Test 2 - Commonly Encountered Hazards Flashcards
What are the hierarchy of controls?
Engineering
Administrative
PPE
What are examples of Engineering
Fume hoods, biosafety cabinets
What are examples of Administration?
Safe work procedures
What is PPE ?
Eye protection. gloves, gown, respirators, masks
What is decontamination?
- Procedures that remove contamination by killing microorganisms
- Makes items safe for use or disposal
What is sterilization?
The complete destruction or removal of all microorganisms by chemical OR physical means
What is disinfection?
The destruction of specific types of organisms but not all spores, usually with chemicals
When are disinfectants used?
- Of surfaces and equipment which cannot be autoclaved
- After spills of biohazardous material
- In discard jars and pipette jars
What are examples of disinfectants?
- Diluted sodium hypochlorite
- 70% Alcohol
- Quaternary ammonium
When is sterilization used?
Used in some laboratories for equipment or materials used in tissue culture procedures or media preparation
What are examples of sterilization?
- Steam autoclaves
- Gas sterilizers
- Filtration
- Dry heat
- Boiling
What are the operating parameters of a steam autoclave?
- Temp 121 C
- Pressure 15 psi
- Time 15 mins +
How do you properly use a steam autoclave?
- items loaded into heat-resistant plastic containers
- items should not be stacked
- lids should be removed
What is a biological indicator?
- Viable microorganisms providing a defined resistance to a specified sterilization process
- requires incubation for result
What is the common biological indicator?
Geobacillus Stearothermophilus
What are chemical indicators?
A system that responds to a chemical or physical which insure proper conditions were met during autoclaving.
What are some examples of chemical indicators?
- Paper strips impregnated with a chemical, when conditions are met changes colour.
- Glass tubes with a chemical which also change colours when conditions are met.
What is musculoskeletal disorder?
Affects muscles, tendons and nerves caused by over-use and repetitive strain.
What are the 3 common risk factors for MSDs
- Force (exertions, effort)
- Posture
- Time
What are ways to improve ergonomics in the lab?
- adjustability of benches and work surfaces
- Variation of tasks/ scheduling
- Lab stool/chair design
- Storing heavy things on lower shelves
-using carts to move heavy objects
What are some ergonomic exercises?
Light and gentle stretches of the arms, wrists, neck muscles, back muscles.
What are the dangers of compressed gases?
- explode if heated
- high pressure = wounds
- Toxic, flammable, corrosive
What are precautions to take with compressed gases?
- Cylinders should be stored upright and to an architectural support, in a seperate room than the lab.
- carried with a dolly
What is the hazard of cryogenics?
- Burns (due to the low temperatures)
- Embrittlement of materials
- High pressure build up in container
What are precautions to take with cryogenics?
- Wear PPE, no jewelry
- Mindfulness of remains on the vials
- Containers = pressure build up = eye protection till release
What are hazards associated with electricity?
- source of ignition
- severe injuries / fatal
What are precautions to take with electricity?
- avoid extension cords + multiple adapters
- Pull from the plug not from the cord
- Use outlets/ plugs with grounding connection
What are hazards associated with ionizing radiation? Include the sources radiation.
Inhalation or exposure to nuclear substances could cause acute or chronic effects (illnesses)
Sources are:
- X-rays
- Gamma rays
- Alpha particles
- Beta particles
- Neutrons
What are hazards associated with non-ionizing radiation? and their sources.
Lasers: cause injuries, fire
UV: Transitory injuries
Sources:
- Lasers
- Microwaves
-Ultraviolet radiation
What are hazards associated with non-ionizing radiation? and their sources.
Lasers: cause injuries, fire
UV: Transitory injuries
Sources:
- Lasers
- Microwaves
-Ultraviolet radiation
What are hazards associated with extreme temperatures?
- Burns (hot equipment & liquids, steam)
- Hyperthermia in hot environments
- Burns and hypothermia from cryogenics or cold rooms
What are hazards associated with noise?
- physiological effects (hearing loss)
- Psychological (disruption sleep, relaxation)
- Interfere with communication
How to minimize noise?
- loud equipment should be placed as far as possible from workstations
- equipment should be maintained
How to minimize noise?
- loud equipment should be placed as far as possible from workstations
- equipment should be maintained
What are hazards associated with pressure ?
Pressure differences can cause glassware to shatter or can result from temperature changes and chemical reactions within containers.
How to minimize pressure related hazards?
- Allow containers to return to room temp or allow from pressure to return to atmospheric before opening
- PPE
What are factors that cause stress?
- Conflict
- working alone
- change
- technological changes
- fatigue and long work hours
- Environmental factors (noise)
- Personal (mental health, physical health)
- Lab (errors, emotional, ethical issues, poor management, overtime)
How can you reduce stress?
- Keep work + non work separate
- counseling
- General health practices (eat well, sleep)
- Communicating with supervisor
- Seek treatment by physician
What are disruptive behaviours?
- Bullying
- Verbal & sexual harassment
- Physical and sexual assault
- Intimidation and threats
What are the basics of preventing abuse and violence?
- Reporting system
- Early conflict resolution
- 0 tolerance fore disruptive behaviour
- well designed workplace
- Clear emergency response procedure
- training & awareness
What is bullying?
- Bullying at work is the repeated, health or career endangering mistreatment of one employee, by one or more employees
- examples : social isolation, rumours, over -monitoring work, excessive criticism
What is technostress and how do you prevent it?
- Stress caused by rapidly changing technology and the reliance on technology-based equipment
- Sufficient training
- problem solving resources
- back-up plans
What are other physiological hazards?
- Fatigue
- Work-life conflict
- Poor health
- Age related factors
- Depression / Mental illnesses
What are reproductive risks?
Reproductive hazards are any agents that impact the ability to have healthy children
How do reproductive risks effect males and females?
Males:
- reducing # sperm
- change the shape of sperm
- alter sperm chromosomes
- sexual performance
Females:
- effect menstrual cycle
- Infertility / sub-fertility
- Miscarriage / stillbirths
- Birth defects
What are reproductive effects?
Problems in the reproductive process, which may be caused by a substance
What is a Teratogen?
A substance which can cause birth defects
What is embryo toxicity?
The ability of a substance to cause harm to the embryo
What is fetotoxicity?
The ability of a substance to cause harm to the fetus
What is mutagenicity?
The ability to cause changes in the DNA of cells (mutations).
What are precautions taken by the employer when dealing with reproductive risks?
- Identify the hazards
- Assess the risk
- Communicate the information to employees
- Control the hazard through engineering, admin and PPE
How can reproductive hazards be reduced during pregnancy?
- Notify supervisor and institutional safety personnel so risks can be identified and assessed specific to that employee.
- Tasks should be reviewed and or modified to control exposure.
What is a local exhaust ventilation system?
Air is supplied through the building HVAC system.
Not preferred when controlling exposure to airborne substances.
What is a chemical fume hood?
A duct system with fans that capture and remove contaminants. This system uses a sash to maintain the air velocity within the hood.
What is a biological safety cabinet?
A system of air supply and removal that is designed to minimize the escape of aerosols.
What are HEPA filters?
Densely pleated filter of glass and paper fibres that filters biological agents from the air.
How should BSCs be used?
- Not crowd the back
- Allow air to purge/ stabilize for 3-5 mins once everything is in the cabinet.
- Work flow from clean to dirty
- things should be discarded inside the BSCs
- Allow air in cabinet to purge when work is completed.
What is the difference between a chemical fume hood and a BSC?
- A chemical fume hood is designed to remove chemical fumes and aerosols from the work area.
- BSCs are designed to provide both a clean workspace and protection for employees from aerosols created when working with infectious agents or toxins
What are canopy hoods?
Designed to capture heat or contaminants from machines or processes
- not for personal workstations.
What are causes for problems for indoor air quality?
- Temperature
- Air flow
- Humidity
- Odours
Can cause physical and neurological symptoms
How can problems occurring with indoor air quality be avoided?
- placing de-humidifiers
- Contacting some one who specializes with HVAC systems.
