The document outlines key aspects of lab safety, including defining a laboratory, safety, and lab safety. It discusses potential hazards in labs like physical, chemical, infectious, electrical, and radiation dangers. The document emphasizes the importance of personal protective equipment, safe chemical handling, emergency procedures, and first aid for minor injuries. Following lab safety guidelines is essential to protect oneself and others from danger, risk, or injury while working in the laboratory.

1. Life Saving College Of Nursing
M. Farooq Marwat
RN, Dip. Card, BSN

2. Objectives:
 Define Lab, Safety and Lab Safety.
 Become aware of hazards that occurs in laboratory
 Become aware of personal protection in
Laboratory
 What to do and what not to do in Lab
 Understand the emergency procedure, while
working in lab.
 Understand the First aid procedure in case of any
accident.

4. What is Lab (Laboratory)
Laboratory is a building or room
equipped for conducting scientific
research or for teaching practical
science
It is a workplace for the conduct of
scientific research

5. Safety:
Safety is the state of being certain that
adverse effects will not be caused by
some agent under defined conditions.
The condition of being safe; freedom
from danger, risk, or injury.

6. So what is lab Safety ?
 Lab safety is to make certain that no any
adverse effect will be cause by any of potential
hazard or agent in the laboratory.
 Lab safety procedure make sure that the
individuals in laboratory can work safely with
freedom from danger, risk or injury

7. Why does it matter?
 Safe working protects:
 You
 Other lab workers
 Cleaners
 Visitors
 Your work

8. What Dose Law State…
 Health Safety at Work Act 1974
 You must work safely
 You must not endanger others
 You must not misuse equipment
 Penalty – up to 2 year in prison &/or an
unlimited fine

10. What to do…..
Know safety symbols
• They appear in your laboratory activities
• They will alert you to possible dangers
• They will remind you to work carefully

12. What to do…..
 Read lab instructions ahead of time
 Always follow lab procedures exactly
 Ensure good general ventilation in Lab
 Place all contaminated tubes and plates into
Biohazard area
 Keep cultures in test tube racks when
working at lab bench or walking around the
lab.

13. What to do…..
 Clean your workbench with disinfectant at the
beginning and at the end of each laboratory
exercise
 Wash your hands with soap and water for at
least 1 min before and after you complete your
work.
 Be Responsible at All Times

15. General Hazards in Laboratory
 Physical hazards
 Chemical hazards
 Infectious Hazards
 Electrical hazards
 Radiation hazards
 Breakage of glassware
 Sharps Objects
 Spillages

17. Protect Your Self….
 Wear safety goggles when working with chemicals,
flames, or heating devices or if possibility of flying
debris
 Keep all long hair tied back
 Do not wear loose clothing that could catch on fire
 Foot wear that completely covers the foot is
required

18. Protect Your Self….
• Handle glassware, sharp tools and heated
containers carefully
• Always cut away from fingers and body
• Always carry sharp objects with points and
tips facing down and away
• Never try to catch falling sharp instruments
• Grasp sharp instruments only by the
handles

19. Heat/Flame Safety
• Tie back hair and loose clothes when
working with open flames
• Never look into a container while heating it
• Never point the end of a test tube being
heated at yourself or others
• Never heat in a closed container
• Never leave a burner or hotplate
unattended.

20. Chemical Safety
 Read all labels twice before removing a
chemical from the container
• Only use the type and amount of chemical
instructed to use
• Never touch, taste, or even smell a chemical
unless instructed by the teacher
• Never mix chemicals unless instructed to do
so

21. Chemical Safety….
 Never mix chemicals together unless you are
told to do so (and then only in the manner
specified)
 Consider all chemicals dangerous

22. Spillages
 Clear up spillage promptly
 Dispose of any hazardous material as toxic
waste

24. You should never…..
 Take any chemicals from lab or store room
 Touch any equipment, chemicals, or other
materials until instructed to do so
 Never use any laboratory equipment unless you
are trained & have been authorised to do so
As well as injuring yourself you may cause very
costly damage
 Do an unauthorized experiment

25. You should never…..
 Do not bring food or beverages into the
laboratory because you are working with
microorganisms and you do not want them to
contaminate your food or drink
 Apply cosmetics
 Touch your face, mouth or eyes
 Practical jokes
 Horse play
 Rough house

27. In case of an emergency….
 Know the locations of:
 Fire extinguisher
 Fire blanket
 Body shower
 Eyewash station
 First aid kit
 Know where all the exit doors are located

28. In case of an emergency….
 Know emergency procedure
 If you spill a harmful chemical on yourself or in
your eyes, start rinsing immediately and send any
of your colleague to get teacher’s help
 Notify instructor immediately for broken
glassware.
 If culture gets into your eyes, immediately wash
your eyes for 5 minutes

29. In case of Minor injuries/ailments in Lab

30. First Aid
Injury: Burns
What To Do: Immediately flush with
cold water until burning
sensation is lessened.

31. First Aid
Injury: Cuts, bruises
What To Do: Do not touch an open wound
without safety gloves.
Pressing directly on minor
cuts will stop bleeding in a
few minutes. Apply cold
compress to bruises to
reduce swelling.

32. First Aid
Injury: Poisoning
What To Do: Find out what substance
was responsible for the
poisoning and alert the
teacher immediately.

33. First Aid
Injury: Fainting
What To Do: Provide fresh air and have the
person recline so that their
head is lower than the rest of
their body.

34. First Aid
Injury: Eyes
What To Do: Flush eyes immediately
with plenty of water for
several minutes. If a
foreign object is lodged in
the eye, do not allow the
eye to be rubbed.

35. First Aid
Injury: Electrical shock
What To Do: Shut off the current at
the source. Remove wire
with rubber gloves. Alert
the teacher immediately.