Laboratory Safety CSMLS Guidelines 9th ed (Notes)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms related to laboratory safety, legislation, hazard communication, and exposure monitoring from the CSMLS notes.

Laboratory Safety

Practices and policies to protect workers and patients from hazards in the clinical lab; safety is a continuous priority.

Ramazzini

Bernardo Ramazzini (1713) published Diseases of Workers, highlighting the link between work and disease and initiating occupational safety concepts.

No Happy Accidents

A reminder that safety does not happen by chance; deliberate precautions and procedures are essential.

Due Diligence

Employer's obligation to take all reasonable precautions to protect workers; actions must be documented to count.

Internal Responsibility System (IRS)

A safety model in which safety is everyone's responsibility; employers set up systems, supervisors inform, and employees follow and report hazards.

WHMIS

Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System; Canadian hazard communication system with three elements: Safety Data Sheets, Workplace Labels, and Training.

SDS

Safety Data Sheet; document with detailed hazard information and recommended controls for a chemical.

Workplace Labels

Container labels that provide immediate hazard information and required warnings.

Training/Education

Education on hazards and proper controls; essential for understanding and applying WHMIS information.

HPTA

Human Pathogens and Toxins Act; federal legislation governing handling and possession of pathogenic organisms and toxins.

Bill C-45

Canada Criminal Code amendment making criminal negligence for failing to provide safe working conditions.

Right to Know

Right to be informed about hazards and their effects; supported by safety training and communications.

Right to Refuse Unsafe Work

Right to decline unsafe tasks; must follow steps to report and escalate concerns.

Joint Health and Safety Committee

Body that investigates hazards and unsafe practices and makes recommendations for corrective actions.

PEL

Permissible Exposure Limit; legal limit on how much a worker can be exposed to a substance.

OEL

Occupational Exposure Limit; workplace exposure standards; often province-specific and reflect safe exposure levels.

TLV

Threshold Limit Value; ACGIH's recommended exposure limit; typically more protective than PELs and not always available for every chemical.

GHS

Globally Harmonized System; framework for standardized hazard communication; WHMIS 2015 alignment with GHS.

Hazard Types

Categories of hazards in the clinical lab: chemical, biological, physical, ergonomic, psychological.

Volatile

Describes a liquid that readily becomes a gas.

Acetone

Common volatile solvent used as an example of a volatile chemical.

Dosimetry

Measurement of exposure to hazards; includes area monitoring, personal monitoring, and biological monitoring.