Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering /
BSSE Office, Third Floor, Biological Sciences Building, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, 560012, India
+91 80 2293 2624 http://www.be.iisc.ernet.in
Laboratory Safety Guidelines
(Document prepared on Nov. 8, 2016)
People who work in the scientific laboratories are exposed to various hazards. Adopting few good habits while working will not only protect individuals but also protect visitors, cleaners, and the environment. An introduction to safe practices for a variety of widely used laboratory procedures is listed below.
Chemical Safety
Every day in the laboratory, workers come in contact with potentially harmful chemicals. These chemicals might contain cancer-causing agents (carcinogens), toxins (e.g. those affecting the liver, kidney, and nervous system), irritants, corrosives, sensitizers, as well as agents that act on the blood system or damage the lungs, skin, eyes, or mucous membranes.[1] For most commercially available substances, detailed instructions are available in the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). Many laboratory accidents occur during transferring chemicals from one place to another or from one container to another. All the mandatory precautions should be taken while transferring the chemicals. Following points must be considered while using chemicals:
1. Individuals are requested to collect toxicological information and procedures for handling and storage of chemicals used.
2. All flammable and combustion chemicals should be used in minimum quantity and be stored in special storage cabinets. All containers for chemicals must be clearly labelled.
3. Always clear up spillage promptly.
4. Inhalation is a major route of entry of chemicals into the body. Chemical fumes and vapors can directly enter our bloodstream and small particles can lodge in the alveolar region of our lungs. A properly designed and operated fume-hood reduces exposure to hazardous fumes, vapors, gases and dusts.
5. Always keep work at least 15 cm away from the opening of the fume hood.
6. Use the fume hood sash as a safety shield when boiling materials or conducting an experiment with reactive chemicals.[2]
7. Specific measures that must be taken to ensure proper and adequate performance of fume hoods.
8. Do not put your face or head inside the hood. Keep hands out as much as possible. Do not use a fume hood as a storage area, they should contain only working volumes of chemicals.2
9. Do not place power boards or other spark-producing sources inside the hood.
Biological Safety
While working in laboratories, one might handle specimens, cultures and agents without full knowledge of the biohazard risk; these materials may contain infectious agents. To minimize exposure, observe universal precautions when handling any biological specimens. Four bio-safety levels are established to regulate laboratory practices, techniques and safety equipment appropriate for handling of biological agents, i.e., microorganisms, toxins of different origin, and viruses.[3] Important safety measures are as follows:
1. Properly maintained Biosafety Cabinets (BSCs), when used in conjunction with good microbiological techniques, provide an effective containment system for safe manipulation of moderate and high-risk infectious agents. BSCs protect laboratory workers and the immediate environment from infectious aerosols generated within the cabinet.[4]
2. Use mechanical pipetting device (e.g., pipette aid, Pipetteman, or bulb).
3. Decanting culture supernatants, opening of culture and streaking of plates should only be done in safety cabinets or in a circular area around a burner of 0.5 m radius. Decanting/Transferring of cultures in common equipment rooms outside of safety cabinets is forbidden.
4. Add disinfectant to water baths for infectious substances.
5. Use only closed tubes for centrifuging procedures. Inspect the tubes before use.
6. Avoid using syringes and needles whenever possible. Special care has to be taken when usage of needles is not avoidable. Use a needle-locking or disposable needle unit. Take care not to stick yourself with a used needle. Place used syringes into a pan of disinfectant without removing the needles. Do not place used syringes in pans containing pipettes or other glassware that require sorting. Do not recap used needles. Dispose of needles in an approved sharps container.4
7. Keep laboratory doors shut when experiments are in progress. Limit access to laboratory areas when experiments involving biohazardous agents are being performed.
Nanomaterials
Nanomaterials have the potential ability to penetrate living cells because of small dimensions, large surface area and high reactivity. As a result, their unique nano-features may also make them potentially hazardous for human health and environmental safety. The possible pathways to enter the nanomaterials to the body and various safety measures to avoid serious physical harm are listed next:[5]
Pathways / Safety measuresDermal: Nanoparticles can migrate through skin and circulate in the body while handling nanoparticle suspensions or dry powders. / Wear gloves and lab coat while handling the nanoparticles.
Inhalation: Inhalation Respiratory absorption through the mucosal lining of the trachea, bronchioles or the alveoli of the lung. / Wear filter mask to avoid inhalation of nanoparticles while working.
Ingestion: Ingestion can occur if good hygiene practices are not followed. / Eating and drinking are not allowed in laboratories. Spills of nanoparticles should be quickly and properly cleaned-up.
Ocular: Ocular Exposure to airborne nanoparticles placed near the eye, accidentally splashed onto the eye or transferred from hands during rubbing of eyes. / Wear safety glasses, goggles, full face-piece respirator.
Note: Do not wear contact lenses at work place.
Equipment Handling
Autoclaves: Workers should be trained to recognize the potential for exposure to burns or cuts that can occur from handling or sorting hot sterilized items or sharp instruments when removing them from autoclaves/sterilizers or from steam lines that service the autoclaves.1
Centrifuges: Centrifuges, due to the high speed at which they operate, have great potential for injuring users if not operated properly. Unbalanced centrifuge rotors can result in injury, even death. Sample container breakage can generate aerosols that may be harmful if inhaled.1
Cryogen/liquid N2: Liquid gasses are extremely cold and can cause burns and liquid gases evaporate and many can cause asphyxiation. Individuals must have special training to use them.4
Sonicator: Use hearing protection if staying in the room when the sonicator is in operation. Otherwise go away from the room after starting sonication.
Gas cylinders: Never use without formal training, cylinders are heavy and can do serious damage to you if they fall. Use specific regulators & control equipment suitable for the gas concerned. Consider the consequences if your cylinder leaks.1
Ultraviolet Radiation (UV): Ultraviolet radiation (UV) has a high photon energy range and is particularly hazardous because there are usually no immediate symptoms of excessive exposure. Sources of UV radiation in the laboratory include black lights and UV lasers.1
Laser Hazards: Lasers typically emit optical (UV, visible light, IR) radiations and are primarily an eye and skin hazard.
Best Practices
· Know the location and proper use of emergency equipment, such as safety showers, fire extinguishers, and fire alarms.
· All laboratory workers should undergo simple first aid training. For all chemical splashes, wash with plenty of water for 10 minutes and control bleeding with direct pressure, avoiding any foreign bodies such as glass.
· Keep your workplace tidy. A tidy laboratory avoids accidents to everyone.
· 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.
· Never use any laboratory equipment unless you are trained and have been authorised to do so.
· Do not consume or store food items with nanomaterials or chemical storage.
· Leave gloves in the lab before leaving.
· Wash hands thoroughly before and after working with any biohazard, nanomaterials or chemicals and after removing gloves, laboratory coat, and other contaminated protective clothing.
· There are many different types of protective glove. Use the correct ones for the job you will be doing.
· Wear a laboratory coat or apron and protective glasses or goggles for all laboratory work. Wear mask if you are dealing with fumes or harmful chemicals.
· No running or jumping in a laboratory is permitted.
· Mouth pipetting is never allowed.
· Handling Glassware: Glass breakage is a common cause of injuries in laboratories. Only glass in good condition should be used.
Waste Disposal
· Always dispose of broken glass in a glass bin or sharps bin and not in a general waste bin
· Quantities of nanomaterials (powders, colloids) exceeding the milligram range should be treated as hazardous chemical waste, if the particle solubility in water is very small (inorganic materials like metals, metal oxides etc.).5
· Do not put engineered nanomaterials waste in the regular trash or dump it down the drain.
· Nanomaterial hazardous waste containers shall be collected and disposed of as hazardous waste following the standard procedures.5
· Biological waste includes petri dishes, surgical wraps, culture tubes, syringes, needles, blood vials, absorbent material, and pipette tips should be properly discarded in the appropriate bins.
Waste Pickup
IISc collects different chemical, biological waste every month and they broadcast the schedule of waste pick-up in advance. Individual should follow these broadcasts and follow the instructions to arrange the waste pick-up.
References
1 of 4
[1] http://oshainternational.com
[2] http://www.ehs.ufl.edu/programs/lab/fumehood/
[3] http://staff.uow.edu.au/ohs/workingsafely/biosafety/index.html
[4] https://www.ncbs.res.in/sitefiles/labsafety.pdf
[5] Environmental health and safety issues, http://www.nano.gov