Biosafety measures

PURPOSE: This SOP explains the measures and procedures adopted in the laboratory to ensue safe working environment for the employees.

RESPONSIBILITY- All Laboratory staff 

The following Good laboratory practices are followed in each laboratory.

1. All staff members should take protective measures to avoid direct physical contact with blood such as wearing gloves, aprons and foot wear.

2. Cover open cuts or wounds with waterproof dressing before work.

3. Gowns should be closed in front, (up to the neck and knees) and with the cuffed sleeves.

4. Do not wear sandals or open style shoes.

5. Wash hands regularly with water and soap before and after wearing gloves. If bar soap is used, it should be dry. In case of liquid soap, the container should be cleaned and maintained regularly.

6. Do not interchange micropipettes, multi-channels and other equipments between the labs.

7. All the staff should be immunized against hepatitis B.

8. Do not eat, drink, smoke, handle contact lenses or apply cosmetics in the laboratory.

9. Store food outside the work area in cabinets or refrigerators designated for this purpose only.

10. Prior to consumption of any food, remove potentially contaminated protective clothing, wash hands thoroughly and exit the work area.

11. Do not leave the lab doors open.

12. Use and care of gloves:

• Use gloves when contact with blood/body fluid is expected.
• Rings or hand jewelry which may interfere with glove functioning should be removed before wearing gloves.
• Gloves should be discarded (in the container with 1% Na hypochlorite) immediately after use and prior to contact with the environment outside the immediate work area. After the day’s work, they should be discarded in red bag.
• Do not leave the lab with gloves on.
• Do not touch any instrument/equipment in the lab with gloved hands.
• Do not touch eyes, nose, mouth or any uncovered body part with gloves.
• Do not touch telephone receiver, door handles with the gloved hands.
• Do not touch tap with gloved hand. Open it with elbow.
•  Dispose off gloves in the appropriate container labeled with biohazard sign

13. Handling Sharps: Follow safe procedures for handling and disposal of sharps.

• Do not recap/shear or bend used needles.
• Never pick the sharp items with gloved hands alone. Use forceps to lift the sharps.
• Dispose off sharps in puncture proof container filled with freshly prepared 1% hypochlorite solution.

14. Management of spillage:

• Put absorbent material on the spilled area after wearing gloves.
• Pour freshly prepared 1% hypochlorite solution upon and around it.
• Allow 30 minutes for the disinfectant to work. 
• Place the absorbent material in the yellow biohazard bag meant for infectious waste. 
• Reapply the disinfectant solution to all exposed surfaces and mop up.
• All spillages are documented in Accident register no DR 21.

15. Working with pipettes:

• Avoid mouth pipetting and bubbling while mixing the fluids.
• Do not blow out the last drop in the pipette.
• Fluid transfers can cause dangerous aerosols and spills. Vigorous pipetting, causing, frothing & bubbling of fluids must be avoided.
• To avoid aerosols cause by pipetting fluid manipulating should be slow and gentle using rubber teat or bulb or automatic pipette.
• Use plastic instead of glass Pasteur pipettes for hazardous materials.
• Discard the pipettes in discarding jar in such a way that the rim of discarding jar is not
• Contaminated and pipettes are completely submerged in disinfectant solution.
• Calibrate the micropipettes every three months and document the calibration.
• Calibration of the pipettes is maintained in calibration File DF 13.

16. Breakage of specimen tubes

·       Cuts due to breakage are common , so when it happens do not panic.

·       Do not reflexively place pricked finger or part of the body into mouth.

·       Do not squeeze blood from wound, this cause increasing risk of transmission.

·       Do not use bleach, alcohol, betadin or iodine which may cause trauma

·       Remove gloves

·       Wash the site thoroughly with running water

·       Irrigate thoroughly with water or saline if splashes havs gone into the eye or mouth.

17.  Centrifugation:

• The potential hazard in centrifugation is obvious i. e. aerosol dispersion due to leakage of over filled or insecurely capped containers or their breakage due to the use of flawed containers or careless balancing or contents.
• Avoid these should be happens any time of breakages or the inside the centrifuge. Take out the tubes or pieces of tubes and discard it in to discarding pan containing freshly prepared 1% Sod.
• Also take out the adaptor of this breakage of tubes and dip into the container of freshly prepared 1% Sod. Hypochlorite solution.

18. Discard jars:

• The jars should be robust and autoclavable (Polypropylene jars).
• Fill 1L jars with 750 ml of diluted disinfectant (1% hypochlorite).
• Replace the 1% hypochlorite solution in the discard jars once daily even when they have received little material during the time.
• Opening of the sample tubes:
• Take care while opening the tube. In the conditions where large film of liquid is likely to be trapped between the tube and the cap, open the container by gripping the closures through a strip of paper which is wrapped around both the closure and the top of the container. Paper and the cap may then be discarded into disinfectant, and if necessary, a fresh cap used.
• All the blood and serum tubes are discarded in container of 1% Na hypochlorite solution.
• At the end of each day’s work, waste disposal container is autoclaved & sent for disposal to the common collection site in Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad.

SAFETY CONDITION:

• To avoid any type of accident in to the lab, Care should be taken during every working session.
• Every person must be wearing a gown and gloves for self-protection due-ring any type of work in to the lab.
• All open items should be securely closed or enclosed and sharp instruments sheathed or enclosed in lidded receptacles.
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REFERENCES - Laboratory manual for Technicians ch.3 page no.14 (NICD)