Facilities and

Safety
 Learning Objectives
At the end of this module, participants will
be able to:
 relate how facility design impacts the efficiency
and safety of laboratory workers
 describe practices to prevent or reduce risks
 list personal protective equipment (PPE) that
should be used routinely by laboratory workers
 explain general safety requirements for the
laboratory
 describe steps to take in response to emergencies
such as biological or chemical spills, or laboratory
fires

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 2

 Scenario
Your laboratory specializes in
virology. There is an epidemic of
H5N1 in your country and the Ministry
of Health names your laboratory as
the reference laboratory for
processing all samples.
What are the elements to
consider ensuring biosafety in
your laboratory?
Facilities and Safety - Module 2 3
 The Quality Management System

Organization Personnel Equipment

Purchasing Information
Process
& Management
Control
Inventory

Documents Occurrence
& Management Assessment
Records

Process Customer Facilities

Improvement Service &
Safety

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 4

 Laboratory Accident

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 5

 Secondary effects of a laboratory
accident
 loss of staff confidence
 loss of reputation
 loss of customers
 increased costs litigation, insurance

Negligence
of laboratory safety is costly!

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 6

 EVERYONE

is responsible for quality and safety

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 7
 All diagnostic
and health care
laboratories
must be designed
and organized for
Biosafety level 2
or above

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 8

 Laboratory design

 Path followed by the sample

 reception and registration of patients
 sampling rooms
 dispatch between different laboratories
 analysis of samples

 Report delivery, filing

 Service rooms

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 9

9
 Common room,
stairs to offices

Gynaecological
samples

Blood clotting
Wash
room Blood
samples
Hematology

Biochemistry

Disinfection

Bacteriology

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 10

 Registration desk

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 11

 Safety during
service
no unauthorized persons
no friends
no children
no animals

Please
CLOSE
the DOOR

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 12

 Sample collection room

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 13

 Common room,
stairs to offices

Gynaecological
samples
collection
Blood
clotting
Blood
samples
Hematology
collection

Wash
Biochemistry room

Patient

Reception

Disinfection

Bacteriology

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 14

 Common room,
stairs to offices
Gynaecological
samples
collection
Blood clotting

Blood
samples
Hematology
collection

Wash
Biochemistry
room

Sample
Reception

Disinfection
Bacteriology

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 15

 Segregated areas

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 16

 Stock room

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 17

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 18
18
 Doors and large equipment

Main
Door

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 19

 Common room,
stairs to offices

Gynaecological
samples
Blood collection
clotting
Blood
Hematology samples
collection

Wash
Biochemistry room

Waste

Reception
Disinfection
Bacteriology

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 20

 Premises
 high ceiling with good ventilation
 walls and ceiling
 use washable, glossy paint
 easy to clean and disinfect

 floor
 easy to clean and disinfect

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 21

21
Benchtops
 non-porous covering, easy to clean,
resistant to chemicals and
disinfectants
 no wood, no steel

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 22

22
Benches and working space

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 23

 Scheduled Cleaning
 daily
 bench tops
 floors
 weekly
 ceiling and walls
 other
 refrigerators
 freezers
 storage areas
 record date and cleaning staff

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 24

24
 Safety Management

 Responsible: Safety Officer

 Safety Manual: laboratory-specific
 Standard Operating Procedures
 Trained personnel
 potential risks
 safety procedures
 Waste Management

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 25

 General Safety Equipment

shower
eye washer fire safety PPE

waste disposal
Facilities and Safety - Module 2 26
 Standard Safety Practices
DO NOT-

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 27

 Standard Safety Practices
DO-

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 28

Safety Signs

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 29

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 30
 Research Employee Injuries
(1993–1997)

Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Office of Laboratory Safety

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 31

 Laboratory Support Injuries
(1993–1997)

Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Office of Laboratory Safety

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 32
 Laboratory Hazards

 physical

 chemical

 biological

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 33

 needles,
syringes

Bites, broken
scratches glass,
Accidents,
animal or
ectoparasites sharps
injuries

Aspiration
Spills,
through
sprays pipettes

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 34

 Physical Hazards

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 35

 Needles, Broken Glass, and Sharps
 do not recap needles
 always use puncture-resistant, leakproof,
sharps containers
 always use specific waste disposal containers
 never directly handle broken glass

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 36

 Do you see anything wrong?

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 37

Do NOT reuse disposable injection equipment

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 38

 Chemical Hazards
Biosafety Level 1 and 2 laboratories
Separate cabinets for storage:
 spill containment cabinet
 hazardous waste storage
 flammable liquids storage

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 39

 Material Safety Data Sheet

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 40

 The risks for laboratory workers
-most frequently reported infections in US, 1979-1999

Disease or Agent No. of Cases

Mycobacterium tuberculosis 223
Q fever 176
Hantavirus 169
Hepatitis B virus 84
Brucella sp. 81
Salmonella sp. 66
Shigella sp. 56
Hepatitis non-A, non-B 28
Cryptosporidium sp. 27
Total 1074
Facilities and Safety - Module 2 41
41
 Biological Hazards
Aerosols and droplets are the main
sources of contamination

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 MODIFIED SLIDE 41->42 42

 Single-source, multiple laboratory infections
Reitman and Wedum, 1956

Disease Probable Source Max Distance Number

from Source Infected
Brucellosis Centrifugation Basement to 3rd 94
floor
Coccidioidomycosis Culture transfer 2 building floors 13
solid media
Coxsackie Spilled tube of 5 feet estimated 2
Virus infection infected mouse tissue
on floor
Murine Typhus Intranasal inoculation 6 feet estimated 6
of mice
Tularemia 20 Petri plates 70 feet 5
dropped
Venezuelan 9 lyophilized 4th floor stairs to 24
encephalitis ampoules dropped 3rd or 5th floor

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 43

 Contamination Routes

Ocular invasion

Inhalation

Ingestion

Skin penetration

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 44

 Personal Protective Equipment
BSL 1 and 2
 laboratory coat
 gloves
 goggles or face shield
 masks
 hearing protection

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 45

Chemical Spills
 anything beyond a minor
spill and requiring help from
outside of the laboratory group
constitutes a major spill
Minor spill

Major spill
Facilities and Safety - Module 2 46
 Biological Spills

Spill Exercises

Spill
Exercises

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 47

 Laboratory Fire Safety
Learn how to operate a portable
fire extinguisher

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 48

 Summary

When designing a laboratory or

organizing workflow, ensure that
patients and patient samples do not
have common pathways

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 49

 Summary
Safety is dependent on:
 a responsible supervisor
 a safety manual and SOPs
 trained personnel
 assessment of risks
 laboratory design

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 50

 Key Message
Neglecting laboratory safety is costly.

It jeopardizes the lives and health of

employees and patients, and jeopardizes
laboratory reputation, equipment, and
facilities.

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 51

 Organization Personnel Equipment

Purchasing
&
Process Information Questions?
Control Management
Inventory

Comments?
Documents Occurrence
Assessment
& Management
Records

Process Customer Facilities

Improvement Service &
Safety

Facilities and Safety - Module 2 52