Nowadays "Safety" takes up a major role in all the Laboratories, let it be safety equipment or safety measures. This powerpoint gives you a rough idea of the various hazards that may occur in a laboratory and the steps to be taken to prevent them. Also a small note is given on the Biomedical Waste and its management.

1. By
Dr.Arun Babu.N.B.
II yr MD (Biochemistry)
V.M.K.V. Medical College, Salem.

2.  OSHA – Occupational Safety & Health Administration
 CDC – Centers for Disease Control & prevention
put forward numerous safety standards applicable to clinical
laboratories.
Key Elements For safety in Clinical Lab:
• Formal safety programme
• Documented policies & effective use of mandated plans in chemical
hygiene, exposure to blood borne pathogens, etc.
• Identification of significant occupational hazards (biological, chemical,
fire & electrical hazards) and how to deal with each of them.
• Recognition of other relevant safety areas of concern (effective waste
manangement, etc.)

3. Safety Programme.
i. Safety officer / Chair of safety committee
ii. 1 Chemical Hygiene officer
iii. General Laboratory safety manual – to be given to all new
employees.
iv. Continuing education program for laboratories – should
include periodic talks on safety.
v. Ensure that laboratory environment meets accepted safety
standards.

4. Safety Equipment.
o Clothing (lab coats/gowns)
o Gloves
o Eye protection
o Eye/Face washers
o Heat-resistant (non-asbestos) gloves – To handle hot glassware
& dry ice.
o Safety goggles/glasses/visors.
o Tongs – To handle hot beakers
o Polyethylene pumps – To pump acids from large bottles
o Spill kits (For acids, caustic materials & flammable solvents)

5. Laboratory Hazards.
1. Biological
2. Chemical
3. Electrical
4. Fire

6. UN Classification of hazardous materials dealt in Clinical
Laboratories – 9 classes.
1. Explosives
2. Compressed gases
3. Flammable liquids
4. Flammable solids
5. Oxidizer materials
6. Toxic materials
7. Radioactive materials
8. Corrosive materials
9. Miscellaneous materials (not classified elsewhere)

7. Biological Hazards & Steps for prevention.
♠ Never perform mouth pipetting
♠ Do not mix potentially infectious material by bubbling air
through the liquid
♠ Barrier protection (gloves, masks, gowns, protective eye wear)
♠ Frequent hand washing
♠ Keep the hands away from mouth, nose, eyes & mucous
membrane – to avoid self-inoculation.
♠ Decontaminate all surfaces & reusable devices after use.
♠ All patient specimens to be treated as potentially hazardous.
♠ Try to prevent accidental injuries.
♠ Dispose off all sharps appropriately.
♠ Hepatitis B vaccine to be taken by all employees at risk of
accidental exposure.

8. Chemical Hazards & Steps for prevention.
♠ Handle bottles of chemicals & solutions carefully
♠ Glass containers with chemicals – To be transported in
rubber/plastic containers that protects them from breakage & will
contain the spill in case , it happens.
♠ Appropriate spill kits
♠ Hold the bottle firmly around its body (Not by the neck) either
with 1 hand or both depending on the size of the bottle
♠ Acids, caustic materials & strong oxidizing agents – to be mixed in
the sink (provides water for cooling & confinement of reagent in
case the bottle breaks)
♠ Never pour water into a concentrated acid. Acid should be poured
slowly into water.
♠ Label the bottles properly.
♠ Labels to be color coded

9. Electrical Hazards & Steps for prevention.
♠ Worn out wires should be replaced
♠ All electric equipments to be grounded with 3 prong plugs.
♠ Use of extension cords – to be minimised.
♠ Electrical equipments & connections – Not to be handled with
wet hands.
♠ No electrical equipment to be used after liquid has been spilled
over it.
♠ Lay electrical cords where no one can trip on them or get caught
in them.
♠ Never poke anything into electrical outlets
♠ Unplug cords by pulling the plug and not the cord.
♠ Unplug all electrical equipment at the end of the lab period.

10. Fire Hazards & Steps for prevention.
♠ Fire extinguisher to be provided near every laboratory door.
♠ Flammable substances – (a) Use minimum quantity, (b) store
in special storage cabinet, (c) Use temperature controlled
heating sources (like water bath rather than hot-plate or
bunsen burner.)

11. ♠ When lighting a burner, wait until a match is struck or the
striker is in place before you turn on the gas.
♠ The amount of air can be adjusted by the air supply valve
below the tube of the burner. This regulates the flame
temperature and color.
♠ Never leave a burner or hotplate unattended.
♠ Always point the top ends of test tubes that are being heated
heated, away from people.
♠ When heating a test tube, move it around slowly over the
flame to distribute the heat evenly.

12. General Tidiness.
♠ Keep your workplace tidy
♠ Clear up waste, deal with washing up and put things away as you
finish with them
♠ Make sure everything is safe before you leave things unattended
♠ Avoid spillage.
♠ After handling chemicals, always wash your hands with soap and
water.
♠ During lab work, keep your hands away from your face.
♠ Tie back long hair.
♠ Roll up loose sleeves.
♠ Keep the work area uncluttered. Take to the lab station only what is
necessary.
♠ Refrain loose clothing and jewelery.

13. ♠ Wear glasses rather than contact lenses.
♠ Clean up the laboratory area at the end of the day’s work.
♠ Pour down a glass stirring rod to prevent liquids from splattering.
♠ Do not place hot glassware in water. Rapid cooling may make it
shatter.
♠ Never taste any chemicals
♠ If you need to smell the odor of a chemical, waft the fumes toward
your nose with one hand. Do not put your nose over the container
and inhale the fumes.
♠ Wash your hands after handling chemicals.

14. Glassware Safety.
♠ Pour down a glass stirring rod to prevent liquids from
splattering.
♠ Do not place hot glassware in water. Rapid cooling may make it
shatter.

15. Let the waste of the “sick” not
contaminate the lives of “The
Healthy”

16. Biomedical Waste
DEFINITION
♠ Any solid or liquid waste generated during the diagnosis,
testing, treatment, research or production of biological
products for humans or animals. (WHO).
♠ WHO estimates:
- 85% of hospital waste as non-hazardous.
- 10% is infectious
- 5% is non infectious, but consists of hazardous chemicals.

17. 1) Survey of waste generated
2) Segregation of hospital waste
3) Collection & Categorization of waste
4) Storage of waste
5) Transportation of waste
6) Treatment of waste

18. WASTE CATEGORY TYPE OF WASTE TREATMENT
Category No. 1 Human Anatomical Waste Incineration/ Deep Burial
Category No. 2 Animal Waste Incineration/ Deep Burial
Category No. 3 Microbiology &
Biotechnology Waste
Local Autoclaving/
Microwaving/Incineration
Category No. 4 Waste Sharps Autoclaving/Microwaving/Dis
infection/Chemical Treatment
Category No. 5 Discarded Medicine &
Cytotoxic drugs
Incineration & Drug disposal
in safe landfills
Category No. 6 Soiled Waste Incineration/Autoclaving/
Microwaving
Category No. 7 Solid Waste Autoclaving/Microwaving/
Disinfection
Category No. 8 Liquid Waste Chemical treatment &
discharge into drains
Category No. 9 Incineration Ash Landfill
Category No. 10 Chemical Waste Chemical treatment &

19. COLOR CODING TYPE OF CONTAINER WASTE CATEGORY
YELLOW Plastic Bags Category 1, 2, 3 & 6
RED Disinfected Container/ Plastic Bags Category 3, 6 & 7
BLUE Plastic Bags/Puncture proof
container
Category 4 & 7
BLACK Plastic Bags Category 5, 9 & 10