Hazardous Information and Courses from MediaLab, Inc.
These are the MediaLab courses that cover Hazardous and links to relevant pages within the course.
Learn more about laboratory continuing education for medical technologists to earn CE credit for AMT, ASCP, NCA, and state license renewal and recertification. Or get information about laboratory safety and compliance courses that deliver cost-effective OSHA safety training and continuing education to your laboratory's employees.
| What type of protective gear must be worn as a minimum when working with hazardous chemicals: | View Page |
| Standard precautions means that: | View Page |
| Which section of the MSDS would provide information on chemical hazards that might affect your health: | View Page |
| Advantages of using Biological Agents (cont.) They can have a psychological impact.Biological WMD’s could possibly have a psychological impact that will go far beyond their actual effect. The very thought of exposure to a biological agent may possibly cause many people to panic. Biological WMDs can tie up resources.Some biological agents can be a hazard for lengthy periods. The use of these agents may require tedious, time-consuming, resource-intensive decontamination and monitoring of facilities before they can be returned to service. Defense may be difficult.It is very difficult for civilian government agencies to prepare for biological terrorist incidents. While most civilian agencies have some kind of hazardous material or HAZMAT response teams; in the event of a biological terrorist incident, these teams are likely to be challenged beyond their capability in terms of human resources, and equipment. | View Page |
| Disadvantages of using Biological Agents They are not immediate. The delayed effect, for example, the long incubation period for some agents, may detract and limit their tactful usefulness as a political statement.They are hazardous to all who come in contact.There is the possibility that the biological agents could also affect the health of the aggressor forces. They are hard to control.The dependence of prevailing winds and other weather conditions such as temperature, sunlight, and desiccation may make it difficult to control distribution of the biological agent. Potential long term effects beyond the initial attack.The persistence of some agents such as spore-forming anthrax in the environment may make an area uninhabitable to aggressor forces for long periods. Results are unpredictable.Morbidity secondary to a biological attack is unpredictable since casualties will be related to the quantity and manner of exposure plus the preventive and treatment measures available. | View Page |
| How easily is HIV transmitted? After an exposure to HIV by a contaminated needle, the chance of becoming infected is usually less than 1%.However, exposures from patients with high numbers of viral particles in their blood may be more hazardous.Because of the extremely serious nature of HIV, we must take every precaution to avoid workplace exposure. | View Page |
| Goals of this Program Locate potentially hazardous chemicals in your workplace. Describe the procedure for obtaining a copy of an MSDS. Recognize chemical labeling and its meaning. Discuss exposure control measures with your supervisor. Locate the MSDS book in your workplace. | View Page |
| Right to Know As an employee, you have the right to know the types of hazardous substances that are used in your workplace. Material Safety Data Sheets, or MSDS, are available in paper or electronic versions in each laboratory section and are there to inform you of these hazards. Ask your supervisor for the exact location. | View Page |
| Hazardous Ingredients What makes up the chemical. What the 8-hour occupational exposure limit is for the threshold limit value, or TLV. On some MSDS, the short term exposure limit (or STEL) for 15 minutes will also be listed. | View Page |
| Personal Protective Equipment Personal protective equipment is an essential way to protect yourself from the dangers of chemicals. You'll find on the label or MSDS exactly what kinds of clothing, gloves, and coverings you'll need to keep yourself safe. Also, the laboratory's chemical hygiene plan will include information about necessary personal protective equipment and engineering controls that will reduce your exposure to hazardous chemicals. At a minimum, safety goggles and rubber or nitrile gloves (not necessarily utility gloves) are necessary parts of your personal protective equipment. | View Page |
| Monitoring Certain chemicals in use in the laboratory, such as formaldehyde, are hazardous if your exposure to them is too prolonged. The amount of the chemical to which you can be exposed before possible danger is called the threshold limit value. Monitoring badges are used from time to time to measure your exposure. These are worn in the "breathing zone" for a certain period of time--often eight hours (for long-term exposure) or fifteen minutes (for short-term exposure). Based on the results of this monitoring, additional personal safety measures, such as ventilation or face-fitted masks, may be implemented for your protection. | View Page |
| Common Sense Rules (continued) Also remember to: Learn basic first aid measures. Read chemical labels. Read MSDS. Follow warnings and instructions. Use the correct protection. Practice sensible, safe work habits. Be knowledgeable about your laboratory's Chemical Hygiene Plan and the location in your laboratory of all reference materials on the hazards, safe handling, storage, and disposal of hazardous chemicals, including the location of Material Safety Data Sheets. | View Page |
| Ground A ground is a conducting connection between an electrical circuit or equipment and the earth, or between an electrical circuit and some conducting body that serves in place of the earth.The purpose of a ground is to prevent the buildup of voltages that may result in a hazardous situation for the connected equipment and/or for the person operating the equipment.All electrical equipment in the laboratory that is not clearly marked as "double-insulated" must be grounded by using a three-pronged power cord. Three-to-two-prong adapters cannot be used because they interrupt the continuity of the grounding. | View Page |
| Hazardous waste disposal All needles & other sharps must be disposed of in approved sharps disposal containers.
Other contaminated waste must be discarded in an appropriate red biohazard bag or waste receptacle. | View Page |
| Evaluation of Controls If stains and technique are adequate, S. aureus should be gram positive (blue) and E. coli should be gram negative (pink). If control slides do react appropriately, reliable results cannot be assured for the specimen smears. Check stains and technique and prepare more control smears until proper results are achieved, then remake and stain the new direct smears. If it is impossible to prepare a new smear, the poorly stained smear may still be salvaged. Remove immersion oil from the smear using xylol. Use appropriate procedures and personal protective equipment when using xylol, since it is hazardous chemical. If the smear is underdecolorized, repeat the decolorization and counterstain steps. If the smear is overdecolorized, the slide should be stained again.
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