Laboratory Safety 



4. If a mercury bulb explodes, quickly unplug the equipment and leave the room. 

 Do not allow anyone to enter the room for a minimum of 1 h while the mercury 

 vapors settle. 



E. Personal Hygiene 



1- A laboratory working with the LDB should be marked with a biohazard warning 

 sign: access should be controlled by the laboratory supervisor. 



2. Use mechanical pipetting devices for transferring liquid materials. Mouth pipetting 

 is prohibited. 



3. Examine glassware, and discard all pieces with rough or chipped edges that might 

 puncture the skin. 



4. Wear gloves if there is any broken skin (cut, scratch, etc.) on the hands. Wear a 

 mask if th.ere is any chance of producing an aerosol. 



5. Do not eat. drink, smoke, or store food in the laboratory. 



6. Always wash hands after handling specimens and cultures, and before leaving the 

 laboratory area. 



F. Medical Surveillance 



Careful medical surveillance sliould be maintained for everyone working with the LDB 

 or in the same general area. 



1. Obtain and store in a serum bank control or baseline sera from all personnel. 



2. Carefully monitor all personnel for febrile illness which might indicate a labora- 

 tory-associated LDB infection. 



SELECTED REFERENCES 



1. Anderson, R.E., L. Stein, M.L. Moss, and N.H. Gross. 1952. Potential infectious hazards of common bac- 

 teriological techniques. J. Bact. 64:473. 



2. Hanel, E. and R.L. Alg. 1955. Biological hazards of common laboratory procedures. II. The hypodermic 

 syringe and needle. Am. J. Med. Tech. 21:343. 



3. Kenny, M.T. and F.L. Sabel. 1968. Particle size distribution o( Serraria marcescem aerosols created during 

 cominon laboratory procedures and simulated laboratory accidents. Appl. Microbiol. 16:1146. 



4. Phillips, G.B. and M. Reitman. 1956. Biological hazards of common laboratory procedures. IV. The inoculat- 

 ing loop. Am. J. Med. Tech. 22:16. 



5. Pike, R.M. 1976. Laboratory-associated infections: Summary and analysis of 3921 cases. Hltii. Lab. Sci. 

 13:105. 



6. Reitman, M. and G.B. Phillips. 1955. Biological hazards of common laboratory procedures. 1. The pipette. 

 Am. J. Med. Tech. 21:338. 



7. Reitman, M. and G.B. Phillips. 1956. Biological hazards of common laboratory procedures. III. The centri- 

 fuge. Am. J. Med. Tech. 22: 14. 



8. Reitman, M. and A.G. Weduni. 1956. Microbiological safety. Pub. Hth. Reports. 71:659. 



9. Stern, E.L., J.W. Johnson, D. Vesley, M.M. Halbert, L.E. Williams, and P. Blume. 1974. Aerosol production 

 associated with clinical laboratory procedures. Am. J. Clin. Path. 62:591. 



10. Sullivan, J.F. and J.R. Songer. 1966. Role of differential air pressure zones in the control of aerosols in a 

 large animal isolation facility. Appl. Microbiol. 14:674. 



11. Tomlinson, A.J.H. 1957. Infected air-borne particles liberated on opening screw-capped bottles. Brit. Med. J. 

 2:15. 



12. Whitwell, F., P.J. Taylor, and A.J. Oliver. 1957. Hazards to laboratory staff in centrifuging screw-capped 

 containers. J. Clin. Path. 10:88. 



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