Lab Safety Initiatives

Question: Describe about charlies safety performance, safety issues and violations and recommended safety improvements? Answer: Charlies Safety Performance Charlie's performance regarding the safety in the laboratory was not satisfactory. He was least concerned regarding taking the precautions in the lab. He has a practice of taking short cuts in the works assigned to him to work fast and have ample time to work in a stress-free environment. His hygienic condition is also not good as he keeps a 2-inch beard and has long fingernails which are dirty. He does not even wash his hairs on a daily basis. He wears the lab coat and removes it after the evening shift Safety Issues and Violations The are several issues are as follows: Proper updating of the chemical inventory Discard of the chemicals namely, Glacial acetic acid and Sodium azide. Charlie does not wear gloves while withdrawing blood and keeps the needle holder in the jeans pocket. Keeping the tubes unlabelled and running the blood tests without any control. The practice of hanging the used lab coats with the clean coats. Recommended Safety Improvements The recommended safety improvements for these violations are the following: The chemical inventory must be updated according to the EHS Assist inventory system. It is a software for tracking the chemicals. The discard of chemicals should be done carefully, and a person who is disposing of it must see the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) before disposing of the chemicals. Glacial acetic acid is a corrosive liquid and is hazardous. Sodium azide causes eye irritation and may be fatal if swallowed (Dikshith, 2013). The nurse, ward boys, and doctors should always wear gloves while drawing blood samples. The used needles should always be discarded in the biohazardous bin, and the needle holder should not be kept in the contact with the clothes and other belongings. The tubes containing the samples should always be labeled, and the tests should always run with the control. The used laboratory coats should never be hanged with the unused or clean ones because it increases the risk of contamination. The lab coats act as barriers in protecting the skin and the clothes of the individuals who perform tests and use hazardous chemicals (Panel, 2012). Charlie did not pay attention to the critical concerns of the laboratory. He was least concerned about taking the precautions. He only wanted to save his time by taking short cuts and work in a stress free environment. These issues cannot be neglected because any mishappening can lead to severe consequences related to the health of the patients as well as the individuals who perform these tests and handle the chemicals. References: Dikshith, T. S. S. (2013).Hazardous chemicals: safety management and global regulations. CRC Press. Panel, B. B. R. (2012). Guidelines for safe work practices in human and animal medical diagnostic laboratories.Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report,61.