Workplace Hazards

Before we head into our lab, we need to go over some brief safety requirements. The risk of an accident is high in our work environment, and it is important to use extreme caution to minimize this risk. if we practice good housekeeping in the lab in general, won’t that be enough to keep us safe from any hazards in the lab? If only it were that easy. Even in the cleanest lab, there are many things that can hurt a worker. Well, what are some hazardous items in the lab that we should be wary of? Risks in your daily life are common risks in a lab setting as well. For instance, you already know to avoid cutting yourself on any sharp edges in your home, and the same is true when working in a lab Further, slippery surfaces can cause you to fall and hurt yourself anywhere you are, including the lab. So we should avoid doing any physical harm to ourselves in the lab? That should be easy enough. I hope it is. Taking steps like using insulated gloves while handling hot thermal plates or any items that may be very hot or very cold will keep your hands safe. However, safety precautions are not just for the workers in the lab. They are there to ensure quality in our research as well. How can safety measures ensure quality research? : Simply by avoiding contamination. Any biological organism being studied in our lab can be contaminated by our workers. By wearing proper protective equipment, not only does a worker stay safe, but the worker will not skew the test results of the organism.