Team:Shanghai Metro/Safety

Shanghai_Metro

SAFETY

Laboratory Precautions

1) Wear gloves and a laboratory coat at all times in the lab and take them off prior to leaving the lab

2) Wear toe closed shoes that cover the top of the foot

3) Don’t use any laboratory equipment without notifying another team member about it

4) Keep hands away from your face, eyes, and mouth when working with chemicals, preserved specimen or microorganisms

5) Report any and all accidents, spills, breakages, or injuries

6) Be careful around glassware

7) Do not fool around in the laboratory, or play around with machinery, chemicals, and glassware

General Safety

Our Lab at the Xuhui Central Hospital is a BSL-2 lab, which may work with human diseases and pose a moderate health hazard. However, our project is not associated with many hazardous materials, we only use safe strains - E. coli with supervision and make sure they are under our control. We minimize potential exposure to dangerous chemicals. For example, we use mixtures of nucleic acid dye and loading buffers to dilute the dye, which may cause cancer if a high concentration of it contacts skin without protection. Regardless of what kinds of chemicals, our team all uses them properly and carefully, strictly following lab protocols.

In a laboratory, apart from completing tasks that are needed to create what we need, keeping yourself and fellow students safe is important. There are certain things that people have to be aware of while being in the lab with all different sorts of chemicals and things that can possibly pose a threat. For example, having proper clothing and protection for yourself. In the lab, you must wear gloves and a laboratory coat at all times and take them off prior to leaving the lab. You must also wear toe close shoes that cover the top of your foot, so nothing can come in contact with your skin and just for general protection of the foot. Another thing that is crucial is to keep your hands away from your face, eyes, and mouth when working with chemicals, preserved specimens, or microorganisms since some of them can cause harm to the human body. Immediately reporting any accidents, spills, breakages, and injuries can prevent others from getting hurt by the glass or coming in contact with an unknown chemical/specimen. Glass can be very sharp so it is best that it is not fooled around within the laboratory. Any foolish acts can cause harm to yourself and others.

There are no animals involved in the experiment, modified strains are strictly contained and stored to prevent contamination and further risks.

Microorganisms involved in this project: E.coli DH5-Alpha

Reference:

1) “Biosafety Levels 1, 2, 3 & 4 | What’s the Difference?” Consolidated Sterilizer Systems, 14 Apr. 2015, consteril.com/biosafety-levels-difference/. Accessed 3 Sept. 2021.