Risks in Medical Laboratories

Medical laboratories investigate diseases and are located in hospitals or medical research institutions. These labs test specimens to identify what diseases afflict patients and whether medicines are helping them. Although these laboratories play a crucial role in the development of medical knowledge, they can present risks to the technicians who work in them.

Considerations

• Medical laboratories help doctors diagnose patients by testing medical samples collected from patients. These laboratories are also operated by research institutions for the purpose of manufacturing medicine. These two types of laboratories have different levels of risk for lab technicians.

Risks

• Hazards in medical labs include accidental punctures from hypodermic needles while handling medical samples. Cuts can be caused by sharp objects such as scalpels. Lab technicians can also be infected by bacteria or viruses from the samples they test. Some of the chemicals technicians use are corrosive and can harm the skin. Medical labs also have the risk of fire because of processes that require heating.

Prevention

• Equipment that can cause a risk to workers must be handled with care. Hypodermic needles are disposed of in a syringe-disposal box. Laboratory technicians must wear gloves at all times to reduce the risk of germs and viruses. Fire extinguishers must be readily available.

Safety Officers

• Medical laboratories have officials responsible for ensuring safety. These safety officers devise procedures to prevent lab accidents. They also coordinate efforts to contain emergencies when accidents occur.