Biological Laboratory Safety
Course Overview
Everyone has a responsibility to work safely in laboratories. Management not only has the duty to provide information, instruction, training and provision, but should also communicate and reinforce safety rules and work practices. In order to control and review all laboratory practices, an occupational health and safety (OHS) management system or quality management system should be adopted. This module has been developed to provide an understanding of the safe working practices relating to manipulation and disposal of biological material in the laboratory.
Key Content
What is a biological hazard?- Principles of biosafety.
- Possible sources of infection:
- Mucous membranes.
- Inhalation.
- Skin penetration.
- Ingestion.
- Classification of Biological Agents.
- Laboratory practice and technique:
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
- Good laboratory practice & hygiene.
- Housekeeping.
- Pipetting.
- Sharps and decontamination.
- Common laboratory equipment:
- Laminar-flow benches.
- Biological safety cabinets.
- Centrifuges.
- Autoclaves.
- Waste Management / disposal of biological waste.
- Incident reporting.
Learning Outcomes
At the completion of this course, learners should be able to:- Identify biological hazards.
- Apply the basic principles of biosafety.
- Explain possible sources of infection and know how to handle them.
- Identify and explain laboratory practice and techniques such as wearing PPE.
- Identify common laboratory equipment.
- Explain the importance of proper disposal of biological waste.
- Report an incident.