Monday, March 31, 2008

Is There Mustard or Ketchup on Your Safety Program?

The following story was adapted from an article by Torrey M. Garrison of Mobile, AL in the September, 2006 Safety+Health magazine from the National Safety Council

Have you ever been to a fast food restaurant and ordered a hamburger with just ketchup? Just as you take the first bite, the strong flavor of mustard overcomes you. You stated your order as clearly as you could, but they still got it wrong. How in the world can you relate a hamburger with safety? Read on.

As a safety officer, you continually stress the importance of safety at your monthly meetings. You want every employee to know that Safety is the lab’s number one priority. You never want employees to get the order wrong so you speak as clearly as you can when conducting training.

That being said, you still remember the time when safety protocols were lax and you got a call from the CEO that the OSHA inspector was on his way down to the lab to conduct a safety audit based on an employee complaint. You start to scramble. It’s now time to play KETCHUP.

It is so much easier to start a solid laboratory safety program from the beginning than having to play catch up. It never will be the same, and the time you have wasted getting it rolling could be costly. Start it from the beginning and speak clearly. You never want your employees to get the order wrong.

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Do alcohol-based hand sanitizers kill all types of bacteria and viruses?


There are three main categories of viruses and bacteria that require the use of soap and water to physically remove the spores from the surface. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that healthcare workers wash their hands with non antimicrobial or antimicrobial soap and water for the following categories of viruses and bacteria that are not susceptible to alcohol-based hand gels:

Nonenveloped or nonlipohilic viruses:
Norovirus
Calicivirus
Picornavirus
Parovirus
Bacterial spores:
B. anthracis (anthrax)
B. cereus (food poisoning)
C. botulinum (botulism)
C. tetani (tetanus)
C. perfringens (gas gangrene)
C. difficile
Protozoan oocysts:
Amebic dysentery
Giardia lamblia

Spill Kits for the Clinical Laboratory

Chemical Spill Kits

Locate spill kits near chemicals and make sure they are easily accessible. Check the kits on an annual bases and re-stock them if they are used. The content should be specific to the chemicals used at your facility. The kit should contain:

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Goggles or a Face Shield
Corrosive-resistant gloves and booties
Disposable lab coat and corrosive apron
Appropriate respiratory protection

Appropriate absorbents for the chemicals
All-purpose absorbents are good for spills of most chemicals
Absorbent spill pillows can also be used
Acid and base spill neutralizers are also available
Inert absorbents like vermiculite, clay or sand can be used

Clean-up and disposal materials
A plastic dust pan or scoop
Plastic bags for PPE waste
A plastic pail for spill residues and waste
Check the MSDS to determine if your chemical is incompatible with certain materials

Other items for specific hazards
If you use hydrofluoric acid, add calcium gluconate antidote gel in the kit
Mercury also requires special spill cleanup materials (there are specific spill kits for use when cleaning up mercury

Biohazard Spill Kits

Locate spill kits near area where blood and body fluids are being collected or tested and make sure they are easily accessible. Check the kits on an annual bases and re-stock them if they are used. The kit should contain:

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Goggles or a Face Shield
Latex or vinyl or nitrile gloves
Disposable lab coat

Appropriate absorbents for the spill
All-purpose absorbents are good for spills containing blood or body fluids

Clean-up and disposal materials
A plastic dust pan and brush or scoop
Plastic bags for PPE waste
A plastic pail for spill residues and waste

Responding to a Spill

Check the MSDS for cleanup procedures and hazards of the material when dealing with chemicals
Always wear the proper PPE
Do your best to safely contain the spill
Use proper materials for cleanup
Follow proper disposal procedures for the resulting waste

Friday, March 28, 2008

Eyewash Stations

Is your eyewash station within 100 ft or a 10 second walk of hazardous chemicals? What about your water temperature? In 1998, the American Nation Standards Institute (ANSI) Z358.1 included a general requirement the water temperature for the eyewash be tepid and that the water must run for 15 minutes for proper flushing of the eye. Prior to this requirement, eyewash stations were attached to the cold water tap and could cause an uncomfortable chilling effect. In the 2004 revision, ANSI clarified the definition of “tepid” to be in the range of 60 degrees F to below 100 degrees F. Very few labs have implemented this requirement and if cited by OSHA could lead to fines in the five figures. According to an article by Casey Hayes in the May 2007 issue of Occupational Health and Safety, the fines levied against a lab for non-compliance often equal the cost of the changes needed to comply.