Laboratory

Safety
Guidelines

Department of Biology
College of Science
University of the Philippines Baguio

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  General procedures
 Biosafety

Outline  Specific hazards

Johnson and Case (2019)

Leboffe and Pierce (2010)
Brown (2005)

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Improper handling of chemicals,
equipment, and/or microbial cultures
can result in injury or infection.
It is imperative to safely handle and dispose microbes!
General Procedures
General Procedures
 Read the laboratory exercises
before coming to class
 Plan your work

 Read and understand protocols

thoroughly: prepare schematic diagrams
 Keep a laboratory notebook
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General Procedures
 Wear protective clothing
 Laboratory coat. Remove it prior to leaving the
lab and autoclave it regularly.
 Do not wear this outside the lab to prevent possible
spread of contaminants from lab specimens used
 Do not wear sandals or open-toed shoes
 Tie back long hair (potential source of
contamination, likely target of fire)

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General Procedures
 Clean up. Maintain orderliness and organization
 Do not drink or eat inside the laboratory
 Bringing of Drosophila samples is prohibited
 Label things properly. For cultures, always indicate the date of
subculture with the name of the microorganism

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General Procedures
 Discard used papers, newspapers, and tissue papers properly. If
contaminated with microorganisms, use an autoclavable plastic
bag before disposing. Set them aside for decontamination
 Clean up culture spills immediately with disinfectant. Handle the
tissue paper with forceps, place them in autoclavable plastic bags,
and set aside for decontamination.
 All materials with live microorganisms shall be decontaminated
before washing.
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Biosafety
Biosafety
 Biosafety Level (BSL) – consists of combinations of laboratory
practices and techniques, safety equipment, and facilities for
working with live microorganisms.

 Each combination is specifically appropriate for the operations performed,

the documented or suspected routes of transmission of the
microorganisms, and the laboratory function or activity.

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Biosafety Levels
 BSL 1 to 4

Academic setting / instruction / basic lab services

 BSL 1 – basic level of containment that relies on standard
microbiological practices
 BSL 2 – BSL 1 + autoclave; appropriate for working with human
body fluids 11
Biosafety Levels
Lab services and research

 BSL 3 – used in labs where work is done with pathogens that

can be transmitted by the respiratory route
 BSL 4 – applicable for work with pathogens that can be
transmitted via aerosols and for which there is no vaccine or
treatment
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Biosafety Levels

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Biosafety Practices
 All organisms should be treated as potential pathogens
(organisms capable of causing disease)

 Rules must be always observed to prevent accidental injury to

or infection of yourself and others and to minimize
contamination of the lab environment

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Biosafety Practices (ASM, 2012)
 Never place books, backpacks, purses, or the like on benchtops.
Always place these in the designated areas or cubicles
 Electronic devices should not be brought into the lab
 Clean your work area with disinfectant at the beginning and end of
each lab
 Wash your hands with soap and dry with paper towels when
entering and leaving the lab
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Biosafety Practices (ASM, 2012)
 Wear a lab coat at all times while working to prevent contamination
or accidental staining of your clothing
 Do not place anything in your mouth or eyes while in the lab. Keep
your hands away from them
 Do not remove media, equipment, or bacterial cultures from the
laboratory

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Biosafety Practices (ASM, 2012)
 Do not place contaminated instruments such as inoculating loops,
needles, and pipettes on benchtops
 Carry cultures in a test tube rack when moving around the lab and
when keeping cultures on benchtops for use
 Immediately cover spilled cultures or broken culture tubes with
paper towels then saturate with disinfectant. After 20 mins, clean
up the area and dispose of the towels and broken items
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Biosafety Practices (ASM, 2012)
 Report accidental cuts or burns
 At the end of each lab session, place all materials in the proper
disposal area
 Persons who are immunocompromised (including those who are
pregnant) and living with or caring for an immunocompromised
individual are advised to consult their physician to determine the
appropriate level of participation in the lab
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Specific Hazards in the Laboratory
Hazards
 Keep containers of alcohol away from open flames

 Glassware not contaminated with microbial cultures

 If you break a glass object, sweep up the pieces with a broom and
dustpan. Do not pick up pieces of broken glass with your bare hands
 Place broken glass in one of the containers marked for this purpose

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Hazards
 Electrical equipment
 Do not allow water or any water-based solution to come into contact
with electrical cords or electrical conductors. Make sure your hands
are dry when you handle electrical connectors
 If your electrical equipment crackles, snaps, or begins to give off
smoke, do not attempt to disconnect it. Call your instructor
immediately.

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Hazards
 Fire
 If gas burns from a leak in the burner or tubing, turn off the gas
 If you have a smoldering sleeve, run water on the fabric
 If you have a very small fire, the best way is to put it out is to smother
it with a towel or book (not your hand). Smother the fire quickly.

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Hazards
 Fire
 If a larger fire occurs, such as in a wastebasket or sink, use a fire
extinguisher
 In case of a large fire involving the lab itself, evacuate the room and
building.

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Hazards
 Accidents and First aid
 Report all accidents immediately
 For spills near the eyes, use the eyewash immediately
 For large spills in the body, use the safety shower
 For heat burns, chill the affected part with ice as soon as possible
 Place a bandage on any cut or abrasion

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 References
Brown, A. E. (2001). Microbiological Applications: Laboratory Manual in General
Microbiology. McGraw-Hill Companies.
Emmert, E. A., & ASM Task Committee on Laboratory Biosafety. (2013). Biosafety
guidelines for handling microorganisms in the teaching laboratory: development
and rationale. Journal of microbiology & biology education, 14(1), 78-83.
Johnson, T. R., & Case, C. L. (2019). Laboratory experiments in microbiology.
Pearson/Benjamin Cummings.
Leboffe, M. J., & Pierce, B. E. (2010). Microbiology: Laboratory Theory and
Application. Morton Publishing Company.
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