Chemistry laboratories pose a threat to the consumer; however, they also affect the researcher. A young Singaporean researcher contracted Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) through an experiment that had gone wrong. At first many people thought he was sickened with this disease because there was a SARS crisis all around Asia; however, that was not the case. In the article, SARS Experts want Labs to Improve Safety Practices, the researcher claimed that he “didn’t have the background to understand how to handle dangerous agents.” Due to the chemistry lab, the researcher was injured. This then formulated an international problem in which the national legislation instructed a very detailed safety code at biosafety labs. Many amateur experimenters do not know lab safety by heart so they tend to perform dangerous actions that may lead to injuries or death depending on how potentially dangerous the experiment is. In my personal experiences, I have seen many improper lab practices in which I helped teach people how to correctly perform these actions. This includes adding acids to water and not the reverse way because acids may bubble and splash everywhere, pouring liquids from small containers to big containers unless a valve is available is favored because it is easier to spill the content from a big container into the small container, and to wear close-toed shoes in order to prevent falling dangerous materials from making contact with skin. As one may see, there are very
In the essay I have talked about lab procedures lab practice, standard operation procedure communication, training, risk assessment, HSE and HSE inspection Health and welfare at work act 2005 and finally I have talked about Health and safety in a laboratory.
More than 90 percent of new drugs fail to make it into the public's hands. That 90 percent is also proven too toxic to even get past actual patient testing. Distinguished medical professionals find out if new medicines are toxic through various testings of which include human testing. Most of these test subjects include medical students as well as prisoners. Medical experiments have been conducted in prisoners for years. Not all of these tests however were properly practiced. Attached to these experiments are either great rewards for the medical community or unlawful controversy. The World Medical Association in 1961 failed to propose that prisoners should not be used as the subject of experiments. This was mostly because the experiments performed were unlawful and
8. List three things that one can do to protect oneself from contamination/injury in the laboratory. (6
In 1961 to 1972 the United States was using more than 19 million gallons of herbicides in Vietnam. This herbicide was used to help clear out the forest lands so that the U.S soldiers could see where they were going, but did the scientist look at the long term effects? This herbicide, Agent orange cause many side effects, including 5 illnesses, different types of cancers and many more different health problems in people living in that time period and many generations to come. There is a major issue on whether scientist should be held morally responsible for the outcomes of their experiments. There are many arguments on whether scientist should be held morally responsible for the outcomes of their experiments because it is their responsibility
There are laws to allow only safe research but dangerous research still occurs anyways. For example in Pennsylvania Prisoners Were Human Guinea Pigs in Army Mind-Drug Test it says, “320 prisoners were injected with varying doses of 16 drugs in secret chemical warfare experiments” (Epstien 1). Different substances that are used in chemical warfare were tested on prisoners which is clearly a dangerous test to perform where casualties would be expected. This was secret research performed by the military and was comparable to the research that was performed on Jews in the concentration camps such as Auschwitz. Another example of dangerous research is, “he used radioactive materials, hallucinogenic drugs, and carcinogenic materials on prisoners” (Urbina
When the Institute of Medicine came out with a report called To Err Is Human it drew a lot of attention to the media on patient safety because of the statistics that the report found. One of the big things that this report found was that "between 44,000 and 98,000 people died each year in the United States hospitals due to medical errors and adverse events" (Bonacum, 2017, p. 3). This was also one of the reasons why the Healthcare Research and Quality Act of 1999 passed. This act allowed research to be done using scientific evidence and report things such as effectiveness, outcomes, costs, quality, etc. in the health care field ("Healthcare Research and Quality Act of 1999," 2014). It is a good thing that the Institute of Medicine came out with this report because it made patient safety a very important issue that needed to be resolved, it was definitely an eye opener. The above number of people dying because of medical errors is surprisingly high, if I did my math correctly that’s about 122-272 people dying each day. Wow! There are other factors that
Every year, over one hundred million animals are killed in labs all around the world. Countless more have been deliberately injured or injected with cocktails
For this task I am analysing why a good laboratory design is important for efficiency and effectiveness. The main aim of an effective lab design is to create space which reduces the traffic flow and allows the technicians to move around the lab in a suitable way. Good lab designs will also improve the environment in the lab. An effective design allows space for cleaning systems and processes such as ducting. I will have a ducting system coming from the fume hoods, through the cooling system and out of the laboratory.
There are guidelines/protocols that have been put in place by the trust that must be adhered to by all staff. Ensure that I am dressed appropriately so that my clothing does not compromise my safety or the patients. Ensure work/clinical areas void of equipment that may constitute a hazard if stored or left in the wrong place. There is adequate information and training provided by the trust to ensure competency and safe working. For instance, when in the mould room, I have been trained to use equipment and been made aware of safe working when using the various materials and substances in the mould (i.e. lead, hot water). The body absorbs lead when you breathe in the lead dust or swallow lead when you bite your nails after working with lead
Before conducting the Activity Series Lab, participants must know how to protect themselves against the possible dangers that the hazardous materials from the lab can cause. Some of the things they must understand include proper safety precautions and how to protect against corrosive or poisonous materials. For instance, Copper (II) Chloride, one of the solutions used in the lab, can cause severe eye irritation. One way to protect against this is by wearing goggles, or other eye protection equipment. Another substance used in the lab is Silver Nitrate, a body tissue irritant. Participants must wash off the substance quickly if it comes into contact with their skin to prevent any serious damage. Not only is it vital to know how to be safe around the chemicals, but to fully understand the lab, participants must be able to recognize the clues to a chemical change.
This code of conduct covers attitudes to work that ensure good professional practice is performed safely and effectively, by providing a form of guidance and support from the IBMS professional body; all members of the IBMS are expected to abide by these standards and maintain them. The standards can be applicable to both members and non-members of the IBMS, although they are the recommendations of the professional body in what reflects the optimal form of practice that can be achieved. Divided into three generic standards, they cover aspects of professionalism, personal behaviour, and a large focus on the training and competence of the members. Each standard applies to working as a biomedical scientist in a laboratory. In a workplace that is exposed to personal and sensitive information of the service users, it is important to maintain the highest standards of professional practice, acting in the best interest of the patients.
In order for the pathology service to work as a whole, a safe environment must be established as well as procedures which can be implemented if this safety is compromised. In order to do this pathology staff such as biomedical scientists must attend mandatory health and safety training meetings. For example, during my placement within the hospital, I had to attend a fire health and safety training meeting which was coordinated by qualified members of staff that aimed to educated attendants by providing relevant information. In the case of fire training, the use of particular fire extinguishers was explained. Any misconceptions brought up during these meeting were also resolved to endure that each member of staff clear about the information
All staff should know the standard safe working practices in a lab. They must know the types of hazard that they face; the worst event which could occur; and also the personal protective equipment and facilities which will reduce these risks. Safety showers and eyewash stations are included in these facilities. Lab employees must know where these are situated and how to use them. Each employee should also be familiar with all alarm signals, the evacuation procedures and the response to an emergency. If the lab worker knows all these then they should be safe while working.
Within a microbiology lab extra precaution must be taken due to the vast amount of different organisms being analysed as infections and diseases may arise therefore it is vital to consider and implement various safety precautions to prevent a breakout. Micro-organisms being examined can be classified as being a pathogen; an agent initiating disease/illness towards its host, for example an infectious particle or organism being able to produce a disease/illness in another organism. An example of a type of bacteria that is considered pathogenic would be Mycobacterium tuberculosis (causing tuberculosis). (http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Pathogen). There are many hazardous chemicals present in a microbiology lab as well as the equipment
I scan my keycard and walk through a set of double doors, past the examination rooms and a door labeled organic waste. I walk into a complex and intricate maze of dark hallways. The doors read canine testing, swine feeding lab and primate testing environment. Upon looking into the dark rooms; one can make out the cages that once held chimpanzees. The sole purpose of this area is animal experimentation. This area, one of the most secure on the campus, has a separate dock and security cameras at every turn. I have had the opportunity to work in the animal labs of one of the largest corporations in the world. This discourse is my argument on animal experimentation and why the state should allow animal testing for the sake of humanity but