Microbiology Laboratory Biosafety and Standard Precautions

Flashcards about Microbiology Laboratory Biosafety and Standard Precautions

Lab Safety

Measures applied to protect against laboratory accidents, including safety training, PPE use, enforcement of safety policies, and safety review of experimental designs.

General Lab Safety Instructions

Always conduct yourself responsibly, follow instructions carefully, and never work without an instructor present.

Safety Equipment

Includes first aid kit, eyewash station, safety shower, and fire extinguisher. Know their locations and operating procedures.

Eye Splashes

Use eye protection. If splashes occur with infective material, body fluids, or chemicals, rinse immediately with tap water or use eyewash station for 15 minutes.

Proper Lab Attire

Includes a laboratory coat and closed-toe shoes.

Culture Handling

All cultures should be handled as potentially pathogenic, and liquid cultures must be kept in a test tube rack.

Pipetting

Never pipette anything by mouth; always use pipetting devices.

Biosafety

Application of safety precautions that reduce a laboratorian’s risk of exposure to a potentially infectious microbe and limit contamination.

Routes of Infection in Microbiology Lab

Inhalation, ingestion, direct or indirect contact, and sharps injury.

PPE in Microbiology Lab

Gloves, lab coat, masks, and eye goggles should be used when handling potentially infectious materials.

Microbiology Lab Waste Disposal

Solid biohazard waste in biohazard bags for incineration, biohazardous liquids disinfected, and sharps in sharps containers.

Biological Safety Cabinets

Protect lab workers from infectious aerosols and are classified into classes I, II, & III based on containment level.

Biosafety Levels

Basic classes of laboratory risks ranging from BSL-1 (least dangerous) to BSL-4 (most dangerous).

BSL-1

Microbes not known to consistently cause disease in immunocompetent adult humans; minimal hazard to personnel and environment.

BSL-2

Microbes pose moderate potential hazard to personnel and environment.

BSL-3

Indigenous or exotic microbes that may cause serious or potentially lethal disease via inhalation, but for which vaccine or other treatment exists.

BSL-4

Exotic agents that pose a high risk of aerosol-transmitted laboratory infections and life-threatening disease that is frequently fatal, for which there are no vaccines or treatments.

Standard Precautions

Infection control precautions applied to all patients attending healthcare facilities to reduce the risk of transmitting microorganisms.

Components of Standard Precautions

Consider every person as potentially infectious, hand hygiene, personal protective equipment (PPE), safe work practices with sharp instruments, and safe disposal of infectious waste materials.

Hand Hygiene

Mechanically removes dirt from the skin and reduces the number of resident & transient microorganisms.

Forms of Hand Hygiene

Handwashing (40-60 seconds), antiseptic handrub (20-30 seconds), and surgical hand scrub (3-5 minutes).

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Gloves, gown, surgical mask, and eye goggles.

Gloves

Examination (non-sterile) and surgical (sterile).

Surgical Mask

Protects oral & nasal mucosa from splashes; waterproof and must cover nose & mouth.

Filtering Facepiece (FFP) Respirators

Worn to treat patients with severe respiratory infections transmitted by small nuclei.

FFP2/N95 Respirator

Aerosol filtration percentage: not less than 94%.

FFP3/N99 Respirator

Aerosol filtration percentage: not less than 99%.

Safe Needle Disposal

Never recap needles to avoid needle prick injuries; discard them as one unit in a sharps container but If ONLY needed, use “ONE-HANDED SCOOP TECHNIQUE”.

Cough Etiquette

Cover your cough and sneeze into your forearm or elbow, do not touch face with hands, wash your hands immediately