BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT LABORATORY SAFETY PROCEDURES
for HISTOLOGY & CTYOLOGY
I. Laboratory Safety Procedures for All Biology Laboratories
The risks incurred in the biology laboratories of Taft Hall (T301, T303, T304), Truman (Tr122, Tr125), Helene Fuld (HF210) and Camden 329 are minimal and usually associated with the occasional use of open flames, sharp objects, some noxious chemicals, and attenuated or non-virulent strains of bacteria. Safety precautions are listed below and must be adhered to in all biology laboratories.
Each student and new instructor must receive a copy of the Biology Laboratory Safety Procedures at the beginning of each semester, read the policy, and sign the Laboratory Safety Agreement. Instructors will submit all completed forms to the biology office.
A. GENERAL
1. Work carefully and cautiously in the laboratory, using common sense and good judgment at all times.
2. EATING. DRINKING AND SMOKING ARE PROHIBITED in the laboratory and in the laboratory space of a combined lecture/laboratory room.
3. Long hair must be tied back during laboratory sessions.
4. Open toed shoes are prohibited.
5. No sleeveless tops are permitted. Thighs and midriffs must be covered with protective clothing while working in the laboratory. Lab coats must be worn when directed by the instructor.
6. Identify the location of all exits from the laboratory and from the building.
7. Be familiar with the location and proper use of fire extinguishers, fire blankets, first aid kits, spill response kits, and eye wash stations in each laboratory.
8. Note the location of the red phones that provide direct access to the Office of Public Safety. In the event of an emergency, pick up the red receiver and state the location and the nature of the emergency. The Office of Public Safety can also be reached by dialing extension 7777. Identify the location of the nearest desk phones.
9. Report all injuries, spills, breakage of glass or other items, unsafe conditions, and accidents of any kind, no matter how minor, to the instructor immediately.
10. Keep sinks free of paper or any debris that could interfere with drainage.
11. Lab tables must be clear of all items that are not necessary for the lab exercise.
12. Wash hands and the lab tables with the appropriate cleaning agents before and after every laboratory session.
B. OPEN FLAMES - FIRE HAZARD
1. Identify and be familiar with the use of dry chemical fire extinguishers that are located in the hallways and laboratory rooms.
2. Flames are only to be used under the supervision of the instructor.
C. SHARP OBJECTS AND BROKEN GLASS
1. Pointed dissection probes, scalpels, razor blades, scissors, and microtome knives must be used with great care, and placed in a safe position when not in use.
2. Containers designated for the disposal of sharps (scalpel blades, razor blades, needles; dissection pins, etc.) and containers designated for broken glass are present in each laboratory. Never dispose of any sharp object in the regular trash containers.
3. Report all cuts, no matter how minor, to the instructor. Students with moderate to extensive bleeding will be referred to the Office of Public Safety (red phone or extension 7777)
4. All biology labs and the biology preparation room (T305) house a first aid kit containing antiseptics, bandages, Band-Aids and gloves to care for minor cuts.
5. Do not touch broken glass with bare hands. Put on gloves and use a broom and dustpan to clean up glass. Dispose of ALL broken glass in the specific container marked for glass. Do not place broken glass in the regular trash.
6. When cutting with a scalpel or other sharp instrument, forceps may be used to help hold the specimen. Never use fingers to hold a part of the specimen while cutting.
7. Scalpels and other sharp instruments are only to be used to make cuts in the specimen, never as a probe or a pointer.
D. NOXIOUS CHEMICALS
1. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are available in a yellow binder mounted on the door of the biology prep room (T305) in Blackwood. In Camden, the MSDS is in a marked filing cabinet in the office area of 329. In case of a spill, an accident or a safety question, students and instructors can find chemical safety information in the MSDS.
2. The biology prep room in Taft is equipped with a portable safety exhaust hood for the handling of noxious fumes. Room 329 in Camden is equipped with three safety hoods.
3. Chemical spill clean-up kits are available in every biology lab and biology prep room.
E. INSTRUMENTS AND EQUIPMENT
Care must be used when handling any equipment in the laboratory. Students are responsible for being familiar with and following correct safety practices for all instruments and equipment used in the laboratory.
Microscope Handling
1. Microscopes must be carried upright, with one hand supporting the arm of the microscope and the other hand supporting the base. Nothing else should be carried at the same time.
2. Microscope must be positioned safely on the table, NOT near the edge.
3. After plugging the microscope into the electrical outlet, the cord should be draped carefully up onto the table and never allowed to dangle dangerously to the floor.
4. The coarse adjustment must NEVER be used to focus a specimen when the 40x or oil immersion lens is in place.
5. When finished with the microscope, the cord should be carefully wrapped around the microscope before returning it to the cabinet.
6. The microscope must be placed upright and in the appropriate numbered slot in the cabinet.
7. All prepared microscope glass slides are to be returned to their appropriate slide trays; wet mount preparations are to be disposed of properly.
8. Malfunctioning microscopes should be reported to the instructor.
Hot Plates and Water Baths
1. The instructor will regulate the temperature of hot plates and water baths with a thermometer.
2. This equipment must be placed in a safe place.
3. Use insulated gloves or tongs to move beakers or test tubes in and out of the water baths.
4. Use care when working near hot plates and water baths, as they may still be hot even after being turned off.
F. PRESERVED SPECIMENS
1. Gloves (latex and nonlatex) are provided to handle preserved specimens.
2. When larger specimens are being dissected, the part of the specimen that is not being dissected should be kept enclosed in the plastic bag.
3. When dissecting smaller specimens, seal the bag after removing the specimen, so as to confine the preservative in the specimen bag.
4. Notify the instructor if there is a spill of preservative.
5. Body parts or scraps of the specimen are NOT to be disposed of in the sink.
6. Dispose of dissecting pins or other sharp objects in the red sharps containers, NOT in the regular trash.
7. Specimens are to be clearly labeled and stored in designated containers or cabinets when not in use.
8. Follow the directions of the instructor concerning the proper disposal of preserved specimens after they are finished being used.
G. BODY FLUIDS
Special precautions are to be followed in all laboratories using any body fluids, such as blood, saliva, and urine, because of the potential to transmit disease-causing organisms.
1. Follow all instructions carefully.
2. Use gloves and goggles in all laboratory experiments that involve the use of body fluids.
3. All contaminated material, such as slides, coverslips, toothpicks, lancets, alcohol swabs, etc., must be placed in a biohazard bag for proper disposal and should never be reused.
4. No samples of body fluids are to be brought into the laboratory from outside sources.
II. HISTOLOGY & CYTOLOGY LABORATORY SAFETY PROCEDURES
The following laboratory safety guidelines for Histology & Cytology are in addition to the laboratory safety procedures to be followed for all biology laboratories:
1. Students are only permitted to work on the preparation of histology slides (including infiltration and embedding, sectioning, and staining) during the scheduled class time and under the guidance of the instructor.
2. Students should wear protective gloves when handling fixatives, embedding solutions, and staining solutions.
3. Only water is to be poured down the sinks; all chemical solutions should be collected in labeled waste containers.
4. Xylene must be used under the hood.
5. Any spills should be reported immediately to the instructor or laboratory technician.
6. Students must use forceps to transfer slides from one coplin jar to the next.
7 All lids must be secured on the coplin jars except when transferring slides from one jar to the next.
8. All sharp instruments (e.g., razor blades and microtome blades) must be handled with extreme care and disposed of in designated sharps containers.
9 Before removing a paraffin block from the microtome, the microtome wheel must be locked in position and the microtome blade must be removed from the blade holder.
10. All scraps of paraffin must be swept from the floor and the microtome table using a dustpan and brush.
11. Students are not permitted to move a microtome from the table.
The Laboratory Safety Agreement must be signed and returned to the instructor before the start of the first lab. Click the button to print and sign the agreement.