LABORATORY SAFETY MANUAL

Site Map of Manual

Lab Safety Manual
1st Page

Chapter 1
Emergency Response

Chapter 2
General Safety

Chapter 3
Chemical Hygiene Plan

Chapter 4
Radiological Safety

Chapter 5
Biological Hygiene Plan

Chapter 6
Laser Safety

Chapter 7
Administrative Concerns

Chapter 8
Standard & Special Operating Procedures

Chapter 9
Facility Data

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Appendicies

Bibliography

Glossary

Index

On-Campus Contact Information

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1st Rule of Lab Safety

Haz-Waste No-No

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Updated December 1999

Emergency Response
Section 1.6 - Medical Emergencies

Personal injury is not uncommon in laboratories. These injuries are usually minor cuts or burns but can be as severe as acute effects of chemical exposure or incidents such as heart attacks or strokes.

The initial responsibility for first aid rests with the first person(s) at the scene, who should react quickly but in a calm and reassuring manner. The person assuming responsibility should immediately summon medical help (be explicit in reporting suspected types of injury or illness, location of victim, and type of assistance required). Send people to meet the ambulance crew at likely entrances of the building. The injured person should not be moved except where necessary to prevent further injury.

The names of persons in your area trained in CPR and First Aid should be posted by your telephone.

The number to call for medical emergencies (911) shall also be posted by your telephone.

All first aid, chemical exposures, and medical emergencies shall be reported as required in Section 1.7 -"Accident Reporting."

Prevention of injuries should be a major emphasis of any laboratory safety program. Proper training will help prevent injuries from glassware, toxic chemicals, burns and electrical shock. In the event of any type of injury beyond that which first aid can treat, call 911 for medical assistance.

• GENERAL FIRST AID

  1. First aid is defined as any one-time treatment and any follow up visit for the purpose of observation, treatment of minor scratches, cuts, burns, splinters, and so forth, which do not ordinarily require medical care.

  2. First aid equipment should be readily available in each laboratory. See Section 2.2-D, "First Aid Kits," for additional information.

  3. Following any first aid, a nurse or physician qualified to handle chemical emergencies should provide further examination and treatment. The location and phone number of emergency services and the Oklahoma Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) should be clearly posted.

  4. It is recommended that each laboratory have at least one person trained in basic first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

  5. Someone knowledgeable about the accident should always accompany the injured person to the medical facility and a copy of any appropriate MSDS(s) shall accompany the victim.

  6. Minor injuries requiring first aid should always be reported to a supervisor and recorded on an Injury/Exposure Report Form (Workers' Compensation Form 2), which must be submitted to Personnel Services. Reasons for this are as follows.

     • A minor injury may indicate a hazardous situation which should be corrected to prevent a serious future injury.

     • It is important to document a minor injury as having been "work related" if the injury later leads to serious complications, such as from an infected cut.

• PERSONAL PROTECTION DURING FIRST AID

  1. OSHA requires adherence to "Universal Precautions" when employees respond to emergencies which provide potential exposure to blood and other potentially infectious materials. "Universal Precautions" stresses that all patients should be assumed to be infectious for HIV and other bloodborne pathogens.

  2. Persons responding to a medical emergency should be protected from exposure to blood and other potentially infectious materials. Protection can be achieved through adherence to work practices designed to minimize or eliminate exposure and through the use of personal protective equipment (i.e., gloves, masks, and protective clothing), which provide a barrier between the worker and the exposure source. For most situations in which first aid is given, the following guidelines should be adequate.

     • For bleeding control with minimal bleeding and for handling and cleaning instruments with microbial contamination, disposable gloves alone should be sufficient.
     • For bleeding control with spurting blood, disposable gloves, a gown, a mask, and protective eye wear are recommended.

     • For measuring temperature or measuring blood pressure, no protection is required.

  3. After emergency care has been administered, hands and other skin surfaces should be washed immediately and thoroughly with warm water and soap if contaminated with blood, other body fluids to which universal precautions apply, or potentially contaminated articles. Hands should always be washed after gloves are removed, even if the gloves appear to be intact.