Health and Safety in College and Hospital Microbiology Laboratories

Btec Science
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Introduction:
Health and safety in both college laboratory and hospital microbiology laboratory is
becoming increasingly important subject. Establishment of the dedicated health and safety
department and training to employees and students are the important prerequisite for the
provision of safe environment in the respective laboratories. Accreditation of the laboratories
from the respective agencies proved to be beneficial in establishing and maintaining
standardised laboratories. Laboratories are the places for research, teaching and learning
activities are usually carried out and health and safety issues can arise due to inappropriate
circumstances and behaviours (Leigh, 2016).
Discussion:
Potential risks and hazards:
Hazards in the college laboratory broadly categorised in chemical, biological, physical and
electrical hazards. Chemical use in the laboratories in unavoidable and use of chemicals are
prone to harm or injury, if these are misused or mishandled. Chemicals which can be
hazardous include azos, peroxides, and peroxidizables, explosives, explosive boiling,
pyrophorics, incompatible chemical like hydrogen cyanide with bases, water reactives like
lithium, sodium, and potassium. All the students and staff members are required to be trained
for proper use of chemicals. Chemical hygiene plan including standard operating procedure
need to be implemented to control chemical hazards. Physical hazards include electrical
safety hazards, routine housekeeping aspects, using sharps and ergonomic hazards related to
humanly material and equipment use (Kuespert, 2016). Physical hazards can be effectively
controlled by giving training to students for safe handling of the equipments and proper
storage of the material. Microbes and viral vectors are the potential biological hazards in the
laboratory. Cut due to glasswares and spillage of blood on the floor and working platform
lead to microbial growth are also potential biological hazards. Electrical power outlets in the
wet locations and improper use of flexible extension cords are potential electrical hazards.
Use of plastic protective tubes and proper check of electrical connections on the regular basis
are useful in protection from the electrical hazards (Hill & Finster, 2016).
Chemical hazards in the microbiology laboratory comprises of toxins and corrosives like
disinfectants. Chemical hazards comprise of both organic and inorganic chemical. Proper
ventilation and chemical segregation are the effective ways to prevent chemical hazards.
Protective clothing and good housekeeping proved helpful in preventing chemical hazards.
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Fire, shock, malfunctioning electric equipment and unsafe use of extension cords are the
potential electrical hazards. Round-fault circuit interrupters need to be used and flexible
extension cords need to be used. Electrical pendants are useful in keeping cords out of the
way. Microbes like bacteria and viruses, blood, tissue, body fluids and genetically modified
agents are the potential biological hazards (Coelho & García, 2015).
Proper storage and protection are useful in protecting biological hazards. Use of proper
clothing and storing biological agents in the right areas are helpful lessening risk associated
with biological hazards. Suitable housekeeping and disinfection of work surfaces are useful
in minimizing biological risks. Physical hazards include noise, moving machinery accidents,
heating device and slipping are the potential physical hazards. Training to employees and
good housekeeping are useful in preventing physical hazards. Sitting in the stubborn position
for longer duration like sitting in biosafety cabinet and checking slides on microscope is one
of the potential hazards in the microbiology laboratory. Lack of biological safety cabinets
(BSC’s) is one of the major risk factors associated with the microbiology laboratory.
Inadequate biological waste management is one of the significant risk factors for the
microbiology laboratory (Wurtz et al., 2016; Salerno & Gaudioso, 2015).
Safety Laws:
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) law is useful in controlling substances
which are hazardous in the laboratory. This law needs to be implanted when there is use of
hazardous substances. This law is applicable in the work platform and lab in charge is
responsible for the implementation of the law. Lab incharge need to prepare standard
operating procedure (SOP) for the use of hazardous chemical and accountability for the use
of hazardous chemical need to be maintained. Lab incharge need to prepare safety report and
it need to be audited through head of the department. Implementation of the safety practices
for use of hazardous substances need to be audited every month (Lee et al., 2011).
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) law is useful protecting from harm and hazardous by
using PPEs like safety helmets, gloves, eye protection, high-visibility clothing, safety
footwear and safety harnesses. PPEs are useful in protecting lungs, head and feet, eyes, skin
and body. PPEs are useful in both college lab and in the hospital microbiology lab. In both
the labs, gloves and eye protection are useful. In college lab, safety footwear is useful. Gloves
need to be used while handling corrosive chemicals, body fluids and infective organisms.
Head of the health and safety unit in both college and hospital should implement this law
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