Team:IISc-Bangalore/Safety
Safety
Safety
On this page, we have highlighted all the safety aspects that were kept in mind while we were implementing our project idea. The safety features of our laboratories and the safety rules followed in our institute have been mentioned here. We have also mentioned what COVID-19 safety rules were followed as we dealt with the pandemic situation during our project.
General Safety
Before we could start working in the lab, we were all asked to learn about the various safety rules that have been set up by the Office of Laboratory Safety and Environmental Health (OLSEH) at IISc. These rules included but are not limited to fire safety, electrical hazards, biological and chemical safety. The safety rules of the institute have been provided in the following link:
Download IISc Safety ManualWe then had to take a mandatory Safety Test conducted by OLSEH and only after all of us had taken the test, we were allowed to work in the lab.
The OLSEH safety officer also conducted visits to the lab to audit the situation and he instructed us on proper lab safety.
We would always wear lab coats and gloves inside the lab. We would also wear shoes and body-covering clothes. No food was allowed. All the biological and chemical waste was safely discarded as per the safety rules mentioned above.
We were told about the emergency rules and the routes to use to exit the building in case of an emergency. We were also told about the location of all the sinks and emergency showers. We were taught how to use a fire extinguisher and were shown the location of all fire extinguishers. As per the instructions of the OLSEH, the lab safety rules were also put up inside the lab and evacuation instructions were placed at appropriate places to aid us in cases of emergency.
Some other special categories of safety measures have been mentioned in the upcoming sections.
Chemical Safety
We have used a few chemicals that can be potentially harmful if not handled properly. We took appropriate measures such as wearing gloves and body-covering clothes while working with such chemicals. A list of such chemicals is given below:
| Corrosive | Carcinogenic | Toxic or potentially harmful |
|---|---|---|
| Concentrated Hydrochloric Acid | Ethidium Bromide | Dimethylacteamide (DMAc) |
| Concentrated Acetic Acid | Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) | |
| Sodium Hydroxide | Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC) | |
| Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) | ||
| Lithium chloride (LiCl) | ||
| N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) |
Other hazardous chemicals used by us are coumaphos and parathion-ethyl. These are extremely potent neurotoxic agents, which have deleterious effects for our environment. We have exercised utmost caution in handling coumaphos while designing our assays and have ensured that the corresponding solutions are labelled appropriately and discarded according to the OLSEH guidelines.
The safety data sheets for the chemicals mentioned are provided below:
Safety data sheet for AcrylamideSafety data sheet for Coumaphos
Safety data sheet for N,N-Dimethylacetamide
Safety data sheet for Dimethyl sulfoxide
Safety data sheet for Ethidium Bromide
Safety data sheet for Hydrochloric acid
Safety data sheet for Lithium chloride
Safety data sheet for N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone
Safety data sheet for Polyvinyl Alcohol
Biological Safety
All the labs that we worked in for the different parts of our project were well-equipped with safety features. 2 of the biology laboratories were of the Biosafety Level 1. The 3rd laboratory was of Biosafety Level 2
We used the DH5 alpha and the BL21(DE3) strains of E. coli. Both these strains are known to be non-pathogenic and harmless to humans. They are designated to be at a Biosafety Level 1. Risks related with these organisms are primarily associated with contact with eye and skin. To avoid these, we worked in biosafety cabinets and always wore lab coats while working in the laboratory.
Besides this, we used two other bacteria - Komagateibacter xylinus and Agrobacterium tumefaciens C58. The latter of these two is known to infect and cause formation of crown galls in plants. However, both these bacteria are also designated to be of Biosafety Level 1. We have also obtained the necessary permissions from the Institutional Bio-Safety Committee (IBSC) for the usage of A. tumefaciens and complied with all statutory requirements in this regard.
All the work that required handling bacterial cultures was done inside the biosafety cabinet which had been properly sterilised with UV light before usage. The cultures were handled with care to prevent accidental release of the genetically modified bacteria to the environment.
We did not release and do not plan to release any genetically modified organism into the environment. Also, the final product we choose to make will not contain any live engineered organism. This makes our filter safe and addresses all relevant bioethical considerations.
Radiation Safety
We worked with Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation for purposes of imaging of Agarose Gels. We also used UV to sterilise the biosafety cabinets. Both the times, we ensured not to come near the UV rays directly and wore appropriate eyewear while using UV for imaging purposes.
Cryo-Safety and Thermal Safety
We used appropriate protection when using either extremely hot or extremely cold materials. We used cryo-protective gloves and used a proper liquid N2 cylinder to carry the liquid N2 for snap-freezing cultures. We also wore close-toed shoes while doing so.
While carrying or handling hot objects, thermally protective gloves were worn.
COVID-19 Safety
When we returned to our college from home, we were required to self-quarantine for 7 days. All of us completed the self-quarantine.
While we were working on the project, in May 2021, the number of COVID-19 cases in India were at their peak. To slow down the progress of the second wave, the government and many institutions had instituted several rules regarding COVID-19. The country-wide lockdown led to an obvious disruption in our laboratory work. We tried to make the best use of this situation by focussing on modelling, education and other aspects of our project.
With gradual reduction in the case load, partial relaxations were granted. Many of the rules were however still in place when we started labwork. Some of the rules were:
- It was mandatory to wear a mask inside the laboratory and in all public places.
- The laboratory should not be functioning at more than 50% of its capacity.
- More than 4 people were not allowed to gather inside any room.
We obeyed these rules very sincerely and exercised utmost caution to keep ourselves and the others around us safe. Routine mask usages and proper sanitization of hands before entering and after leaving the lab was performed by each one of us. We also got ourselves vaccinated when the institute-wide vaccination drive was launched.