The Most Important Safety Precautions You Need to Take in Your Diagnostic Lab

Diagnostic labs are essential for providing critical information that is used to diagnose patients and determine a proper course of treatment.  Whenever these results are tainted, contaminated, or switched around, they can provide faulty information.  As a quality lab specializing in diagnostic dermatopathology in Pittsburgh, PA, we practice the safety precautions that keep both our tests and employees safe from harm or accidents.  Even though accidents can still happen, it is important to practice lab safety each and every day.  There are a few essential safety precautions you need to take when you are working on diagnostic testing in a medical lab facility.

Wear Proper Lab Attire

When you are working in the lab, you need to wear the right attire to keep you safe.  Closed toe shoes, safety goggles, and lab coats are must-haves when you are working with toxic chemicals and tissue samples from clients.  Also, you'll want to tie your hair back away from your face to avoid any contamination of testing materials.  This will also keep you safe if you are working with any flammable materials.

Properly Handle Chemicals

While handling chemicals in the lab, you want to read the instructions for safe handling.  Wear gloves anytime you are handling chemicals to protect yourself from any spills or exposure.  You should also never put chemicals back in the container that you found them in, because this will contaminate the chemicals that have yet to be exposed to the air.

Learn How to Care for the Equipment

A lab has many different heavy duty pieces of equipment that are necessary in testing samples.  You should always handle this equipment with extra caution and care.  Train yourself on how to properly use this equipment, and always ask questions anytime you are confused about its care.  Use tongs to handle hot glassware, and always use two hands to carry any testing samples.

Know Where to Find Emergency Supplies

Each lab will be equipped with supplies to counteract exposure to toxic chemicals or flames.  This includes an eye rinse, shower, fire extinguisher, or even overhead sprinklers.  You should always familiarize yourself with this emergency equipment so that you know where to locate it in case the situation arises.

Don't Eat or Drink While Working

Keep your food and drinks out of the lab.  These can easily contaminate or pollute your testing samples, which will produce inaccurate results that require retesting.   Drinks can also spill, which will create messes or tripping hazards in the lab.  

These are a few of the essential safety practices each employee must follow when they are working with important testing samples and dangerous chemicals and equipment in a lab facility.  At our lab specializing in diagnostic dermatopathology in Pittsburgh, PA, many clients rely on us to provide accurate and timely results to their patients' tests.  We practice the safest and most updated precautions to keep everyone safe and provide quality diagnostic information.  Contact us to hear about our range of lab services today.