DAN’S BLOG
A Steep and Silent Slope: Counting the Costs of Poor Laboratory Safety
When we talk about laboratory safety, most people think about goggles, gloves, or the proper way to dispose of a biohazard bag. But beneath those visible details lies something far greater—something that affects every person, every department, and every dollar connected to the laboratory. The cost of poor safety is not just financial. It’s personal. […]
Getting Fired Up in the Lab
October is here, and as the leaves turn and the season ushers in cooler temperatures, it's the perfect time for laboratory professionals to focus on fire safety—especially since this month marks National Fire Prevention Month, a tradition inspired by the lessons of the Great Chicago Fire. In laboratories, fire hazards are always lurking due to […]
Labels, Lids, and Logic: Chemical Labeling and Storage in the Lab
Walk into almost any laboratory and you will see shelves lined with colorful bottles, cans, and boxes. These containers hold the lifeblood of the lab—chemicals for testing, analyzing, staining, and preserving. But with this essential arsenal comes a significant responsibility: storing and labeling chemicals properly. Unfortunately, this is one of the most common safety gaps […]
The Evolution of Laboratory Safety
There was a time when laboratorians smoked cigarettes while reviewing microscope slides at their bench. That’s true - some even kept ashtrays next to their analyzers. Mouth pipetting was a skill taught and expected. Using gloves? Optional. That was simply the way things were done. The culture of the lab allowed, even encouraged, those behaviors […]
The Lab Safety Re-Release
This August, theaters across the U.S. will once again tremble under the mighty footsteps of a monster. The Japanese movie Shin Godzilla is being re-released on the big screen, and G-fans are gearing up for the spectacle. While many have seen it before - some more than once- the excitement isn’t diminished. There’s just something […]
Safe Lab Practices: Not Just a Rulebook
In every laboratory—big or small, clinical or research—the goal is the same: get accurate, timely results while keeping everyone safe. It’s a simple concept, but that simplicity often hides just how important it is to enforce safety practices every day. I’ve seen too many instances where safety was treated like a checklist item—something to be […]
The Lab Exposure- What Happens Next?
It was just after lunch when Judy came to the lab manager’s office, looking pale and shaky. She had been working in hematology when an unstained glass blood smear slide slipped from her gloved hands and shattered on the floor. A shard bounced up, nicking her wrist just above the glove line. She cleaned the […]
Preparing and Protecting: Lab Emergency Management Planning
No one likes to think about disasters striking their workplace, but in the laboratory, emergency preparedness isn’t optional, it’s essential. Whether it’s a natural disaster, a chemical spill, or an act of workplace violence, laboratories must have a plan in place to protect employees, patients, and valuable assets. An effective emergency management plan ensures that […]
Slip Sliding Away- Keep your Lab Floor Safe
In the dynamic environment of a laboratory, safety is always paramount. While we often focus on chemical handling, personal protective equipment, and proper waste disposal, it's easy to overlook a fundamental aspect of lab safety: the floor beneath our feet. A well-maintained lab floor not only ensures the safety of all personnel but also contributes […]
Your Needs vs. Your Safety
Ben was excited to bring the new analyzer into the laboratory until he discovered the manufacturer’s newest security feature. Anytime a user was to log into the analyzer’s computer to diagnose issues or to perform maintenance, a unique numeric passcode would have to be entered, and that code would be sent via text to the […]
Building Psychological Safety in the Lab: A Generational Approach
When you think about laboratory safety, images of gloves, face shields, and chemical fume hoods might spring to mind. But should we also consider psychological safety? This essential but often-overlooked component is said to be critical to fostering an environment where lab professionals of all generations feel valued, respected, and empowered to speak up about […]
Don’t Bring it Home
A report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found that twenty-four laboratory workers were infected with a strain of Salmonella typhimurium, an enteric pathogen. The infections were reported in sixteen states across the country. Of those infected, six were hospitalized with symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, and severe abdominal cramps. Luckily, there were no […]
Who Watches the Laboratory?
One of my favorite comic book story arcs is a mini-series called The Watchmen. In the story, the super heroes get a bit out of control and a common phrase emerges from the people- “Who watches the Watchmen?” The idea makes me think about how safety issues in labs occur and no one- not leadership, […]
OSHA in Your Lab: What to Do?
Hospitals and other healthcare facilities have been on OSHA’s “high-risk” workplace list for a few years. That means the regulatory agency has noticed an increased number of employee injuries there, and therefore OSHA inspections have increased in hospitals and labs as well. If an OSHA inspector arrives at your facility, you should not panic, but […]
Staying Safe in the Lab: Managing Workplace Violence
In today's healthcare environment, workplace violence is a growing concern, and the laboratory is no exception. The fast-paced, high-stress nature of lab work, coupled with the emotional toll of dealing with critical patient samples, can create an environment where tensions may run high. While we often think of the laboratory as a “safe haven,” isolated […]
The “Safety Eyes” Epiphany
The manager walked into the lab to talk to Joan about the schedule. Joan was working with Mike, an older technologist who never seemed to follow the safety regulations of the laboratory. Joan was glad her manager was coming, because today Mike was wearing mesh sneakers and he was chewing gum! She couldn’t wait to […]
Where Lab Advocacy Meets Lab Safety
While attending a conference recently, I noticed there were several talks about the importance of lab advocacy. It’s an important subject- laboratorians have spent years in the basement performing the tests which lead to the majority of diagnoses provided for patients. While it seems fairly easy for larger groups (like nurses, for example) to get […]
Safeguard Your Staff: OSHA Requirements for Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Plans
Laboratories are a unique workplace of of scientific inquiry and diagnoses, but they also pose specific risks to those who work within their confines. One significant concern is the potential exposure to bloodborne pathogens, which can lead to serious infections and health complications if not managed properly. To mitigate these risks, laboratories must adhere to […]
Laboratory Ergonomics: It’s In the Details
Ergonomics is a safety topic that gets little respect in the laboratory, but it can become very important over time. The effects of poor ergonomics are cumulative, and they can appear suddenly. When they arise, the pain and treatment are often difficult, and as people age, healing is slower as well. Because the consequences of […]
The Strange Anatomy of a Lab Exposure
The lab manager reported to me that an employee had a body fluid splash to the mouth, and the manager and the employee both wanted to know if it should be reported. At this point, the story breaks down into two pathways of discussion, one about lab exposures and one about the safety culture. Each […]
Probable Problems with Phlebotomists and PPE
When it comes to making a decision about Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in the laboratory, OSHA is pretty clear about how to go about making the selection. The use of risk assessments and task assessments is required by OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens standard, and these can be essential tools in making decisions regarding safety throughout the […]
Laboratory Safety Minus One
I have been a fan of Godzilla movies since my childhood, and the latest release (number 37 in the franchise for those keeping track) was not a disappointment. Godzilla Minus One is a Toho Studios production set in post-World War 2 Japan, a time when the country felt it was at level zero, its lowest […]
Lab Safety Lessons
I recently completed a seven-month stint as an interim laboratory manager. One of my leaders asked me if the time in that role had altered my perspective about lab safety. Would I now treat other lab managers differently when I’m back to my Lab Safety Officer role? Would I be less strict about safety violations […]
Special Safety in the Anatomic Pathology Laboratory
Margie had worked in the histology department for years. She never used the chemical fume hood when pouring formaldehyde, but lately she had been coughing quite a bit, so she decided it was time to use the hoods. Soon she would be diagnosed with lung cancer. Jasper was a cytotechnologist working in the radiology department […]
The Risk of Disaster
Living in Virginia, hurricane season usually has me thinking about lab disaster plans and the risk of a real natural disaster. In the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, the highest hurricane risk occurs between September and November. So far this year, a few storms have pointed in this direction, but luckily, they have all […]
3 Rules Regarding Chemical Waste in the Laboratory
The lab technologist approached the Lab Safety Officer to ask what should be done with a collection of liquid wastes that were collected from the chemistry analyzers. The LSO had worked with multiple labs for years helping to determine how to dispose of their liquid chemical wastes according to the regulations. He thought he was […]
The Big Three- Safety Audit Blunders to Avoid
There are several potential safety indicators that can be used to help someone assess the effectiveness of a laboratory safety program. The results of a properly performed safety audit can be one of those indicators, and it can provide useful information to a lab safety professional whether he or she is new to the role […]
Managing Up for Safety
A multitude of employee injuries over a six-month period did nothing to get the attention of the laboratory leadership. The Employee Health nurse was nearing retirement, and she didn’t pay attention to the fact that these injuries all came from the same area- the autopsy suite- and that many had a common cause. The pathologist […]
Faster Than the Eye Can Follow
Pete began his shift in the hematology department. He liked to use the counter-mounted safety shield when opening specimens because he did not like to wear goggles over his eyeglasses. When it was time to read differential slides, he knew he could not look into the microscope with his glasses on, so he reached up […]
Totally Tubular
I love to ride roller coasters. I enjoy the twists and turns, the steep hills, the loops, and even the sudden stops. I even prefer launched coasters that take off right from the start at high speeds. Wooden roller coasters are good too, because they add the elements of shaking and feeling like you might […]
3 Safety Mistakes Your Vendors Are Making
Laboratorians work with vendor or field service representatives on a regular basis, and it is important to develop a good working relationship with each of them to ensure continued smooth operations in the department. They provide analyzers, products, equipment, and services. However, lab managers and employees need to pay special attention to the actions a […]
Scary Specimen Transport Stories and Ways to Avoid Them
Specimen handling and transport is a vital training topic in the realm of Laboratory Safety. There is much to consider that affects specimen quality and integrity, and ultimately affects patient results. There are also considerations involving employee safety at each step of these processes. One group of employees that is often overlooked when it comes […]
What is a Safety Stand Down?
In 2016, because of a number of incidents in several national high-containment laboratories, a “Safety Stand Down” was recommended. That term gets use often, but not everyone understands how a safety stand down works. Has your department been in a similar situation? Have you encountered a series of like safety events that created the need […]
Safety Training In and Out of Water
I am a pretty simple person, and the extravagant things of life do not generally entice me. I recently had the unusual opportunity to fly while sitting in the first-class section of the airplane, and it sort of made me feel like a fish out of water. It was nice not to have to pay […]
The Sub-Mariner and the Safety Shower
As a super-hero fan, I was excited for several reasons to see the latest Marvel movie, Wakanda Forever. One reason was that the movie would mark the first live-action appearance of one of my favorite characters, Namor, the Sub-Mariner. Namor made his first appearance in comic books in 1939, and while that is well before […]
Is Lab Safety Corny?
A recent internet sensation is Tariq, the newest “corn-bassador” of South Dakota. During an interview that was posted on Instagram, the young boy from Brooklyn, New York describes corn on the cob like a poet. Corn was new to him, it was exciting, and young Tariq said he “couldn’t imagine a more beautiful thing!” For […]
Towering Over Safety
One of the great disaster movies of the 1970’s was The Towering Inferno. It was a story that took place during the grand opening of a new skyscraper. Of course, one of the engineers cut costs during construction and used cheap wiring which led to a fire disaster of major proportions. During the 3 hour […]
A Pox on Lab Safety
There is a new “pox” on lab safety- monkeypox. Like the most recent novel virus (COVID-19), the unknowns about the monkeypox virus is creating new safety concerns for laboratorians, and it is time now to nip unnecessary fears in the bud. That is done through preparation and education. There are many questions that have arisen. […]
Lab Safety in One Second
Often, I am asked how the person who is responsible for laboratory safety (yet has other duties as well) can get the job done well. In today’s labs there is tight staffing, tight budgeting, and a score of regulatory duties that must be accomplished, and not all of these things revolve solely around safety. Many […]
Chemical Hygiene Hacks to Hold High
When the fire began in the university chemistry laboratory, it quickly got out of hand. They called the local fire department since the flames became too much for extinguishers to handle. When the fire trucks arrived, the battalion chief asked for a chemical inventory so that his crew would be aware of what dangers they […]
What’s Next for Safety?- Succession Planning
In many organizations, managing safety is not always a full- time job. Many have to oversee the safety program while also managing other day-to-day operations and other programs. Some safety professionals are lucky enough to be able to spend all of their time focused on the safety program. Either way, the safety role usually includes […]
High Reliability Safety- The Checklist
A High Reliability Organization (HRO) is one that works with complex and hazardous systems every day and yet retains a high level of safety and an error free environment. The first recognized HRO industries were the United States Navy nuclear aircraft carriers, the Federal Aviation Administration’s Air Traffic Control systems, and nuclear power plant operations. […]
Packing for the Journey- Specimen Shipping and Handling
If you are sending specimens outside of your lab for testing or for other purposes, there are many things to consider. Not just anyone in the laboratory should prepare the specimens for shipment, specific training is required. Staff needs to have knowledge about packing procedures, specimen safety considerations, and how to fill out the necessary […]
3 Secrets Regarding Contamination in the Lab
Pete picked up his rack of specimens that needed to be delivered to the serology lab across the hall. He wore gloves because he was handling specimens, and he pushed the lab exit door open using the knob. He walked across the hallway in his PPE, and he opened the door to the serology lab […]
Opening a Safety Can of Worms
In the 1964 classic movie, Mothra versus Godzilla (released in the US as Godzilla vs. the Thing), a giant egg is washed ashore after a hurricane in Japan. Godzilla finds the egg and tries to break it, but when it hatches, twin giant worms are released which end up causing trouble for the title monster. […]