Team:Worldshaper-Shanghai/Safety

Safety

Before entering the lab, we received a one-week long training about lab safety at Zhejiang University and Shanghai Institute of Tumor. We learnt about basic safety rules and common microbiology’s techniques in lab. After the training, we could use the common equipment in lab such as centrifuge properly and proficiently. Moreover, we realized that safety was the most important and we should follow the rules strictly and ask our instructors when encounter problems to avoid dangers to lab technicians or damages in the lab.

The lab safety rules are as follows：

  1. Wear lab coats and exam gloves. Wear safety goggles when handling toxic materials.
  2. No personal belongings or food is allowed in the lab.
  3. Always keep work stations clean and in good order.
  4. Never touch anything in a non-contamination area with gloves on.
  5. Always be properly trained for all the procedures. Unauthorized experiments or procedures must not be attempted. Operation of special instruments should be done with the help of a qualified instructor.
  6. Safety rules are to be strictly followed.
  7. Taps should be closed after use to prevent an overflow of water. If an instrument or piece of equipment fails during use, the situation should be reported to a technician immediately. Gels like culture medium or agarose gel are to be kept away from the sink. Solids are to be cleaned out afterward, especially from an Eppendorf tube.
  8. In case of a fire, all power should be cut off and all flammable materials removed. The situation is to be reported immediately.
  9. Never operate electrical equipment with wet hands.
  10. Flammable materials are to be kept away from open fires.
  11. Never taste or intentionally sniff chemicals. Perform manipulations of materials that pose an inhalation hazard in a chemical fume hood to control exposure. Never leave reactions unattended.
  12. When handling corrosive materials, gloves and other chemically resistant protective clothing should be worn to protect against skin contact. In case of an accident, immediately clean the exposed areas of skin and seek medical advice.
  13. Any experiments involving radioactive materials is to be carried out in special labs and supervised by qualified instructors.
  14. In case of a biological spill, wipe up the spill and clean the surface with a suitable disinfectant and immediately wash exposed areas of skin with soap and water.
  15. Wear protective eyewear and face shield while operating instruments that produce ultraviolet radiation. Safety glasses should be used when operating UV transilluminators or gel imaging systems.
  16. Waste materials are to be disposed of accordingly.