Lab Safety Flashcards
When do you disinfect your lab area?
before and after each lab session
How do you disinfect the lab work area?
wet the counter with disinfectant and wipe over surface with paper towel
When should you wash your hands?
before leaving lab
How long should you wash your hands?
for at least 15 seconds
with soap and water
How do you avoid inadvertent contamination to your mouth?
keep fingers and pencils away from it
Can you eat and drink in the lab?
no
What do you do if equipment is missing or not working properly (especially microscopes)?
report to the instructor immediately
Are you allowed personal effects in the lab?
no
What is the lab coat policy?
must wear a buttoned lab coat at all times
How do you clean your lab coat between labs?
- take home in plastic bag, do not let come into contact with other belongings
- wash separately from other clothes with detergent and bleach
Can your lab coat be worn in other labs before it is washed?
no, it must be washed first
What do you do if you know/suspect your lab coat has been contaminated with bacterial culture?
report incident to demonstrator
What happens when the demonstrator determines the appropriate means of decontaminations for a contaminated lab coat?
spot disinfection or sterilization in the autoclave
What happens if sterilization int he autoclave is needed for a contaminated lab coat?
lab coat remains overnight in the lab and returned to you the following day
What does risk group 1 cultures mean?
unlikely to cause disease in healthy workers
What does risk group 2 cultures mean?
can cause human disease but are unlikely to under normal circumstances (immune compromised may be at risk)
How should you treat all organisms in the lab?
like they cause disease
What are the safety measures when handling risk group 2 organisms?
- wear disposable gloves
- be aware of aerosols when flaming loops
Where is paper waste discarded?
regular waste paper baskets
Where is used petri plates discarded?
large biohazard bins sitting beside door
Where is disposable gloves discarded?
large biohazard bins sitting beside door
Where is glass slides, broken glass and Pasteur pipettes discarded?
broken glass/sharps discard containers
Where is used swabs and toothpicks discarded?
broken glass/sharps containers
Where is disposable pipettes discarded?
broken glass/sharps containers
What do you do with used glassware (test tubes, beakers, bottles and flasks)?
- clean of all labels
- place upright in the trays on the glassware discard trolleys
Do you pour stuff down the sink in the MBIO lab?
NO
What do you do for a spilled bacterial culture when broken glass is involved?
notify instructor or demonstrator immediately
- do not pick up glass with fingers
- prevent other students from walking in it
- instructor cleans up
What do you do for a spilled bacterial culture if no broken glass is involved? (5 steps)
- cover spill with paper towel
- squeeze disinfectant onto outer edges of spill and work towards centre
- allow to sit for at least 1 minute
- gather up soaked towels (throw in regular garbage)
- disinfect area again with fresh paper towels and discard in regular garbage
Why do you squeeze disinfectant onto outer edges of spill and work towards centre on a bacterial culture spill?
minimizes amount of aerosols
What do you do if culture is splashed on skin?
wash skin with alcohol (handwashing sink), then wash with soap and water
What do you do if culture is splashed into eyes?
rinse eyes with water from nearest tap/eyewash station
-avoid rubbing eyes
What do you do for accidental contamination of the mouth?
treated by rinsing with copious amounts of water and reported to the instructor
What do you do for cuts or wounds not he hands or fingers?
should be kept covered by bandages, and the bandage should be covered with a glove
-see TA if you need a bandaid
What do you do for clothes that have been contaminated?
- disinfected with small amount of disinfectant (from washing sinks) and then allow to dry completely
- once dried, contaminated clothes should be washed separately with detergent and bleach
What do you do if a fire occurs?
turn off gas and call for lab instructor
What must be done to hair in the lab?
- long hair tied back
- excessive use of hairspray and other products should be avoided
How do you light a Bunsen burner?
with a striker provided
What to do when clothing is on fire?
smother it
What do you do in case of a fire alarm?
wait for signal from instructor to evacuate lab, head for stairs and exit
Do you use the pilot flame of the Bunsen burner for sterilization?
NO
What does WHMIS stand for?
Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System
What is WHMIS?
a system for safe management of hazardous materials
Who legislates WHMIS?
provincial and federal governments
What are the 3 parts of WHMIS?
cautionary labels, safety dada sheets (SDS) and worker education programs
What does SDS stand for?
safety data sheets
What are cautionary labels?
placed on all containers with controlled products
What 2 places must cautionary labels be placed on?
containers obtained by suppliers and those dispensed in the workplace
What 7 parts must be included on the supplier labels?
- product identifier
- supplier identifier
- SDS
- hazard symbol
- risk phrases (nature of hazards)
- precautionary measures
- first aid measures
What are the 3 parts of workplace labels?
- product name
- precautionary measures (simplified)
- reference to availability of SDS
What does MSDS stand for?
material safety data sheets
What is MSDS
links to online SDS for controlled products and biohazardous materials available on installed laboratory computers
