Everything You Need to Know About the 5 Laboratory Risks

Learn about the 5 main risks in the laboratory and how to ensure the safety of the professionals involved in the process. 

When it comes to work inside the laboratory, there are several pillars that must be taken into account to ensure smooth-running processes. But one of the most important is certainly safety.

The ability to minimize risks within the laboratory as much as possible is a good indicator of well-executed management, and of a facility that complies with GLP (Good Laboratory Practices). And to achieve that, it’s important to know what these risks are and how to prevent or mitigate them.

That’s why, in this article, you’ll learn about the 5 risks a professional may encounter inside the laboratory, so you can protect yourself from them.

1. Accident Risks

These are the risks that expose the individual’s physical integrity, placing them in situations of danger and jeopardizing their physical and mental well-being.

Found in machinery, equipment lacking proper protection, and improper storage of products, accident risks require experienced laboratory management to prevent them from occurring.

These accidents include burns, cuts, and punctures, in addition to accidents specific to each type of laboratory.

2. Biological Risks

These risks are related to the professional’s exposure to microorganisms foreign to their body, which can result in diseases arising from contamination. These microorganisms can be bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasites, among others, and pose a serious risk to human health.

That’s why it’s essential to exercise caution within the laboratory when handling biological materials, using PPE and strictly following handling protocols.

3. Ergonomic Risks

Responsible for affecting psychophysiological characteristics, ergonomic risks can permanently interfere with a professional’s ability to perform their activities within the laboratory.

Repetitive movements, excessive lifting and carrying of loads, overly long shifts, monotony, and an uncomfortable or poorly planned work environment. All of these factors are ergonomic risks that must be taken into consideration to ensure employees’ health.

4. Physical Risks

In the case of physical risks, these are risks generated by machinery and physical conditions within the laboratory that can cause harm to the worker’s health.

For example, when a professional is exposed to extreme heat or cold, or even an abrupt change between the two.

Or, alternatively, a work environment that is frequently exposed to noise and vibration that affect the team’s hearing. Some equipment commonly found in the laboratory that contributes to noise includes centrifuges, laminar flow hoods, exhaust fans, autoclaves, among others.

In addition, exposure to ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, as well as abnormal pressure conditions within the work environment, also constitute a risk to the professional’s physical integrity.

5. Chemical Risks

These risks are directly linked to the worker’s exposure to irritant, corrosive, oxidizing, or flammable substances or agents.

These substances may be in liquid, gaseous, or particulate form in the work environment, and can enter the body through the respiratory tract, ingestion, or even through the professional’s skin.

Within the laboratory, chemical risks are numerous, with many situations in which the professional needs to handle irritant, corrosive, oxidizing, or flammable substances. That’s why extreme caution is essential when handling these materials, to prevent them from coming into contact with the individual’s body.

Hommel Diamond

There are several risks a professional may encounter in the laboratory, which is why it’s necessary to use every available tool to ensure the team’s safety.

One of these tools is the Hommel Diamond, a symbol used by the NFPA that seeks to prevent chemical risks by qualifying and quantifying the hazards involved in the chemical product being handled.

With it, the professional knows how to properly protect themselves in order to safely complete the processes involved in using the product.

Conclusion

Knowing the hazards present within the laboratory is essential to ensure the safety of all professionals involved in the processes, and to maintain the quality of the practices carried out in the environment.

One way to safeguard against the risks present in the laboratory is the use of a laboratory management system, which can act in a variety of ways to prevent accidents.

With Actiz, you can keep your laboratory within the guidelines required to ensure quality, with easy, fast, and up-to-date access to any and all information.