Principles and practice of biosafety - equipment Flashcards
Examples of personal protective equipment
Lab coats
Gloves
Eye protection
Dress
Where is information regarding PPE found?
Signs on lab doors
Purposes of a coat
Protect from chemicals, fire
Snap closures recommended in case of fire
Why are nitrile gloves commonly used?
Non-allergenic
Clear indication of tears ans breaks
When are nitrile gloves not recommended?
If hazard can penetrate through plastic
When is eye protection recommended?
When there is a recognised risk to the eyes as indicated by the risk assessment
What is the purpose of fume hoods?
Decrease the potential for inhalation exposure to chemicals, vapours or toxins
Air is cooled into the face of the hood and exits to outside of the building
Procedures to follow during use of fume cupboards
Never allow your head to enter plane of the hood opening
Elevate heavy equipment 2 inches of the base of the hood interior
Keep all the material 6 inches from the sash opening
When not working in the hood, close the sash
Never permanently keep chemicals inside
Report damages to the sash to the administrator
When are fume cupboards not appropriate?
For microbiological material
What is the purpose of laminar flow hoods?
Act as workbenches with their own filter air supply
HEPA filters remove aerosols from the air and protect the product in the hood
What do laminar flow hoods ensure?
The air flowing across the surface is clean
The velocity of the outgoing air prevents the contaminants from the room settle into the hood
Pushes contaminants from objects placed into the hood to the outside
What is the purpose of microbiological safety cabinets?
Provide personal, product and environmental protection
Air is drawn into the front of the frill providing personal protection
How do microbiological safety cabinets work?
Laminar air passes through the work surface through HEPA filters to remove contamination of microbes to the sample
Exhaust air passes through another HEPA filter before being released to the environment
Direction of air in fume hoods
Into the fume cabinets through to the exhaust
Direction of air in laminar flow hoods
From the top of the fume hoods out to the environment
Direction of air in microbiological safety cabinets
From the top of the cabinet and into the cabinet through to the exhaust
What are the two types of microbiological safety cabinets?
Class I
Class II
What is the difference between class I and class II safety cabinets?
Class I protects the operator by continuously drawing air into the front of the cabinet
Class II protects both the operator from exposure and the product from external contamination
What is a centrifuge?
Motor driven piece of equipment that puts an object in rotation around a fixed axis applying a potentially strong force perpendicularly to he axis of the spin
What are the uses of centrifuges?
Separate fluids, gas or liquid
Based on density
What is an important aspect to properly using a centrifuge?
Need to balance the tubes
If the liquid investigated has a lower/higher density than water, balance the tubes by mass not volume
Speeds of a centrifuge
Low < 8 000 rpm
Medium 8 000-30 000 rpm
High around 80 000 rpm
Ultra > 80 000 rpm
Important things to ensure after centrifugation
Allow the centrifuge to come to a complete stop
Make sure there are no spilsls or leaks
Wear gloves to remove samples
What extra step must be taken when centrifuging an infectious/human sample?
Wait at least 10 minutes after the run
To allow aerosols to settle before opening the centrifuge
