Laboratory Safety for BIO 151
Introduction
In this laboratory, you will be working with evidence samples that contain
human bodily fluids, including blood, saliva, and semen. Unless you know
otherwise (e.g. you gather your own samples) These fluids have NOT been
tested for infectious agents (e.g. viruses, bacteria, yeast/molds, protozoans,
prions, and helminths) including, but not limited to, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV),
Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatitis C virus (HCV), and West Nile virus (WNV)c. It is therefore
essential that you follow and maintain the safety standards set for this course AT ALL TIMES.
By your enrollment in the course, you acknowledge and accept full responsibility for
knowing and adhering to ALL the safety rules (listed below) throughout the semester. The
instructor reserves the right to dismiss any student from the class with a final
course grade of “F” for failure to follow these rules.
General Safety Rules
1.
Use the proper protective gear for the task at hand.
2.
Get properly trained on all lab equipment before you use it.
3.
Label everything clearly and accurately – even if it’s obvious to you what it is.
4.
Use the right equipment and reagents for the experiment you’re performing.
5.
Know and honor the limitations of your laboratory equipment, reagents, and tools.
Safety Rules Specific for FOR 151
1.
Gloves and a lab coat must be worn during ALL laboratory activities. Gloves will be
provided by the instructor. Students are responsible for purchasing their own lab
coats. Lab coats must be stored in the lab and will be autoclaved and returned to
students at the end of the quarter. You must have a lab coat by the second lab
period.
2.
If you have, or develop during the quarter, a disease that may compromise your
immune system, notify the instructor immediately.
3.
Do not eat, drink, or chew gum in the laboratory AT ANY TIME. Students may bring
food/drinks into the lab, but they must be stored in a backpack or other container that
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can be zipped shut or sealed. Students may eat or drink in the hallway during breaks
in the lab exercises. However, students should ALWAYS wash their hands before
eating or drinking if they have just completed a lab exercise.
4.
Do not handle contact lenses or apply cosmetics in the laboratory.
5.
Closed toed shoes must be worn in the laboratory. High heeled shoes are
discouraged.
6.
Carefully perform experiments to minimize aerosols and splashes.
7.
Tie back long hair during laboratory experiments.
8.
All items that have come into contact with bodily fluids (other than the evidentiary
materials themselves, which will be saved and returned to the evidence kit) should be
discarded in one of the biohazard containers. Items that have come into contact with
human blood and tissues should NEVER be discarded in the regular trash.
9.
Label all reagents you make with the contents, the date, and your group’s lab bench
numbers –e.g. “5 M NaCl, 6/29/09, #2/7.”
10.
Read the lab exercise BEFORE coming to class. Write up your protocols in your
laboratory notebook before beginning any laboratory exercise. NEVER perform an
experiment “on the fly.”
11.
Use extreme caution when using glass items or sharp objects (e.g. scalpels). Most
injuries involving biohazardous samples occur when an analyst is sampling a stain
using a scalpel or pair of scissors. Pay close attention when you are using a sharp
implement to cut out a biological sample. Discard all sharps in one of the properly
designated sharps containers. Glass and sharp items are NEVER to be placed in the
regular trash.
12.
If glassware is broken, notify the instructor immediately. Broken glass should be
cleaned up using a broom and dustpan and discarded in one of the properly
designated sharps containers.
13.
Immediately notify the instructor in the event of any injury or accident.
14.
If your skin comes into direct contact with blood or other bodily fluids, notify the
instructor immediately so that appropriate action can be taken.
15.
Know the locations of the safety equipment in the laboratory including the fire
extinguisher, eye wash station, first aid kit, and emergency telephone. Do not block
access to these items.
16.
Wash your hands before leaving the laboratory.
17.
Do not bring visitors into the laboratory.
18.
Biohazardous waste is any organism, or its toxins, that can cause disease in animals
or humans or cause significant environmental or agricultural impact. Biohazardous
waste is produced by living organisms and can cause damage to other biological
organisms. Most biohazardous waste can be neutralized with bleach or by autoclaving.
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Chemical waste is waste made from harmful chemicals. It is non-living and cannot
usually be neutralized by bleach or autoclaving (either of which might actually do more
harm than good). Chemical waste is hazardous to humans and/or the environment
and should be segregated from biohazardous waste. Each type of chemical waste is
subject to different neutralization procedures and so must be collected separately from
other types of chemical waste.
In this lab, you must ALWAYS follow the correct procedures for disposing of both
biohazardous and chemical waste. These protocols are embedded in the lab exercises
and you should pay careful attention to them. PLEASE ASK IF YOU ARE UNSURE HOW
TO DISPOSE OF AN ITEM. It is far better to “play it safe” than to make an error that
may have serious health consequences.
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