By

LABORATORY SAFETY MEASURES

Dr. Emad AbdElhameed Morad

Lecturer of Medical Microbiology and Immunology

Why are laboratory safety measures important?

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• In microbiology laboratory, many procedures involve handling of living pathogenic microorganisms.

• These may cause infection of the attending personnel by contact, aerosol inhalation, ingestion, inoculation into eyes or injection through the skin by needle stick or broken glass.

• So, it is important to apply certain safety measures to protect yourself and the surrounding environment.

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What are the laboratory safety measures?

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1. Wear a laboratory coat and any other protective clothes if necessary such as gloves and masks.

2. Avoid unnecessary talking and moving in the laboratory.

3. Eating, drinking, smoking, mouth pipetting

are prohibited.

4. Disinfect the laboratory benches at the beginning and end of daily work by wiping with 70% alcohol or 1% hypochlorite.

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5. All specimens should be regarded as potentially infectious and should be placed in containers that prevent leakage during collection, transport and processing.

6. Sterilize the bacteriological loop in the Bunsen flame or electric incinerator immediately before and after use.

7. Wash your hands with soap and water especially before leaving the laboratory.

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8. Work should be conducted in the laboratory safety cabinet when working with highly infectious material such as those likely to contain tubercle bacilli, HIV.

9. Laboratory personnel should be vaccinated against infectious agents such as tubercle bacilli, hepatitis B virus, rubella for females in the child bearing age.

10. A biosafety manual should be available for all laboratory personnel.

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11. Disposal of used material:

All used syringes, needles and other sharps and broken glass should be placed in puncture proof containers until incinerated.

Used slides, covers and pipetting tips should be placed in discard jar containing 2.5 % Na hypochlorite before disposal.

Used glassware such as culture plates and tubes are autoclaved before cleaning.

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12. In case of laboratory accident: call the instructor

If any culture material is broken, spilled on the floor or bench, flood the area immediately with a disinfectant (5-10% Na hypochlorite solution).

Leave the material undisturbed for 20-30 minutes.

Wipe it up and discard the waste.

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Thank you

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