Foundation Training In Laboratory Safety

Faculty Safety Managers:

Stefan Hoyle, David Gentry, Jan de Abela-Borg

Foundation training1. Principles of laboratory safety (including bio safety)

2. Hazardous chemicals

3. Gases, cryogenics and other hazards

Why are you here? Aims Improve your safety knowledge Provide an understanding of how to work safely in the laboratory Enable you to identify unsafe practices and take appropriate action

Objectives Be able to define Hazard and risk Understand basics of risk assessment Understand Bio Hazard Groups and Lab Containment levels

What is Good Lab Practice? No eating,drinking, applying cosmetics or mouth pipetting

Housekeeping

Storing or using personal items in the lab (food, iPods, presents etc)

Responsibility for work and the safety of others

Labcoat, safety glasses and gloves

Good glove practice and hand hygiene

Covering cuts or grazes as appropriate

Lab coat cleaning

Dealing with spillages

Reporting accidents and near misses

Removing waste via the correct route and recycling

What are we trying to prevent?

Compliance requirementsUK legislation

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Faculties and Depts

Lab foundation (inc Bio-safety) training

INDUCTION

Laser safety training

Principles of Radiation Safety

Gases and Cryogenics training

COSHH assessment training

Centrifuge safety

Fire safety and fire prevention

The training tree

Training needs analysis

Provision

Transfer of knowledge…….

CBS training

Each student must:

•Comply•Ensure •Attend•Report•Not interfere

Inform his or her supervisor or the person in charge of the activity rather than compromise his or her own safety or the safety of others.

Safety responsibilities – Students

Safe System of Work (SSoW)The principles of SSoW include;

• Good Occupational Safety and Hygiene• Good Laboratory Practice• Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and Codes of

Practice• Ensuring relevant waste routes and emergency

procedures are in place.

…..must all be applied when determining and applying a safe system of work

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Risk assessment process

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Identify the hazard

Consider the nature of the work

Evaluate the risk

Consider the control measures required

Record and review the assessment

Something with the potential to cause harm

The likelihood and severity of harm occurring

Risk Assessment - general provisions Assess health risks

Prevent or control exposure

Use control measures

Maintain, examine and test control measures

Monitor exposure

Health surveillance

Information, instruction and training for persons who

may be exposed

Arrangements to deal with accidents, incidents and

emergencies

COSHH Regulations“hazardous

substances”• Chemicals (incl toxins)• Carcinogens• Biological agents• Any other substance hazardous

to health inc wood dust, plant toxins, cleaning materials, oils and plenty more!)

All biological agents must be classified in one of four Hazard Groups

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Increasing hazard to human health

COSHH – Biological agents

HazardGroup 1

HazardGroup 2

HazardGroup 3

HazardGroup 4

Lab containmentLevel 1

Lab containment Level 2

Lab containment Level 3

Lab containment Level 4

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COSHH1st fundamental principle

COSHH requires that exposure is

prevented

1

controlled

2

If prevention not possible

How can exposure to an infectious agent be prevented?

Prevention of exposure by substitution

Exposure to a particular biological agent is prevented by substitution with a less hazardous biological agent

COSHH Reg 7

Prevention of exposure by segregationIf substitution is not possible then start by considering whether the work is adequately isolated from other staff, students, contractors or visitors

This will at least prevent exposure to those not doing the work

Imperial College Safety

COSHH2nd fundamental principle

If PREVENTION is not possible then CONTROL exposure

Work practicesEngineering controlsSuitable work equipment and materials

Control exposure at source

Use PPE2Routes of laboratory

infection?

1

Mouth• Eating, drinking and smoking in the laboratory• Mouth pipetting• Transfer of micro-organisms to mouth by contaminated

fingers or articlesSkin

• Skin puncture by needle or other sharp• Bites and scratches by animals• Cuts, scratches

Conjunctivae• Splashes of infectious material into the eye• Transfer to eye by contaminated fingers or articles

Lungs• Inhalation of airbourne organisms

Routes of lab infection (2)

Design and use appropriate work processes, systems and engineering controls and use suitable work equipment and materials

The work process and equipment

Controlling the risks of percutaneous exposure by: controlling the use of sharps

Stop the unnecessary use of sharps, for example;

• Tissue homogenisation with a sharp needle• Aliquoting of hazardous substance from septum sealed vial

• Use of glass pipettes for tissue culture

Controlling the use of sharpsWhere sharps must be used;

•Ensure their proper use

•Ensure their proper disposal

•Ensure that there is an agreed needlestick response

•Ensure the risk assessment is carried out

Ensure that the procedures on the use of sharps in any particular lab is clear

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ControllingAerosols / droplets:Splashes and inhalation

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Secondary control measure

the worker

Primary control measure

Microbiological safety cabinets•Required for work at CL2 and 3 if the work presents a risk of aerosol exposure•Must be correctly selected (type and make)•Must be correctly installed•Must be correctly used•Must be correctly maintained

MSC - class 1

USER

HEPA filter

MSC – class 2

USER

Exhaust HEPA filter

DownflowHEPA filter

MSC – class 3

USER

HEPA filter

HEPA filter

Siting

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Do not have another worker at an adjacent bench

MSC

bench

MSC

Allow adequate room for workers at nearby benches

bench300 mm

What can a Class II MSC be used for?

1) Changing the media on TB infected cells?

2) Homogenising human tissues?

3) Chloroform / methanol extractions of bacterial suspension?

4) Aliquoting of 20 ml methanol from a 2.5 litre winchester bottle?

What’s the difference between a fume cupboard and an MSC?

MSC is HEPA filteredFume cupboard has usually no filter

MSC may not be spark proofFume cupboard is

Class II MSC recirculates 70% of the air within the work spaceFume cupboard is 100% extract

Using a MSCProper use: before you start workProper use: whilst at the cabinetProper use: after completion of the work

Advantages and limitations of safety cabinets

Training and competence

What you must know if using a MSC:No person should be allowed to work at an MSC unless proper training has been

given and the person is competent to do the work

• Classification of cabinets• Appropriate and inappropriate use of cabinets• Mode of operation and function of all controls and indicators• Limitations of performance• How to work safely at the cabinet• What to do if it stops working• How to decontaminate after use• Principles of airflow and operator protection tests

Universal precautions• All blood and certain other materials

must be considered infected, unless known to be otherwise

• Main infection hazard is HIV, HepB,and HepC

Human blood and tissues

In the context of universal precautions what is meant by ‘known not to be infected’?

You are asked to handle blood taken from all three of these donorsWhich can you consider to be safe?

Universal Precautions Transport samples in robust containers. Use secondary

containment. Wear gloves when handling blood Use a safety cabinet if generating aerosols or splashes Do not mouth pipette Minimise use of sharps If sharps are required - use them properly Dispose of waste appropriately Know what to do in the event of an exposure Get HepB vaccination

Plants, soils and seeds

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

What is GM? (e.g. bacterial expression system)

Gene of interest (insert)

Vector

HostProtein of interest

GM work

Assessment

Notification

Containment

Emergency

Plans

Waste control

The GMO (Contained use) Regulations: key duties

Risks associated with GM (e.g. bacterial expression system)

Insert (gene of interest)

Vector

Host

Protein of interest

THE GM (CONTAINED USE) REGULATIONS

Requires that all GMMs are classified in one of four Classes

Class 1 Class 2 Class 3 Class 4

Increasing hazard to human health or the environment

1 2 3 4

Containment Level

Classification of GMM determined by Containment Level required

College procedures

All GM work must be assessed by the relevant GM Safety Committee BEFORE generation, use or storage of any GM material.

If you are using GM material – ALWAYS ask to see the associated GM assessment

Also remind your supervisor that the GM Form C needs to be updated