Health and Safety in a Clinical Laboratory

Pathology waste should not be mixed with regular laboratory-generated medical waste. Sharps must not be placed directly into medical waste bags. Secondary containers must be leak-proof, have rigid walls, and have a securable lid. Secondary containers must be labeled with the biohazard symbol and the word Biohazard on the lid and on the sides, so that the label is visible from any lateral view.

The health and safety at work act promotes good safety of individuals in a health and social

Changing circumstances within the workplace can cause hazards because other workers can be put at risk because they haven’t been made aware of the changes and management needs to be informed. Risk assessment is a method put in place that is suitable and sufficient to control the risk to health and safety to both employees and other persons who may be affected.

Quality control processes are also a major part of a Sterile Processing technicians daily task. As pointed out on the Infection Control Today’s website “Healthcare facilities should allow adequate time for reprocessing to ensure adherence to all steps recommended by the device manufacturer, including drying, proper storage, and transport of reprocessed devices”. (“Immediate Need to Review,”2015) This involves a detailed policy and procedure manual and manufactures instructions available for all technicians to reference to ensure proper measures are taken for the cleaning and processing of medical products to ensure patient

Employers must provide a safe working environment for all of their employees. The legislation states it is an employer’s duty "to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work" of all their employees as well as others on their premises, including temps, casual workers, the self-employed, clients, visitors and the general public.Workers health is paramount within an organisation, employers must ensure that all workers health is not affected by the work they are doing and put in place all necessities to prevent this. The Health and Safety at Work Act sets out specific standards which can add costs to a business, however these costs are considered essential for the safety of all workers. Most of the costs come from training staff about health and safety and putting in place procedures to maintain this. This act prevents unfair unsafe working conditions which in turn reduces the likelihood of accidents or injury at work. If a worker has injured themselves at work due to something which could have been otherwise prevented by the company had the followed the guidelines of the Health and Safety at Work Act they company may be required to pay out for the injury. For those who employ five or more staff, employers must also keep and revise a written record of health and safety policy and consult

Biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) is the highest level of biosafety precautions, and is appropriate for work with agents that could easily be aerosol-transmitted within the laboratory and cause severe to fatal disease in humans for which there are no available vaccines or treatments.[7] BSL-4 laboratories are generally set up to be either cabinet laboratories or protective suit laboratories.[7] In cabinet laboratories, all work must be done within a class III biosafety cabinet.[7] Materials leaving the cabinet must be decontaminated by passing through an autoclave or a tank of disinfectant.[7] The cabinets themselves are required to have seamless edges to allow for easy cleaning. Additionally the cabinet and all materials within must be free of sharp

During a dental procedure dental assistants must ensure that they follow infection control standards. This involves the dental assistant and the patient, wearing protective equipment. The dental assistant should place a bib around the patient before procedures. The dental assistant should put their own mask and eyewear on. The mask covers the nose and mouth and it provides a barrier to minimizes the risk of inhaling aerosols or contact with body fluids. The mask must be worn during all dental procedures. Eyewear protection must be worn by the patient and by the dental assistants during dental procedures. Protective glasses protect the eyes from flying particles, blood splatters and chemical splashes. After ensuring the patient is comfortable and covered with a bib, the dental assistant washes their hands, then puts on the mask, then the glasses. Then the dental assistant puts on gloves to protect the hands. Gloves may have tiny defects that are not obvious and particles on the hands can pass through the defects in the gloves to the outside, as well as particles from the outside passing through to the hands. Non-sterile gloves are for

If the patient is on an air borne or droplet precautions, masks are to worn by staff and visitors. Finally, and the most important thing, is proper hygiene, such as washing hands before and after care for the patients and attending to their area.

at Sumter Surgical, says that one of the most important steps you can take to not spread germs is

be collected. Then perform hand hygiene, apply gloves, gown, and protective barriers. Assss body’s general appearance and note any dressings, tubes, and medical equipment.

Every job has a set of standards that one has to adhere to. These rules are set in place in order to provide an atmosphere that is safe and sound. In lab we were taught basic overriders such as, hand hygiene, gloves and how important they were in maintaining safety regarding not only patients, but yourself as well. When in clinicals one particular incident that stuck out to me was when a CNA and I, provided a resident with a shower. Not only did she not wash her hands she did not wear gloves either. If the resident had even a minor scrape not wearing gloves could have easily spread an infection.

Whilst working with an active TB patient, the spread of this disease can be easily avoided by washing hands, before and after a task is completed, wearing the appropriate P.P.E. (personal protective equipment), and making sure it is clean, never using needles more than once, and correctly disposing of them. Surfaces should be wiped down with disinfectant, before and after use, and all equipment must be sterile, to prevent cross contamination and there are procedures you should always follow to keep both yourself and your patient safe. Always wipe down surfaces before and after use, with disinfectant.

Medical Labs: The laboratories help healthcare providers prevent, diagnose, and monitor several types of diseases. They provide the most accurate test data and high quality care to the patients. They are responsible for collecting, processing, testing and delivering the results of a variety of specimens including body fluids, blood, tissues and other environmental samples. Due to the advent of POCD the laboratories do feel the threat of transfer of regular tests outside their premises. They are also aware that labs are an essential part of the health system as they can provide services for complex tests which are outside the scope of POCD.

Working in a laboratory can be one of the most dangerous jobs to perform if you are not aware of the necessary precautions that need to be taken. Two of the main issues that can arise in the laboratory are improper use of sharp object and use of chemical. It is very important that proper lab safety skills are conducted to prevent potential incidents from occurring. Lab safety is not only to protect you from incidents but it is also to protect the people around you. Safety should always be first priority. There are three main topics that should always be practiced when working in a lab setting, Proper handwashing, safety techniques for yourself and others, and how to properly clean/dispose of hazardous material. After this lab, the expected result is a better understanding on how to properly conduct yourself in a laboratory environment.

Ensuring that the handling and disposal of contaminated waste properly is an OSHA requirement. Improper storage or disposal of medical waste that can be pathogenic, infectious or cause physical injury. There are many different areas contamination can be found such as porous and non-porous surfaces such as counters, exam chairs and floors and should be cleaned properly with approved germicides or bleach diluted with water in accordance with infection control guidelines. Needle sticks are a common injury caused by improper handling of needles (Bilski 2005). “Needle stick injuries in healthcare workers are common. They are one of the main ways of transmitting large numbers of pathogenic micro-organisms in healthcare institutions” (Bilski 2005). To reduce the risk of a needle stick in the work place you should never re-cap a needle and all needles and sharps should be placed into approved sharps containers immediately after use.