Introduction
Running a research laboratory is a tremendous challenge. In all the hustle of mixing, pipetting, loading the auto-sampler and pouring chemicals for the research experiment, one’s health and safety can be easily forgotten leading to dire consequences. The laboratory is a hazardous environment to operate. Many workers are not conversant with the potential hazards in the laboratory environment, thus, making them very vulnerable to suffering from these hazards. Therefore, it is much required to understand the occupational safety and health administration programs and recognize hazards associated with operating a research laboratory. This plays an important role in identifying and minimizing these hazards.
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As part of recognizing these hazards, it is important to identify their categorization. Hazards may be categorized into chemical hazards, biological hazards, radiation hazards, electrical hazards and physical hazards including mechanical hazards, airborne hazardous materials, and ergonomics related hazards and noise hazards.
The use of chemical in a research laboratory is unavoidable and the potential of injury can be immense if they are handled negligently or mishandled. Chemical hazards include many organic and inorganic chemicals such as carcinogens, drugs, cleaning agents, disinfectants, solvents, anaesthetics, mineral acids and alkalis which are highly corrosive and acid halides and phenols which are also toxic and highly corrosive (Health and Safety Authority 2004)
Biological hazards include potential exposures to infectious zoonotic; diseases transmissible to humans from animals, allergic causing agents such as allergens and experimental agents like viral vectors. Allergens are inevitable in animal research laboratories and are among the most critical health hazards which are often overlooked. They also include recombinant organisms and potentially hazardous microorganisms.
Research laboratories fundamentally have substantial physical hazard. Physical hazards include ionizing and non-ionizing radiations, noise, all the hazards related to manual material handling, handling of sharps, basic housekeeping chores and repetitive use of equipment for long hours leading to repetitive strain injury (RSI).
In the laboratory, workers are potentially exposed to electrical hazards such as , electric shock, electrocutions, fires and explosions which may be as a result of faulty electrical equipment instrumentation or improper wiring, destroyed connectors and receptacles.
These hazards ought to be controlled and mitigated in order to ensure that th safety of workers is ensured. The following table summarizes the hazards experienced in a research laboratory and their controls.
The control measures are outlined in the following table
Action plan
After the hazards have been identified and evaluated, step of correction or mitigation should be provided
Conclusion
References
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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pubmed/9679853.
Darragh, A.R., Harrison H., & Kenny S. 2008, Effect of ergonomics intervention on workstations of microscope workers, American Journal of Occupational Therapy. Vol. 62, pp.61-69.
Health and Safety Authority 2004, Risk assessment of chemical hazards, Health and Safety Authority.
Vecchio, D., Sasco A. J., & Cann C. I. 2003, Occupational risk in health care and research. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, vol. 43, pp.369-397.
U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety & Health Administration, 2011, Laboratory Safety Guidance, OSHA 3404-11R, Viewed 17 March 2013, http://www.osha.gov/Publications/laboratory/OSHA3404laboratory-safety- guidance.pdf
