Urinalysis and Body FluidsUnit 1 ASafety in the Clinical LaboratoryTypes of Safety Hazards• Physical risks• Sharps hazard• Electrical hazard• Radioactive hazard• Chemical exposure risk• Fire / explosive hazards• Biological exposure riskTypes of Safety Hazards• Physical Hazards – falls, heavy boxes, patients, etc.Types of Safety Hazards• Sharps Hazards – such as needles, broken glassTypes of Safety Hazards• Electrical – ungrounded or wet equipment•Electrical SafetyUsing electrical equipment• Do not use power cords that are frayed• Always unplug before maintenance performance • Avoid using extension cords• Use three-prong “hospital-grade” electrical plugs• Actions for liquid spills on electrical instrumentTypes of Safety Hazards• Radioactive hazards – equipment and isotopes• Some chemistry procedures used to use radioactive-tagged reagents• But now other tags, ie enzymes, etc. are common, so little chance of radiation exposure existsTypes of Safety Hazards• Chemical Hazards - preservatives and reagentsDepartment of Transportation (DOT) Hazardous Materials Warning SignsChemical SafetyCommon laboratory chemicalsRequire regulatory labels Example of OSHA-mandated labelingChemical Hazards• Chemical Spills• Cleaned immediately using appropriate materials• Chemical Handling• Safety first – use appropriate PPE, be sure others in the area know your intentions, remember the basics.• Chemical Hygiene Plan• Detailed plan addressing work practices, standard operating procedures, PPE, physical / engineering controls such as fume hoods and safety cabinets.• Employee training plan and medical consultation guidelines also included.Chemical SafetyProtective measures Safety Showers and the Eyewash Station 1. The victim of a chemical accident must immediately rinse for at least 15 minutes after removing contaminated clothing.2.In case of a chemical splash in the eye, the victim should rinse their eyes at the eyewash station for a minimum of 15 minutes.3.Contact lenses must be removed prior to the rinsing in order to thoroughly cleanse the eyes.4.The victim should not rub the eyes.5.Take the victim to the emergency department for treatment after his or her eyes have been rinsed for 15 minutes.Laboratory Safety • „Hazard Communication‟• Must keep workers informed of hazardous conditions• Included is signage (some general signs, some very specific)• “Right to Know” stations & MSDS sheets.Chemical SafetyRight-to-Know law and MSDSs • Required for any chemical with a hazard warning label. • An MSDS lists general information, precautionary measures, and emergency information. Chemical Safety• Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)• Covered in first lab.• In addition to manufacturer‟s contact info, contain:• Physical and chemical characteristics• Fire and explosion potential• Reactivity potential• Health Hazards• Methods for safe handlingTypes of Safety Hazards• Fire / Explosive HazardFire / Explosion Hazards• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) • Standard System for Identification of Fire Hazards of MaterialsFire / Explosion Hazards• NFPA system Fire / Explosion Hazards• NFPA systemNFPA signage by Ron RinehartNFPA „Diamond for Dummies‟ by Ron RinehartFire Safety Classification of fires 1. Class A fires • Occur with ordinary combustible material, such as wood, rubbish, paper, cloth, and many plastics.2. Class B fires • Occur in a vapor–air mixture over flammable solvents, such as gasoline, oil, paint, lacquers, grease, and flammable gases.3. Class C fires • Occur in or near electrical equipment.4. Class D fires • Occur with combustible metals, such as magnesium, sodium, and lithium.Fire Safety Location and use of fire extinguishersFire Safety RACE• Rescue• Alarm• Contain• ExtinguishTypes of Safety Hazards• Biological Hazards - from infectious agents• Non-disease (nonpathogenic) microorganisms • Pathogenic (disease causing) microorganismsPathogens and Infections Overview of Protective Measures – required of all healthcare workers, especially those with significant patient contact:• Following all Standard Precautions • Recall: Standard Precautions dictates that we treatall patients and their specimens as if they are infectious. • Use of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)• Identify some of them used in medical lab world• Follow aseptic techniques including surface disinfection• Hand hygiene – will spend a lot of time on this… Protective measures• Standard Precautions• Requires basic understanding of „chain of infection‟.• Source• Mode of transmission• Susceptible hostProtective measures• Proper handwashing• Number 1 way of preventing infectionProtective Measures• So - When should you wash your hands?• Before preparing or eating food• After going to the bathroom• After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has gone to the bathroom• Before and after tending to someone who is sick• After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing• After handling an animal or animal waste• After handling garbage• Before and after treating a cut or wound”Preparation for Lab 1• UA / BF first lab will include a handwashing exercise. • The following slides are a reminder of the procedure. • As you go through the slides, make note of any questions you may have.HandwashingWet Hands with WaterHandwashingDispense a Small Amount of Soap to the HandsHandwashingRub Hands Together Vigorously for at Least 15 SecondsHandwashingRinse Hands in a Downward Motion with WaterHandwashing Turn Off the Water with a Dry Disposable TowelTransmission-based Precautions • The transmission-based precautions cover three sets of precautions based on the routes of transmission. (also covered in lab)• Airborne precautions  Reduce the spread of airborne droplet transmission of infectious agents, such as rubeola, varicella, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis.Transmission-based Precautions• Droplet precautions • To reduce transmission of diseases spread by larger droplets that occur through sneezing, coughing, or talking.• Examples: pertussis, meningitis, rubellaTransmission-based Precautions- Contact precautions  Reduce the risk of transmission of serious diseases such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), herpes simplex, wound infections and others through direct or indirect contact. Reverse Isolation• Who is infectious?• Who must be