1. 1. Wafa Al-Ahmed Laboratory Leader Bsc, PgD, MLS(ASCP) Instagram: laboratoryteam 1
2. 2. INTRODUCTION Safety Institutions policies OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) Commitment to risk reduction Responsibilities of safety officer Safety advisor Procedures documentation Coordinate with QA department Update policy changes Internal safety inspections Ensure proper equipment maintenance Documentation of hazards & safety problems 2
3. 3. Exits and corridors Ventilations Fire Extinguishers Eye Wash Stations Safety Shower Fire Blanket Hand-washing sink Master electricity shut off First-aid kit Bio-hazardous waste container Sharps containers Routine garbage containers Safety cabinets Fume hood Chemical disposal containers Spill kit MSDS File Laboratory safety requirements 3
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5. 5. Personal safety practices Personal Protective Equipement(PPE) Lab coats Gloves Goggles and Masks Shoes 5
6. 6. Personal safety practices Personal hygiene Hand washing is the most important method of infection control and prevention available. 6
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8. 8. Personal safety practices How to remove contaminated gloves?? 8
9. 9. Personal safety practices No eating and drinking in working areas Dont place any other articles near the mouth, eyes or in hair Cuts, & lesions should be covered with plasters Hair must be secured back 9
10. 10. Safety practices No Mouth Pipetting Dont touch unfamiliar materials Use PPE for handling specimens Restricted areas for paper work Proper disposal for broken glassware & reagent bottles Dont recap needles 10
11. 11. Safety practices Centrifuges: Dont operate unless the covers are closed!!! Autoclaves & Heating equipments Good house keeping STAY ORGANIZED !!! Dont let papers and materials accumulate Disinfect working areas Clean Drips and Spillage Off Maintain the Minimum on the Work Surface Maintain Clear Access to Fire Extinguishers, Safety Showers and Eyewashes 11
12. 12. Classification of Hazards 1. Biological Hazards 2.Physical Hazards Fire & Autoclave Compressed Gas Cylinders Electrical Radiation Sharps -Broken Glassware -Razorblades & needles 3.Chemical Hazards Flammable Chemicals Reactive Chemicals Corrosive Chemicals Toxic Chemicals 12
13. 13. BIOHAZARDS 13
14. 14. Definition Biohazards are infectious agents or hazardous biological materials that present a potential risk to the health of humans, animals or the environment. BIOHAZARDS SYMBOL 14
15. 15. Biohazard Materials Infectious Organisms (e.g. parasites, viruses, bacteria and fungi) Biologically active agents (i.e. toxins, allergens, venoms) Certain types of recombinant DNA (e.g. all human blood, blood products, body fluids/tissue, cell lines and tissue cultures). 15
16. 16. Infectious Organisms Routes of Infection: Inhalation Ingestion Direct inoculation Blood-borne pathogens E.g. (HIV, HBV, HCV) Amount of blood needed to cause HBV infection 100 million infectious particles/ 1 ml blood Medical Devices Causing Injury Disposal syringe was the highest percentage 16
17. 17. Needle stick Safety protocol Encourage bleeding at the site of injury Wash the site with soap and water & Do not panic. Seek medical attention. You might need a shot. (Amiri hospital safety and infectious control department) Take prophylactic medication (known as post exposure prophylaxis, or PEP) preferably within an hour if the person you have been exposed to, is HIV positive and your status is HIV negative Check HIV status of both yourself and the person whose blood has been transferred Have follow up testing and medical supervision of your recovery Retesting for HCV antibodies usually occurs six weeks after the incident, and again at four to six months. Retesting for HIV exposure usually occurs at six weeks, three, six, and 12 months to look for HIV antibodies. Report the incident. 17
18. 18. Specimen Handling Use proper PPE Prevent Leakage Prevent aerosol formation and spill 18
19. 19. BIOHAZARDS LEVEL: Biohazard Level 1: Bacteria and viruses including Bacillus subtilis, canine hepatitis, Escherichia coli, varicella (chicken pox), as well as some cell cultures and non-infectious bacteria. Biohazard Level 2: Bacteria and viruses that cause mild disease Or difficult to contact via aerosol in a lab setting E.g. HAV, HBV, HCV, influenza A, salmonella, mumps, measles, scrapie, dengue fever, and HIV. Biohazard Level 3: Organisms that cause severe to fatal disease Vaccines & treatments exist E.g. Anthrax, West Nile virus, SARS virus, tuberculosis, typhus, yellow fever, and malaria. Biohazard Level 4: Organisms that cause severe to fatal disease Vaccines & treatments not available Dengue hemorrhagic fever, Marburg virus, Ebola virus, hantaviruses, Lassa fever virus, and other hemorrhagic diseases. 19
20. 20. BIOSAFETY DEFINITION To work safely with pathogenic microorganisms and/or potentially infectious material using: proper laboratory practices and procedures personal protective equipment (PPE) safety equipment containment and facility design 20
21. 21. SAFETY EQUIPMENT Biological safety cabinets (BSCs) : Developed for working safely with infectious microorganisms. Designed to contain biological hazards and to allow products to be handled in a clean environment. Inward airflow for personal protection HEPA-filtered exhaust air for environmental protection. It supply air for product protection (except Class I). Separated into classes and types: Class I, Class II (Type A1/A2/B1/B2), Class III (glove box, isolator) Laminar flow clean benches are not biological safety cabinets . protect the material in the cabinet but not the worker or the environment. 21
22. 22. Proper Use of BSC Working surfaces must be disinfected before and after working Lab door must be closed when working with bio-hazard materials Blower should be turned on at least 10 minutes before use Drain valve to be closed Wear PPE Do not use Bunsen burner , it might cause fire or explosion Place contaminated items in waste container DON'T leave UV light on while working in the cabinet The cabinet airflow must be adjusted HEPA filters must be annually certified 22
23. 23. Spill Kit Designed in accordance with CDC and OSHA recommendations Spill Kit Includes: Disposable protective gown Disposable latex gloves (one pair) Disposable mask with eye shield Disposable scoop and scraper to pick up solidified spill Super-Chlor XL pre-moistened wipe for surfaces and equipment One Vionex antimicrobial skin wipe for single use Detailed instructions 23
24. 24. Spills For a spill management we need a method to quickly remember the immediate spill recovery actions. Remember the acronym SWIM S Stop the spill W Warn others I Isolate the area M Minimize exposure to radiation and contamination 24
25. 25. Handling Small Spills 1. Use PPE 2. Put paper towels on the spill to absorb it 3. Dispose the paper towel in biohazard bag 4. Applying disinfectant 5. Wipe up spill with a disinfectant-soaked paper towel & clean the surface with a suitable disinfectant 6. Dispose the paper towel in biohazard bag 25
26. 26. Handling Large Spills Immediate Actions: Access the type of spill and degree of hazards involved If necessary, activate fire alarm. This will: Evacuate the area Notify Lab supervisor and Safety officer Dry spills: (From broken culture plate, no significant aerosol formation) Not necessary to evacuation the room Flood area with disinfectant solution Soak up the disinfectant and contaminated material with an absorbant material Dispose as infectious waste Liquid spills: If significant aerosols were formed, evacuate the area and perform immediate actions Centrifuge spills: Shut off the instrument, use proper PPE Clean and disinfect as above 26
27. 27. BIOHAZARD WASTES Definition Any waste item that is contaminated with biological material that is an infectious disease transmission risk or an environmental release risk Types of Biohazard waste materials: - Cultures and stocks of infectious agents - Human pathological wastes - Human blood - Blood products and body fluids - Contaminated used sharps 27
28. 28. BIOHAZARDOUS WASTES: GUIDELINES Managing laboratory wastes as biohazards (knowing how to handle the waste item) Transporting biohazardous wastes (ability to use extra containers if required) Biohazardous waste treatment (inactivate biological material to reduce hazards) Autoclave validation and biohazardous waste procedures (daily and weekly validation tests) 28
29. 29. BIOHAZARDOUS WASTES CLASSIFICATIONS: Solid biohazardous wastes (non-sharps). Liquid bio-hazardous wastes Sharps (needles, syringes, blades, blood vials and pasteurpipettes). Solid waste Liquid waste Sharps 29
30. 30. Policy of infectious waste management - ULC The waste is segregated at point of origin: (Blood, serum, urine, swabs collected in Yellow bags with biohazard symbol) Infectious waste (culture plates/ tubes) are autoclaved Waste from toilets areas collected in Red bags Sharps: Puncture proof Yellow plastic containers with biohazard symbol All these wastes taken in covered vehicles to Minna Abdullah (Shoab) for final disposal( incineration) Waste management workers of TANZIFCO are instructed and supervised regularly with respect to safety and transportation of infectious waste. 30
31. 31. BIOHAZARDOUS WASTES SEPARATION & SEGREGATION Label and dispose of all bags or containers as hazardous waste. 31
32. 32. Decontamination: Autoclaving Quality control types - Chemical indicators - Biological indicators Both confirm that a sterilization process is effective 32
33. 33. Biological Indicator The biological indicator consists of glass ampoule inside the plastic vial Wear safety glasses and gloves when removing the biological indicator from the sterilizer Crushing or excessive handling of the biological indicator before cooling may cause the glass ampoule to burst 33
34. 34. Test Interpretation of Biological indicators : 34
35. 35. INCIDENT REPORT POLICY: The procedure covers all incidents that would affect the safety of personnel, equipment testing, storage of chemicals, blood and blood product. Report the incident to your supervisor or Safety officer. 1)Accidents &Injuries 2) Medical follow up records of accidental exposure 35
36. 36. First- Aid Policies First aid kits should be labelled with white cross on a green background Standard kits often come in durable plastic boxes, fabric pouches or in wall mounted cabinets. 36
37. 37. Handling Injuries Burns To do: Immediately flush with cold water until burning sensation is lessened. Cuts 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. Fainting Provide fresh air and have the person recline so that their head is lower than the rest of their body The eyes Flush eyes immediately with plenty of water for at least 15 min If a foreign object is lodged in the eye, do not allow the eye to be rubbed 37
38. 38. Handling Injuries Poisoning Find out what substance was responsible for the poisoning and report immediately to supervisor /safety officer Spills on the skin Flush with large quantities of water. For acid spills apply baking soda solution. For base spills apply vinegar or boric acid. Electrical shock Shut off the current at the source. Remove wire with rubber gloves. Alert immediately. 38
39. 39. Ask for help !!! Emergency 39
40. 40. Immunization Laboratory staffs should be immunized against Hepatitis B Anti HBs titer should be checked every 5 years. Evidences of immunization should be recorded in the laboratory. 40
41. 41. References Laboratory biosafety manual WHO www.osha.gov (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Laboratory safety guidance ULC Biosafety manual 41
42. 42. Thank you 42