Occupational safety in laboratories

Transcription

1 Occupational safety in laboratories Laboratories during their work are constantly exposed to various harmful substances and they have an increased risk of injury. This is a serious problem and therefore various institutions produce guidelines for standard occupational safety and health instructions in laboratories The World Health Organization (WHO) in 2004 published the third edition of the bio safety manual. At the High School of Health,Goce Delcev University has been introduced, the Safety at Work Laboratory to help students to get personal protection when working in a laboratory. The main topics are: Types of laboratories store biological safety; Microbiological risk assessment; Rule of conduct

2 Design of laboratories and facilities

3 Laboratory equipment; Waste management; Accreditation and issuance of certificates; Laboratory technicians; Disinfection and sterilization; Unforeseen contingency plans and out-of-court procedures; Transportation to contaminated material; Biological Safety Checklist. Biological safety implicitly involves safe laboratory procedures, proper use of equipment and handling of various samples by the laboratory workers in order to prevent injuries and illnesses. Biological safety is the responsibility of all persons working in laboratories. In the last decade, the traditional approach to biological security has been expanded by introducing various laboratory biological safety measures. Effective bio safety procedures are at the core of laboratory biological safety activities. A specific bio security program for each institution should be prepared and implemented, depending on the requirements of the institution, the type of work it is dealing with and the local conditions. Laboratory bio security measures should be based on a comprehensive program for pathogens and toxins, storage, identification

4 of the person with a permitted access, description for use, documentation for internal and external transfer within frames and objects, material removal, etc. Precautionary measures should become a routine part of the work in the laboratory, just as aseptic technicians and other safe microbiological technicians. Historical data Laboratories often represent a workplace that is risky for the employees and the persons who are involved. In the last 70 years, there are many studies that point to a variety of illnesses experienced during work in laboratories. In 1941, in the United States, Meyer and Eddie discovered 74 cases of brucellosis as laboratory workers obtained in the course of processing infectious materials from patients. Sulkin and Pike published many studies of infections that occurred in the course of labor in laboratories. In 1949, 222 viral infections were detected and 21 deaths occurred in unsafe handling with infectious material. In 1951, 5000 US laboratories followed and discovered the occurrence of 1342 cases of bacterial infections. New studios published in 1965 and 1976 with a very high number of illnesses. In 1974, Skinholj demonstrated that workers in the laboratories in Denmark were 7 times more likely to suffer from hepatitis B than the global population. Similarly, in England, the researchers Harrington and Shannon showed that the laboratory workers were frequently suffering from tuberculosis 5 times and had greater risks of hepatitis B and schizophrenia from the rest of the population. Due to all these research and detection of illnesses occurring during work in medical laboratories, the National Institute of Public Health in the United States publishes various guidelines with standards for behavior and work in laboratories. The World Health Organization (WHO) has long recognized that biological safety is an important international issue. This organization published in 1983 a Bio safety Manual in Laboratories, which serves all countries to understand the basic concepts of bio safety and to develop national regulations for the behavior and safe handling of infectious specimens and equipment. In 1993, the second edition of this

5 manual was published, and in 2004 the third most recent and extended edition was published, with the WHO continuing with the international leadership of the biological safety plan, through solving the Questions about security and safety, and which we meet in this millennium. The bio safety manual in the laboratories examines the relative risks of infectious micro-organisms divided into risk groups according to the WHO. This classification of the risk group is used exclusively in laboratories. Each country is composed of a national (regional) classification of microorganisms by a risk group, taking into account: Pathogenesis of the organism; The method of transmission and the spread of the organism's distribution. This can be influenced by the existing level of immunity of the local population, the density and movement of the household, the presence of corresponding vectors, and hygiene standards in the local environment; Local availability on measures for local prevention. These measures include: immunization, antis era, sanitary measures (hygiene of water and food), control of the animal reservoirs and control of the vectors; Local availability for effective treatment. This includes: passive immunization and vaccination against the exposure and use of antimicrobial, antiviral and chemotherapeutic drugs. Each worker must know the minimum requirements that apply to laboratories at all levels of biological safety. Since a need laboratory does not have complete control over the samples it receives, laborers may be exposed to the effects of various agents from the higher risk groups than they are expected to. In some countries, the accreditation of clinical laboratories is necessary. At the global level, standard safety measures must always be accepted and applied. In many laboratories and national laboratory programs, can be used written procedures and procedures for safe laboratory techniques. Each laboratory should accept a security or operational manual that identifies known and potential hazards, as well as specific procedures and procedures, with the aim of minimizing or

6 eliminating such hazards. Good microbiological techniques are the basis for laboratory safety. The specialized laboratory equipment contains these concepts: An international symbol and biological safety mark shall be placed on the door of the premises where it is handled by microorganisms from the risk group or a higher risk level Only authorized persons may have access to the workplace of laboratories; The doors to the laboratory should be closed; They should not be allowed access to children in the workplace of laboratories; Animals should not have access to laboratories other than those involved in the laboratory work.

7 Personal protection Laboratory coats or uniforms must be worn during the entire working hours of the laboratory; Gloves must be worn in all procedures that may involve direct or accidental contact with blood, body fluids, or other potentially contagious materials. After use, the gloves should be aseptically removed and the hands should be washed Face masks, protective glasses and other protective devices must be worn when it is necessary to protect the person from the effects of cracking, solid objects and a source of knowledge Ultraviolet light; The carrying of protective laboratory clothes outside the laboratory is prohibited, Shoes with open fingers are not allowed to be worn in laboratories; Eating, drinking, smoking and applying cosmetic preparations and contact lenses are prohibited in the laboratory work space; It is forbidden to store food and drink for people anywhere in the laboratory; Protective lab clothing should be kept in a special place.

8 It is necessary to observe the following procedure: Pipette with mouth is strictly forbidden The materials and labels must not be placed in the mouth; All technical procedures should be carried out in such a way as to minimize the formation of aerosols and lids; It is necessary to pass the rules and the rules to be implemented for the reading of the projected fluids; Documents handed out from the laboratory should be protected from contamination during the work in the laboratory.

9 Also, the workplace in the laboratory should be under special treatment. - The laboratory should be clear and free from materials that are not directly related to the work being performed; - The working surfaces must be decontaminated after any development of potentially hazardous substances, as well as after the ending of the working day; - All contaminated materials, specimens and crops must be decontaminated prior to filling or cleaning for reuse; - In relation to the packing and transport of the materials, it must be in accordance with the national or international standards and procedures - The windows must have installed insect protection systems. Management of biological safety The laboratory director (or person which is directly responsible for the laboratory) shall be responsible for the adoption and acceptance of a bio security plan, as well as a security or safety manual; The laboratory director is responsible for organizing regular bio safety training If there is a need, all employees should be provided with medical supervision and treatment, It is very important for the employees in the laboratory to be aware of safety and to be well informed for identifying and controlling laboratory errors. The training of the staff should always include information on safe methods in high-risk procedures that are usually recruited by the laboratory personnel, which include: Risk of inhalation (aerosol formation) in the use of ezes, application of agar culture, pipe ting, smudging, opening of culture, blood sample / serum samples, centrifugation, etc. Risk of entry when handling samples, contests and cultures; Risk of percutaneous entry in the use of needles and syringes ; 5. Decontamination and removal of infectious material

10 An effective safety program starts with laboratories that should be stopped that security laboratory procedure and procedures are integrated into basic training for workers. Made by: Veronika Stanoevska II1 MS