Why Lab Procedures and Practice Must Be Communicated in a Lab?

Introduction

This essay is about why lab procedures and practice must be communicated in a lab. 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.

Lab procedures and lab practice

Lab procedures must be communicated in a lab to ensure that the lab is a safe place to perform experiments.

Using good judgment, observe safety rules and follow directions can prevent accidents form happening. Experiments should include comments to alert people to probable hazards, and how to protect against injury. We need to make judgements about the importance of communicating lab procedure to all lab staff because it mean that are the lab is a safe place to do experiments.

Lab practice is a set of principles which provide a framework which laboratory studies are planned, performed monitored, recorded, reported, and also archived and reported.

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Lab practice ensures quality, integrity and reliability of safety data.

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Lab practices must be communicated in a lab to provide a framework, within which laboratory studies are planned, performed monitored recorded and reported. This ensures that hazards and risks to users, consumers and environment can be assessed.

Good Lab Practice

Good lab practice is a set of principles which provide a framework which laboratory studies are planned, performed monitored, recorded, reported, and also archived and reported. Good lab practice ensures quality, integrity and reliability of safety data.

The Good lab principles include:

  • Organization and personnel--- management responsibilities, study personnel responsibilities, sponsor responsibilities, principle investigation responsibilities, and study director responsibilities.
  • Quality assurance program- quality assurance personnel
  • Facilities- facilities for test and reference items, test system facilities
  • Equipments, reagents and materials
  • Test systems- biological, physical /chemical
  • Test and reference items
  • Standard operating procedures
  • Performance of study – study plan, conduct of study
  • Reporting of results

People who are involved in good lab practice are investigators because to investigate the lab to ensure that it is a safe work environment and to ensure that they are working in good lab practice.

Standard operating procedure

Standard operating procedure is a document that is used to deal with steps of a procedure. Standard operating procedure is required to achieve maximum safety and the performed research carried out is efficient in a laboratory.

Standard operating procedure is useful for avoiding accidents or reducing injuries that can be linked with the laboratory use of hazardous chemicals. They provided information on how to identify and control hazards that are associated with the uses of hazardous chemicals. Standard operating procedure minimizes and promotes quality carried out by a process or product. It also minimizes miscommunication, it address safety concerns. Finally standard operating procedures reduce work efforts.

Standard operating procedure should be updated regularly; this is to ensure that the requirements are along with the working practice. It should be carried out to guarantee that the outcome is expected and is without any errors occurring. Standard operating procedure is required to be achieved by some clinical research; this is so that maximum safety is carried out by the research. Appropriate standard operating procedure must be included with every person that is involved with the research.

Communication

Communication is transferring information from one to another. It is a learned skill. Communication can be verbal such as speaking or can be an action

Communication is important in a lab because it insure that all workers know what they have to do to meet the requirements of heath and safety law. Communication helps to create and maintain a safe working place.

Good communication is also important to ensure that everyone is clear about their health and safety responsibilities. It ensures that workers understand the risk and why they need to be controlled. Employees must be consulted on health and safety matters, this is a legal requirement. Communication also is important for safety issues, this means that there are less accidents and injures to occur. Good communication ensures that the correct information is passed on; this means that mistakes are avoided. It also ensures that the procedures are followed properly.

Communicating lab procedure to all lab staff mean that the staff know what to do when carrying out an experiment, this mean that work understand the risk that can occur while doing an experiment, and how they can be controlled. Good communication means that works are informed about chemicals and there hazards, this will inform them about the hazards and chemicals around them and the dangerous of the chemicals.

An example of when not communicating can cause health issues, a worker does an experiment that is hazardous, so protective clothing is necessary, so that they do not get exposed to the chemical, the worker does not inform their college that they are doing and must were protective clothing when entering the lab, they do not know this so they enter the lab and are exposed to hazardous fumes. This can cause severe damage to their health.

Training

Training is a learning process which you gain concepts, gain skills, gain knowledge, and changing of attitudes and behaviours, this enhances the performance. Training helps people to learn how to do something.

Training is important because it provide information on the chemical hazard, safe handling, operation, hazard control measures, proper storage, waste disposal, and emergency procedures. Health and safety information is provide in training, it helps to ensure employees are not injured or are ill due to the work. Training also includes general laboratory chemical safety training, reading manuals, and lab chemical safety. Training ensures that people know specific hazards, know about control measures and emergency procedures existing in their particular work area. Effective training can help business avoid distress that accidents and ill health cause, can help avoid financial costs of accidents and occupational ill health.

The law requires that information, instruction and training are provided. Supervisors are required to provide Lab Workers with training and information to ensure that they know about specific hazards, control measures and emergency procedures. Training includes methods and observations that may be used to detect the presence or release of a hazardous chemical, the physical and health hazards of chemicals in the laboratory, measures that workers can take to protect themselves from hazards.

General laboratory chemical safety training is a web-based training, to supply all laboratory workers, including administrators, supervisors and lab worker with a overview of laboratory chemical safety also to give supervisors background knowledge for developing laboratory training. The training program covers, a overview of physical and health hazards linked with chemicals, signs and symptoms linked with exposures to hazardous chemicals, information on chemical hazards, material data safety sheet is provided, exposure limits, method and observations that may be used to detect the release of hazardous chemicals, safety information, principles for controlling chemical hazards.

Training varies according to the type and size of organisation. All laboratory technicians are required to be familiar with health and safety information due to there being more potential hazards than in many other work environments. To make sure their knowledge is up to date; technicians are required to attend in-house/external training courses. Some technicians work towards gaining a vocational qualification such as NVQ/SVQ level 2, 3 or 4 in Laboratory and Associated Technical Activities.

Degree need for this job is a Bachelor’s degree in medical technology. This course includes chemistry, microbiology, biological science, mathematics, and statistic, also in the course it includes specialized courses which offer knowledge and skills which are necessary to be used in a clinical lab. The clinical lab improvement act requires technicians that can perform highly difficult tests to have a associate degree. Regulations require from highly complex labs to have a masters degree or a bachelors degree, also training and experience.

Types of training

  • Scientific laboratory technician Training

This training will occur on the job, which trains worksers on 3 different topics, which are first aid, time managemnt and health and safety procedures.

  • Health and safety training.

Health and safety training is very important, the management of health and safety at work regulation identifies this, this means that employers must be given training on health and safety this is to be done during working hours. Providing health and safety training helps to ensure that employee are not injured or made ill by the work done. It also must be done during work hours so that the risk can be assed to the employees while at work, also the person who may be affected by the way the company is controlled.

  • Information tainting

Information training is when lab workers are provided with information on specific hazards, Control measures and emergency. The training includes the works gaining knowledge of specific classes of physical and health hazards that can be associated with hazardous chemicals. The workers are also informed on the best way to control hazards, and also informed on engineering and personal protective equipment.

  • Lab emergency training

Laboratory emergency procedure training is training on how to uses proper uses of safety equipment. This training is done before lab workers are allowed to uses or handle chemicals in the lab.

  • Lab chemical safety Training

Laboratory Chemical Safety Training is a training that is based on reading a manual before the training. This training gives information on the symptoms that can occur when a person is exposed to hazards.

  • Chemical Hygiene Training
    Chemical hygiene training insures that trainees have an understanding of specific chemical hazards that occurs in the lab and also the lab procedure, which will protect the, form hazards that may occur in the lab.
  • Bio safety training

Bio safety training covers the biological and bio hazardous materials, risk groups, bio safety containment levels and controls bio safety training is required for all people who will work with biological materials.

  • Clean room training

This teaches trainees about how microbiology impacts clean room technology. It is designed to give a basic understanding for clean room operations. The trainees lean about clean room standards, maintenance and operating procedures. Also it provides information on contamination control.

  • Radiation Safety Training

All lab working must complete initial radiation safety training. The requirement applies to all researchers in an lab, even those who do not use radioactive materials and are not likely to enter the radioisotope area. The initial radiation safety training for users are done in a set of web-based radiation basics which is accompanied by tests. The test must be passed before attending the radioactive master safety class. This class s for two hours and is offered once a month.

Educational requirements

To become a lab Laboratory technician, need at least four GCSEs (A* - C) which must include science, math’s and English or equivalent qualifications. A high level of qualification is needed including A levels, BTEC national or higher national certificates/diplomas, a degree in a science subject, the diploma in science or an apprenticeship may be required. Candidates should have the ability to lean specific practical techniques and apply this knowledge to solve technical problems, good hand and eye coordination and the ability to use technical equipment accuracy, the ability to maintain an technical equipment, time management skill are very important, flexibility in order to work with and provide support for a number of people, excellent oral communication is required, experience in providing demonstrations, experience in writing technical reports, teamwork skills, patience, attention to detail.

To become a Education Lab Technician there are no set entry requirements, although four or five GCSEs (A* - C) may be necessary. Apprenticeships for laboratory technicians may be available. Some applicants have A levels and BTEC qualifications in science subjects, while approximately 40 per cent of education lab technicians have a Higher National Diploma/Certificate (HND/HNC) or a degree in a science or technology subject.

Risk Assessment

A risk assessment is an examination of factors that can be about risks. In a workplace, owners of a business legally are required to assess the risks of injury and of ill health affecting an employee. The risk assessment aim is to remove a hazard, or by reducing the level of its risks, this is done by adding precautions or control measure. A risk assessment should make sure that enough perceptions are implementing in order to prevent harm coming to an employee. It also helps to dispense ill health and accident which can have serous affect on business, ruin lives and damage business output, risk assessments make the workplace a safer environment for employees. It is important that a risk assessment is done, if it is not taken place employees, customers and the organisation will be in danger.

Employer must insure that they look at all work activities that can cause harm in order to decide whether they are doing enough to meet the legal obligations. A risk assessment is important as it is a part of good health and safety, risk assessment helps to create awareness of hazards and risks, identify who may be at risk, determine if existing control measures are adequate or if more should be done, prevent injuries or illnesses when done at the design or planning stage, and prioritize hazards and control measures. If a risk assessment is not done you will be putting yourself, employees, customers and the company in danger.

Health and safety executive

Health and safety is about stopping a person form getting hurt or ill at work. HSE is a public body in the United Kingdom. HSE provide its employees with good and safe conditions of work, this means having effective management arrangements that ensure the well being of staff, which minimises the impacts to individuals and business form ill health and health injury. Workers have the right to work in a place where risks to their health and safety are properly controlled.

HSE regulations are:

All works are entitled to work in an environment where risk to their health and safety are properly controlled. •This responsibility is down to the employers ( health and safety law) •The works duty is to take care of their own health and safety, and of others that may be affected by the actions. •It is an employer’s duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees.

The duties are to assist and encourage persons concerned with matter relevant to the health and safety at work act 1974. To make arrangements for and encourage research, training and information that is in connection with the work.

Duties of employees are that they must decide what could harm a person in a job and stop it, identify how risks will be controlled and who is responsible for this, work with and consult health and safety representatives in protecting everyone from harm in the workplace, give the health and safety training need to do the job, provide workers with any equipment and protective clothing need to look after the person, washing facilities drinking water and toilets should be provide, provided first-aid facilities, report injuries, diseases and dangerous incident at work, insure there is insurance that covers a person in case they are harmed or fall ill though work and also work with other employers sharing the workplace or providing employees so that everyone is safely protected.

HSE inspection

HSE is an inspection of a laboratory. An inspection is a way of checking that the working environment and procedures are meeting the required standards. An inspection should identify hazard and introduces measure to improving conditions. HSE inspector looks at whether Jobs that involved working at height had been identified and properly planned to ensure that appropriate precautions were in place, The work force were made aware of risk control measures, Equipment is correctly installed, Work areas is clear on unnecessary materials and waste, Sites are well organised to avoid trips and falls and Walkways and stairs are free from obstructions.

HSE inspections are vital to any safety management system. They are used to determine whether the organisation is meeting the standards set for the workplace and work activities. It is important because if they are carried out they allow workers to identify problems before they become more serious or result in an incident. Some inspections are required by law.

Safety, health and welfare at work act 2007

This was repealed and replaced the safety, health and welfare at work act 1989, this was done to make further provision for the safety, health and welfare of a person at work. The act is aimed to clarify the responsibility of employer’s. It also gives the roles and functions of the health and safety authority. This act is applied to all employers, self-employed and employees in a work place. The safety, health and welfare at work provides for securing and improving the safety, health and welfare of people at work.

Health, safety and welfare at work act 2007 states that all emergency routes should be clear at all times. The work place should have equipment suitable for fire-fighters. The work place should have a fire alarm and a detector.

The act sets out the requirements for the control of safety and health at work, for the management, organisation and the systems of work necessary to achieve goals, for the responsibilities and roles for employers.

The duties of the act are, general duties of employers, information of employees, instruction and training of employees, emergencies and serious dangers, hazard identification and risk assessment, safety statements, health surveillance and medical fitness to work, safety representative. General duties of employers are to ensure that the temperature in room is at a appropriate for working conditions, ensure that work area receives a enough natural light, and have access to artificial light, to ensure that the floors of rooms are not dangerous e.g. holes.

To ensure that emergency routes to exit are kept clear at all times. Also the work place should be equipped with appropriate fire-fighting equipment and fire detectors are placed in the building. To ensure that employee are protected from anything dangerous e.g. explosions. The welfare requirements are ensuring that every place of work is kept in a clean state and waste products are removed. The floors are cleaned frequently this is for safety and health. Health and safety in a laboratory

Health and safety in a laboratory was set up to help health and safety excusive to minimise the risk to people’s health and safety at work. The work ranges from helping to control hazards to assisting the management of the occupation health of workers.

Controlling hazards – this aims to eliminate hazards altogether, this means ensuring they are properly controlled. This is important to human health and to ensure the health of business.

Improving Health – by improving the health of the workforce, this will improve the health of the business.

CLEAPSS

CLEAPSS stand for: Consortium of Local Education Authorities for the Provision of Science Services CLEAPSS is a nationwide advisory service for subscribers. It is for practical science and technology and for schools and colleges. It helps nursery education through to A-level education. CLEAPSS serves technicians, teachers, inspectors, science advisers, consultants, health and safety advisers, other local authority offices, school governors and also architects. CLEAPSS covers for health and safety, sources of resources, chemicals, equipment, living organisms and laboratory design.

CLEAPSS provides special risk assessments, newsletters for schools, a telephone helpline, advice on repairs, low-cost training courses, and a range of publications and also evaluations of equipment. CLEAPSS HAZARD – CLEAPSS provides a set of index cards which cover chemical hazards in science, this goes up to A-levels. They cover for methods of dealing with spills and other accidents and also first aid. They help departments meet the requirements of the control of substances hazardous to the Heath Regulations by providing risk assessments.

COSHH regulations

COSHH stands for: control of substances hazardous to health. This is a law which requires employers to control substances that are hazardous to health; workers can prevent or reduce workers exposure to hazardous substances by finding out what the health hazards are, providing control measures to reduce harm to health, deciding how to prevent harm to health, planning for emergencies, providing information instruction and training for employees and others, keeping all control measures in good working order.

The COSHH regulations help protect people in the work place against risks form hazardous substances. These substances may be used directly in work or may arise from work activities. The risk depends on a number of factors which are the hazard presented by the substance, how it is used, how exposure is controlled, the degree and extent of exposure. COSHH covers chemicals, products containing chemicals, fumes, dusts, vapours, mists and gases, and biological agents. COSHH also covers asphyxiating gases. COSHH doesn’t cover lead, asbestos or radioactive substances this is because these have their own specific regulations.

In a scientific lab The COSHH Regulations has values that must be followed, COSHH also covers hazards and health surveillance which are the requirements.

Updated: Aug 10, 2021
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Why Lab Procedures and Practice Must Be Communicated in a Lab?. (2016, Oct 07). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/why-lab-procedures-and-practice-must-be-communicated-in-a-lab-essay

Why Lab Procedures and Practice Must Be Communicated in a Lab? essay
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