Working safely in your biological safety cabinet Part 4

Here is Part 4 of this blog series to guide you in working safely in your BSC. 

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13. Only trained personnel should use the cabinet. Since it requires sufficient theoretical and practical knowledge for you to work safely with biosafety cabinets, make sure only trained personnel should use the cabinet while you are gone. Or better yet, limit the access to the lab. Good news! Some biosafety cabinets have access control provisions ~ key switch and/or password protection feature ~ to make sure only authorized personnel can use the cabinet. Check if your biosafety cabinet has this feature!

14. Proper work attire. According to OSHA, personal protective equipment is worn to minimize exposure to serious workplace injuries and illnesses. Wearing a back-fastened lab coat (to protect the operator from splashes) as well as double-gloving (over the cuffs) should be practiced. Masks and safety glasses may be  required for some procedures. 

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15. Work within the safe areas. Do not obstruct any of the air grilles in the front or back of the work zone. The front intake grille of biosafety cabinets must not be blocked with paper, equipment or other items. Work as deep into the work zone as possible. Equipment that generate aerosols, e.g. mixers and centrifuges, should be placed towards the rear of the cabinet. Bulky items should be placed to one side of the interior of the cabinet.

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16. Observe proper aseptic technique. Before starting your work, plan ahead of time. Place all items inside the cabinet, including biohazard collection bags before use to avoid having to take your arms out from the work zone. Surface decontaminate first before removing your arms from the cabinet. Moreover, move arms slowly out of the cabinet. Always work from "clean" to "dirty", segregating contaminated and non-contaminated materials.

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Here is a video of Working Safely in your Biological Safety Cabinet. (Video credits from Esco Global)

Remember, SAFETY FIRST before anything else.

Safety reminders before the holiday break!

Happy holidays!

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I can feel your excitement for the upcoming holidays! But guess what we have a lot of work to do. Who can relate with this? 

But do not worry my fellow laboratory scientists, we can continue our work after the holidays, right?

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However, remember that we are dealing with biohazards so we should not leave our laboratories as it is. We must ensure that our labs are safe to return to when we get back after the holiday break. 

So here are a few safety reminders:

1. Observe surface decontamination. Ensure that your biosafety cabinet is appropriately decontaminated before you leave. All items within BSCs, including equipment, should be surface-decontaminated and removed from the cabinet. Before you leave, guarantee that all work surfaces, the sides, back and interior of the glass shall be wiped with an appropriate disinfectant. 

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2.  Do not rely solely on UV. In decontaminating your cabinet, you can use the UV light. But make sure you also use disinfectants. Remember, UV light is  not a substitute for routine surface decontamination.

3. Do not use the cabinet as a storage area. Gentle reminder guys, do not overload the cabinet with unnecessary items. Moreover, before you leave, make sure your biosafety cabinet should be free from materials. It should be empty when not in use, since residual culture media may provide an opportunity for microbial growth!

4. Only trained personnel should use the cabinet. Since it requires sufficient theoretical and practical knowledge for you to work safely with biosafety cabinets, make sure only trained personnel should use the cabinet while you are gone. Or better yet, limit the access to the lab. Good news! Some biosafety cabinets have access control provisions ~ key switch and/or password protection feature ~ to make sure only authorized personnel can use the cabinet. Check if your BSC has this feature!

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 Ooops, for the BSCs that are not yet re-certified, make sure when you come back after the holidays, seek for your BSC's annual re-certification to start the year safe in working with biohazards. 

Lab safety even during Christmas season.

It is the most awaited time of the year! Finally, it is Christmas Season!

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Yet, there is still a lot of work to be done in the laboratory - from culturing of bacteria to decontamination of lab materials to washing of Petri dishes. 

Oopps. I know what you're thinking. Ha ha. Don't leave your lab untidy! Unless you want to be the next Alexander Fleming who first discovered the first antibiotic, Penicillin.

Here is a recap on how Penicillin was discovered.

Dr. Alexander Fleming was a bacteriologist at St. Mary's Hospital. In September of 1928, Dr. Fleming found a messy lab bench upon returning from a summer vacation. Upon checking a Petri dish containing colonies of Staphylococcus aureus, he noted that it was contaminated with a mold (Penicillium notatum). He viewed the dishes under his microscope, and was amazed to find that P. notatum prevented the growth of S. aureus. And the rest is history, as people always say. See blog: The real story behind penicillin.   

Thanks to Dr. Fleming for discovering Penicillin!

I know you're excited to leave your lab and celebrate Christmas, but please do not leave your lab as it is - dirty, untidy, messy, unclean. Instead of discovering another antibiotic, you may put yourself, your environment and the public at risk. 

As a safety precaution, here are a few reminders.

1. Before leaving for the holidays, make sure you have cleaned your lab, especially the lab work surfaces with appropriate disinfectant. 

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2. Wear appropriate personal protective equipment (e.g. gloves, lab gowns, etc.) when working inside the laboratory. You may have a party but remind yourself your street clothing may become contaminated when you do not use PPEs.

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3. Never leave materials or contaminated labware open to the environment outside the BSC. You may induce the mutation of microbes!

4. Store securely all biohazardous materials in labeled, sealed containers.

5. Avoid generating aerosols when working with infectious materials. You may be excited to go out and celebrate but you may be generating aerosols if you move fast or conduct aerosol-generating procedures.

For those who will be celebrating the holidays in the laboratory: 

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1. Never eat, drink, apply cosmetics or lip balm, or take medication in the laboratory.

2. Hand washing is essential after removing gloves and other PPE, after handling potentially infectious agents or materials and prior to exiting the laboratory.

3. Follow your Laboratory Safety Rules, even during holidays. 

Think safety at all times, even during holidays. 

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References:

Markel, Dr Howard. "The Real Story Behind Penicillin." The Rundown 2013. Web. 18 Dec. 2015.

Principles Of Good Microbiological Practice. 1st ed. OSHA. Web. 18 Dec. 2015.