Ergonomics is a safety topic that gets little respect in the laboratory, but it can become very important over time. The effects of poor ergonomics are cumulative, and they can appear suddenly. When they arise, the pain and treatment are often difficult, and as people age, healing is slower as...
You can never be too reliable, especially when you work in biosafety and handle hazardous chemicals all day. Becoming a high reliability organization (HRO) has been a goal of many hospitals and laboratories in recent years, but even those who achieve that status have to work to maintain it, says...
It is standard operating procedure (SOP) to have multiple SOPs in your laboratory or facility. SOPs cover everything from donning and doffing PPE to hand hygiene, the use of equipment, and the handling of hazardous or biohazardous materials. However, it’s important to remember that just because...
The lab manager reported to me that an employee had a body fluid splash to the mouth, and the manager and the employee both wanted to know if it should be reported. At this point, the story breaks down into two pathways of discussion, one about lab exposures and one about the safety culture....
Hospital leaders only need to glance at the headlines from the U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration’s Diversion Control Division to see the pervasiveness of drug diversion in hospitals.
Last week we asked about your perfect dream laboratory—but there is a reason we called it a dream. Most healthcare organizations can’t afford to build new laboratories from the ground up and instead have to work within their existing spaces the best they can. Space itself can be a major...
Imagine if you could have your perfect laboratory. Leadership gave you the green light and the funds for you to design, build, and equip a new lab however you like. What annoyances would you remove? Would you prioritize staff comfort, security, or biosafety? What color would the walls be? Few...
The laboratory is a source for several potential waste streams and in the eyes of regulatory agencies, managing those streams is the responsibility of the department. Consider regular (non-hazardous) waste, regulated medical waste (RMW), hazardous chemical waste, and radioactive waste; all need...
When you train your lab staff, are you raising their awareness on a topic, or are you teaching them how to respond to it? While both have their own merits, when a chemical is spilled or someone is stuck with a used needle, awareness alone isn’t enough, says Sean G. Kaufman, CEO...
It’s a new year, but the lab safety work continues, says Dan Scungio MT(ASCP), SLS, a laboratory safety officer for multihospital system Sentara Healthcare in Virginia. It’s the time of year when staff should look back at their successes and challenges from the past year, while...
