter.
used for manipulating all types of ❖ The wipe test (leak test) involves wiping
liquids in the laboratory including laboratory surfaces with moistened absorbent
water. material and the radiation contained in each
✔ Mouth pipetting is strictly prohibited. wipe is counted

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH FIRE SAFETY

ACT (OSHA)
● Divisions of Fire:
Provides all clinical workers with safety ✔ Class A: ordinary combustible solid
environment materials such as paper, wood and fiber
✔ Class B: Flammable liquid/gases and
They have the right to conduct an on-site combustible petroleum products
inspection ✔ Class C: energized electrical equipment
✔ Class D: Combustible/reactive metal such
CATEGORIES OF EXPOSURE ACCDG TO as magnesium, sodium and potassium
OSHA
CLASS OF FIRE
⮚ Category I- daily exposure to blood and body
fluids CLASS TYPE OF
OF FIRE EXTINGU
⮚ Category II- regular exposure to blood and ISHER
body fluids
⮚ Category III- no exposure to blood and body Class A Ordinary Pressurize
fluids combustibl d Water
e solid and Dry
materials, Chemical
Employers should offer Hepa B vaccines wood,
at no cost to all personnel for category I paper,
& category II fabric etc

Class B Flammable Dry

ELECTRICAL SAFETY liquids/gas chemical
es and and
❖ Lockout or tag out malfunctioning electrical or combustibl Carbon
mechanical equipment until serviced. e dioxide
❖ If a severely shocked person cannot let go of petroleum
products
instrument, unplug it (w/o touching) or knock
person loose with non conductive materials Class C Energized Carbon
such as wood electrical dioxide,
equipment, Halon and
RADIATION SAFETY motors and Dry
switches chemical

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 Class D Combustib Metal X ◆ Medical waste is defined as a special waste
le/reactive (Cover from health care facilities and is further defined
metals burning as solid waste, that if improperly treated of
such material
magnesiu with handled may transmit infectious diseases
m, sodium extinguishi ◆ It compromises animal waste, bilk blood and
and ng agent blood products , microbiologic waste,
potassium {scoop,
sprinkle}) pathologic waste and sharps
◆ The approved methods foinceneration
◆ r treatment and disposition of medical waste are
● Class of Fire Extinguisher:
steam sterilization, incineration, thermal
✔ Class A: Pressurized water extinguisher
inactivation, burial, chemical disinfection, or
(foam and multi-purpose dry chemical)
encapsulation in a solid matrix
✔ Class B and Class C: Multi purpose dry
chemical and carbon dioxide extinguisher PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
✔ Class D: special dry chemical extinguisher
(for fire fighters) ◆ Safety glasses
◆ Goggles
Personnel should know the location and ◆ Visors
type of portable fire extinguisher near the ◆ Or other work shields protect the eyes and face
work area and know how to use an from splashes and impact.
extinguisher before a fire occurs ◆ It is strongly recommended that they may not
be worn in the clinical chemistry laboratory.
FOUR BASIC WASTE DISPOSAL ◆ Gloves and rubberized sleeves protect the hands
TECHNIQUES and arms when using caustic chemicals
◆ Polyvinyl or other nonlatex gloves are an
a) Flushing down the drain to sewer system
acceptable alternative for people with latex
b) Incineration
allergies
c) Landfill burial
◆ Respirators with high-efficiency particulate
d) Recycling
particle (HEPA) filters
CHEMICAL WASTE
MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET
◆ It is permissible to flush water-soluble
⮚ Product name and identification
substances down the drain with large quantities
⮚ Hazardous ingredients
of water
⮚ Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL)
◆ Strong acids or bases should be neutralized
⮚ Physical and Chemical Data
before disposal
⮚ Health hazard data and carcinogenic potential
◆ Foul smelling chemicals should never be
⮚ Primary routes of entry
disposed off down the drain
⮚ Fire and explosion hazards
◆ Other liquids wastes, including flammable
⮚ Reactivity data
solvents must be collected in approved
⮚ Spill and disposal procedures
containers and segregated into compatible
⮚ Personal protective equipment recommendation
classes
⮚ Handling
◆ Flammable material can be burned in specially
⮚ Emergency and first aid procedures
designed incinerators with after burners and
⮚ Storage and transportation precautions
scrubbers to remove toxic products of
⮚ Chemical manufacturer’s name, address, and
combustion
phone number
◆ Solid chemical wastes that are unsuitable for
⮚ Special information section
incineration must be buried to landfill

BIOHAZARDOUS WASTE

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