Module 4.

Safety Equipment
Learning Outcomes

By the end of this module, you should be able to:

1. Define terms used with safety equipment
2. Classify lab safety equipment
3. Describe the proper use, decontamination and maintenance of laboratory
safety equipment
Outline

In this module, you will cover;

1. Definition of terms
2. Laboratory safety equipment
3. Biological safety cabinet
4. Autoclave
5. Centrifuge
6. Pipette Aids
7. Other Safety devices
8. Proper use, decontamination and maintenance of safety equipment
 1. Definitions

Safety equipment:- are devices that protect the worker, the work environment and
products from exposure to hazardous chemical or biological agents.

High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA): This is a type of air filter that can trap at
least 99.97% of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, and any airborne particles with a size of 0.3
microns (µm) (as officially defined by the U.S. Dept. of Energy).
 2. Laboratory Safety Equipment (1/3)

• Laboratory safety equipment are containment devices designed to protect the

personnel, product, and environment.
• It is one of the three elements of bio-containment and is one of the examples in
engineering control in hierarchy of controls.
• Selected equipment must be designed, constructed and installed to facilitate simple
operation and to allow for maintenance, cleaning, decontamination and
certification.
• They must have the book of life for the equipment, which contains information on
the equipment from commissioning to decommissioning and calibration records.

• Note: There is National Calibration Centre at National Public Health labs

in Nairobi.
Laboratory Safety Equipment (2/3)

• Equipment must be judged fit for purpose before use, which will usually be
outlined in the manufacturer’s instructions. Unless laboratory SOPs indicate
otherwise, the manufacturer’s instructions must always be followed.

• All equipment must be checked regularly for integrity and to identify potential
faults.
Laboratory Safety Equipment (3/3)

Examples of safety equipment :

1. Biosafety Cabinets
2. Autoclaves
3. Centrifuge
4. Sharp Container
5. Pipettes and pipette aid
6. Emergency showers, eye wash stations
7. Spill Kits - biological/chemical
2. Biological Safety Cabinet (BSC) (1/2)

It is a ventilated Cabinet or
enclosure that uses directional
airflow and has HEPA filters to provide:
• Personnel Protection,
• Environmental Protection
• Product Protection

Source: www.laboratorysupply.net
2. Biological Safety Cabinet (BSC) (2/2)

Note:
• A Laminar flow hood is a clean bench that protects the product only and
is used when conducting clean procedures e.g. Culture media preparation
• A chemical hood is not a BSC because it does not have HEPA filters, and
protects the personnel only.
Classification of BSCs

BSC are classified into three classes:-

• Class I cabinets provide personnel and environmental protection but not

sample/product protection (cabinet air is not filtered)

• Class II cabinets provide personnel, product, and environment

protection since the air in the cabinet is filtered.

• Class III cabinets are gas-tight, and all materials enter and leave through a
dunk tank or double-door autoclave.
Types of Protection

Types of protection Personnel Product Environment

Chemical Fume Hoods (vapors & gases) X

Laminar Flow Clean Benches X

(protection from particulate)
Class I Biological Safety Cabinets X X
(protection from particulate)/ TB safety
hoods
Class II & III Biological Safety Cabinets X X X
(protection from particulate)
Biosafety Cabinet
Proper Use of BSCs

1. Place equipment to be used in 6. Disinfect surface with 70% ethanol-

cabinet before and after use
2. Be sure not to over crowd (one 7. Allow cabinet to run for 10 min
person per use) before and after use
8. Verify windows are sealed or at the
3. Keep back and front grills clear proper level.
4. Keep items away from sides of 9. Avoid overcrowding of the work area
work deck in a BSC.
5. Ensure cabinet is running before 10. Avoid constant in and out motion at
start of work face of cabinet. This will draw air out
of the cabinet.
Decontamination of BSCs

BSCs should be decontaminated:-

• Prior to filter changes
• If access to the contaminated area is required
• If the cabinet is to be moved or to be decommissioned
• If there is a change in research or diagnostic profile
• Laboratory personnel must decontaminate the BSC before and after
use.
BSC Placement and Selection

Placement of BSC should be away from:-

• Doors
• Air supply vents
• Heavy traffic areas

Selection of BSC should be based risk assessment.

 BSC Certification (1/2)

BSC certification should be done:

• As per the manufacturer’s recommendation and policy guidelines
• On Installation
• Annually
• When moved
• When filter/ motor blowers are changed
• When repaired or modified
NOTE: The staff using the BSC should test the air flow using a paper ribbon or smoke
gun. The certification certificate contains information on: the date of certification, dates
for the next certification, the certifier, and the contacts and this should not be confused
with the installation certificate
3. Autoclave

• Autoclave uses the principle of steam under pressure at temperatures of 121 °C,
134 °C for 15 minutes to kill microorganisms.

• Autoclaving allows a higher temperature and pressure to be achieved and

maintained for a period of time that is sufficient for inactivation.

• Temperature, pressure, and time MUST be used for the quality control of
autoclaves.
Care and Maintenance of Autoclave (1/2)

• Develop SOPs for proper use and maintenance of the

autoclave, following the manufacturer’s guideline.
• Quality Control for autoclaves is important and should be
performed as per the facility’s SOP.
o Chemical indicators

 Process Indicators – autoclave tape

 Process Integrators -

o Biological Indicators
 Care and Maintenance of Autoclave (2/2)

Note:
• The Biological indicators are recommended as the gold standard for confirmation
of sterility.
• Autoclave tape does NOT confirm the sterility of materials.
3. Centrifuges

• The centrifugation technique is used to separate the

particles suspended in liquid media (blood, urine, stool,
sputum) under the influence of a centrifugal field.

• When using centrifuges, the contents of centrifuge

tubes must be balanced and placed at opposite
locations during operation.

Source: IQDSdirectory.com • To work safely, safety buckets with cups must be

available for a centrifuge.
 Care and Maintenance of Centrifuge

• All centrifuges must be operated and serviced according to manufacturers’

instructions and serviced by appropriately qualified personnel.

• Centrifuges must be cleaned and disinfected regularly, or immediately

decontaminated after a spill, with an appropriate disinfectant.
4. Pipettes and Pipette Aid

• A pipette is a laboratory tool commonly used in the laboratory to transfer a

measured volume of liquid.
• It is important for the safety of the user and environment that proper
technique is used.
• To prevent the generation of aerosols, pipettes must not be used to blow air
or forcibly expel liquids/solutions that contain biological agents.
• All pipette tips should have cotton plugs to reduce contamination of pipetting
devices.
• Mouth pipetting is prohibited, and the use of a pipette aid is encouraged.
 Care and Maintenance of Pipette

• The facility should have an SOP for the

use and maintenance of pipettes and
pipette aid.

• Follow the manufacturers’ guide.

• Maintenance and calibration of pipette

aid must be done by a qualified
personnel.

Note: Calibration of pipettes and pipette aids can be done at the

National Calibration Centre at National Public Health laboratories in
Nairobi.
 5. Other Safety Equipment (1/2)

First-aid kits:
• Include medical supplies such as bottled eye washes and bandages. They must
be available and easily accessible to personnel.
• These must be checked routinely to make sure products are within their use-by
dates and are in sufficient supply.
• If eyewash stations with piped water are to be used. These should also be
checked regularly for correct functioning.
• Written procedures for first aid and incident management must be developed
for the laboratory and followed by suitably trained personnel.
 Other Safety Equipment (2/2)

Spill kits-Biological and Chemical

• Include disinfectant/appropriate chemicals, which
must be easily accessible to personnel.
• Depending on the size, location, concentration,
and/or volume of the spill, different protocols may
be necessary.
• Written procedures for cleaning and
decontaminating spills must be developed for the
laboratory and followed by suitably trained
personnel.
 6. Sharp Containers

• Sharp disposal containers MUST be of rigid

puncture resistance, leak-proof material.

• They should be available at the point of use

where sharps are generated.

• They should never be filled beyond ¾ mark and

be disposed of on attaining the recommended
level.
7. Laboratory Equipment Management Program
Component/Activit Description
y
Acquisition Refers to all cost for purchasing an equipment

Installation Refers to the processes to ensure that all systems and components of an equipment are installed , tested,
operated and maintained according to the operational requirement of the vendor

Validation Refers to establishment of performance parameters by defining and characterizing the magnitude of the analytical
error present
Verification Refers to Confirmation of known performance parameters published by the developers of the method within the
testing lab
Maintenance Refers to performing functional checks of the equipment, replacing parts, priming and decontaminating the
equipment
Calibration Refers to realigning the equipment to attain accuracy

Troubleshooting Refers to performing root cause analysis to identify the cause of a problem in an equipment

Service contracts Refers to having a scheduled servicing contract with the vendor regardless of the equipment status

Decontamination Refers to the process of cleaning an equipment to remove contaminants such as microorganisms or hazardous
material e.g. chemicals
Decommissioning Refers to the process of retiring equipment until it is safely disposed
8. Key Messages

1. Laboratory safety equipment must be properly installed and verified.

2. Laboratory safety equipment must be properly used and routinely decontaminated

and maintained.

3. All laboratory safety equipment must be certified annually or as per manufacturers’

recommendations and policy guidelines.
The End

You have come to the end of this Module. Kindly attempt the module quiz and
aim to attain a pass mark of 80%. Please participate in the discussion forum
before proceeding to module 5.