Safe Working Practices Flashcards
Why do we need safe working practices?
To reduce contact with sources of infection
To avoid transmission of infection
To reduce contact with sources of harmful chemical and radiation
What are the Routes of transmission of microbes?
Ingestion: eating, drinking, smoking in lab
Transfer of microorganisms via contaminated finger to mouth
Skin (percutaneous): skin puncture by sharps/needle
Bites and scratches by an animal
Pre-existing cuts and scratches
Conjunctiva: splashes of infectious material into the eye
Transfer to eye via contaminated finger
Inhalation of airbourne hazards e.g. aerosols
What do we class as microorganisms?
Bacteria Fungi Protozoa Viruses Prions
Aseptic techniques should be used when handling microorganisms because?
To prevent contamination of laboratory or workers by the organism being handled
To prevent contamination of the organism from the environment or the handler
List aseptic techniques
No mouth pipetting No eating, drinking, smoking in lab Wear lab coats and safety glasses Clean up spillages Label all specimens Sterilise loops in Bunsen burner flame Wash hands before leaving lab No open toed shoes
Aseptic techniques include:
Avoid creation of aerosols Don’t blow material from pipette Don’t shake cultures too vigorously Don’t expose culture to air for too long When centrifuging tube, should be we’ll sealed
Which government bodies control the legislation for control of handling of microorganism
Health and safety executive (HSE) (act 1974)
Advisory committee on dangerous pathogens (ACDP)
The national counter terrorism security office (NaCTSO)
Control of substance hazardous to health (COSHH)
Genetic modified organism (GMO)
Who’s job is it to be safe in the laboratory?
The employer: must provide safety training and equipment
Biological safety office (BSO): who sits on safety committee:
- hazard advice on microbiological safety
- hazard groups that can be safely worked with
- containment
- disinfection
- safe disposal of waste material
The employee- legalobligation
What are the Hazard groups?
Hazard group 1 —> containment level 1
Hazard group 2 —> containment level 2
Hazard group 3 —> containment level 3
Hazard group 4 —> containment level 4
They all match with their containment level
Hazard group 1
Lowest level of contaminate
A biological agent that is unlikely to cause disease in young adults
Hazard group 2
A biological agent that may cause infection and may be hazardous to lab personnel
Unlikely to spread to community
Lab exposure rarely leads to infection
Effective prophylaxis/treatment available
Used in a restricted laboratory
Examples of hazard group 2 microbes
Bacteria: E.Coli,
methicillin resistant-
staphylococcus aureus,
clostridium tetani (tetanus)
Fungi- Candida albicans (thrush)
Aspergillus sp. (lung disease)
Parasite- toxoplasma gondii (toxoplasmosis)
Schistosomes mansoni (schistosomiesis)
Virus- Epstein-Barr virus (glandular fever)
Measles virus
Mumps
Polio
BCG
Hazard group 3
A biological agent that may cause severe disease and prevents serious hazard to lab workers May spread to community Readily available prophylaxis/ treatment Should be handled in I/III cabinet Restricted access to lab
Example of hazard group 3 microbes
Bacteria: bacillus anthrasis (anthrax)
Tubercolosis
Fungi: histoplasmosis
Parasite: toxoplasmosis
Viruses: HIV
Rabies
Hepatitis
Hazard group 4
A biological agent that causes severe disease and serious hazard to lab workers Danger of spread to community No available prophylaxis/treatment Should be handled in class III cabinet Highly restricted access to laboratory
Examples of hazard group 4 microbes
Only consist of viruses
Lassa fever
Congo hemorrhagic fever virus
Ebola
Herpes
Category 4 lab
Only viruses belong to HG4 10 category 4 labs in the UK high restrictive access to the lab Workers never come in direct contact with the pathogen Workers must wear biohazard suits
Containment level 1
Containment level 1:
No Restricted access No cabinet No airlock No shower Yes wash Basin No autoclaving of waste
Containment level 2
Restricted access- yes Cabinet- I Airlock- no Shower- no Wash basin- yes Autoclaving of waste- yes
Containment level 3
Restricted access- yes Cabinet- I/III airlock- yes/no Shower- no Wash basin- yes Autoclaving is waste- yes
Containment level 4
Restricted access- yes (high) Cabinet- III airlock- yes Shower- yes Wash basin- yes Autoclaving is waste- yes
Microbiological safety cabinets (MSC)
Required for work at level 2/3 if the work presents a risk of aerosol exposure
The MSC must be correctly selected, installed, used, maintained
There’s an MSC class I, II, III
Movement of microbes
The movement of microbes has been tightly regulated since 2000
Regulated by several agencies:
- department of transport (transport of infectious substance, 2006)
-ACDP
-NaCTSO
-HSE
Hazard group 3/4 can’t be sent through post
Must be escorted by police and by an expert that’s used to handling the pathogen
Group 4 microbes need government approval before movement
To move a microbe, the specimen must be stored in
A double container
Metal/ plastic container with screw top
Labelled clearly with biohazard warning
Genetic modification organism (GMO)
The genetic makeup of a microorganism can change naturally (antibiotic resistance) or intentionally (in the lab)
It’s necessary to upgrade their hazard group
This is regulated by several agencies
Agencies that regulate GMO
SACGM (guidance from the scientific advisory committee on genetic modification)
HSE
ADCP
DEFRA (department for environment, food, rural affairs)
SSREAD (Scottish executive environment and rural affairs department)
Within the lab, GMO is regulated by:
GM committee and BSO
subject to all the same regulations that affect non- GMO labs
Subject to a higher level of monitoring
E.g health surveillance of employees to detect ill health and adverse reactions to prevent further exposure
Choose the less hazardous microbe to manipulate
What should GM assessment consider the potential impact to?
Human health
Animal health
The environment
GM risk assessment should be reviewed regularly and up dated when new knowledge comes out
The risk assessments must be kept for 10 YEARS after the work has ended
