Safety

1.Importance of lab safety

Synthetic biology experiments involve toxic chemicals that can cause inflammation, infection, and even cancer. Thus, safety is our top priority in lab work, and we need to take every precaution we can to guarantee our safety and that of others.

2. General rules

2.1 Personal behavior and protection

When conducting lab work, all team members must wear lab coats and gloves. When using chemicals that may damage our eyes, goggles must be worn. When operating with high-temperature objects, thicker heat-insulating gloves must be worn. Gloves must wrap around the sleeves of the lab coat to prevent skin exposure to chemicals.

Figure 1. Personal protection.

Before entering the lab and beginning the experiment, everyone must wash their hands. Before operating in the ultra-clean workbench and the biosafety cabinet, ethanol must be used to disinfect our gloves. After the experiment, everyone must carefully wash their hands again to clean off the chemical remains. Cleaning our hands prevents contamination and minimizes the harm of the experiment to our bodies.

In the lab, foods and drinks are strictly prohibited as accidental intake of chemicals may be life-threatening.

2.2 Laboratory storage

All reagents must be stored in proper containers and environments. The container’s material must not react with the reagent, and the environment must be suitable for the preservation of the reagent. For example, most cells need to be stored at -80 degrees Celsius environments, and certain buffers need to be stored at 4 degrees Celsius. Additionally, the organic reagent cannot be stored in plastic bottles, and the acidic reagent cannot be stored in metallic containers.

Every container must be clearly labeled to show the reagent they contain, including the reagents’ potential harm. This can enable other people to know the potential risks of the reagents.

Figure 2. Labeled containers.

2.3 Laboratory code of conduct

No working alone:

Team members must not work alone in the lab. In case of emergency, others in the lab should be around to offer help and support.

Stay alert and focused:

Team members must keep focused on their work and prevent being distracted by their surroundings.

2.4 Emergency preparedness and incident management

Familiar with the emergency equipment:

Team members must be familiar with where the fire hydrant, fire extinguisher, first-aid case, eye wash station, and automated external defibrillator (AED) are placed, as well as how to use them properly.

Urgent evacuation:

In case of an emergency, team members must quickly evacuate toward emergency exits guided by signs on the walls and floor. Team members must be aware of the emergency exit location.

2.5 Use of laboratory equipment

Equipment maintenance:

Every instrument in the lab must be maintained periodically after checking its abrasion.

Proper use of the instruments:

Everyone in the lab must learn the use of an instrument before experiments. All the instruments must not be used for purposes other than for experiments.

3. Personal protective equipment

Name of protective equipment	Protective effect
Lab coat	Protects bare skin and clothes from dangerous chemicals.
Shoe cover	Prevents contamination from dirty shoes, protects shoes from chemicals.
Goggles	Protects eyes from corrosive chemicals.
Gloves	Prevents contamination from hands, protects hands from chemicals
Mask	It prevents contamination from breathing and protects the lungs from breathing in toxic chemicals.

4. Waste disposal

After the experiment is finished, wastes must be disposed of according to their category and level of toxicity. Professional waste treatment is necessary to prevent pollution and the spread of diseases.

4.1 Recycle

Empty glass containers can be recycled. Empty chemical containers containing hazardous substances must be washed and dried three times before they can be recycled. Empty solvent bottles must be dried before they can be recycled.

4.2 Trash

Trash and rubbish from the general work area or the laboratory area with low toxicity can be disposed of through trash.

4.3 Laboratory glassware disposal boxes

Laboratory glassware, broken glassware, and Pasteur straws and slides are disposed of in the laboratory glassware disposal bin. Laboratory glassware is usually made of tempered glass or sodium-calcium glass and cannot be recycled effectively. Laboratory glassware disposal bins are disposed of in landfills with garbage. These boxes act as rigid outer containers, minimizing the risk of cuts or punctures. Do not overfill the box, as this increases the risk of puncture.

4.4 Sharps boxes

All razor blades and syringes are placed in regulated medical waste sharps collection/disposal systems. Regulated medical sharps are required to be disposed of in sharp containers as well. Regulated medical sharps are sharp or potentially sharp (if broken) items used in animal or human patient care treatment, or medical research. Examples include but are not limited to hypodermic needles, syringes and their components, Pasteur pipettes, scalpel blades, blood vials, needles, acupuncture needles, culture dishes, glass slides, and cover slips.

4.5 Regulated medical waste box

Cultures and stocks of infectious agents, human pathological waste, human blood and blood products, needles, syringes and sharps, contaminated animal waste, including carcasses, and isolation wastes from patients with highly infectious diseases are all required to be disposed of as regulated medical waste. These wastes must be placed in a regulated medical waste box with a liner. They will be disinfected at high temperatures and pressures before further treatment.

5. Safety precautions for specific experimental operation

5.1 eye treatment

When chemicals spill into your eyes, immediately tilt your head to the side to protect the other eye. Gently rinse your eyes with cool water for at least 20 minutes. After cleaning, cover the burn with a sterile dressing that does not adhere to the skin. If you cannot clean yourself, seek medical support as soon as possible. Do not rub your eyes. Blink frequently and let the tears wash away the foreign object. Lift your upper eyelid over your lower lashes and try to brush the object out with your lashes. Use an eye rinse, saline solution, or running tap water to flush your eyes. If the foreign object cannot be removed or the eye is still uncomfortable, seek medical attention immediately.

5.2 Treatment of chemical burns

When irritant chemicals burn the skin, immediately rinse your skin with plenty of water for at least 20 minutes. Even if it appears that the chemical has been rinsed off, continue rinsing to minimize tissue damage. If possible, rinse the injured person under the shower. Remove clothing, shoes, and socks, but do not attempt to remove anything that sticks to your skin. People giving first aid should be careful to avoid chemical contact with their skin. Cover the burn with a sterile dressing.

Signs of chemical burn:

Redness, burning, pain or numbness, blisters, darkening of the skin. Eye contact with chemicals can cause vision problems, and inhalation can cause coughing or difficulty breathing.

5.3 Response to laboratory fire

Fire Prevention:

Plan work to reduce common causes of laboratory fires, such as mental or procedural errors and carelessness. Reduce the amount of materials used and place only the minimum amount necessary in the work area. Keep the work area clean and tidy. Observe proper safe operation, proper storage of solvents, and compliance with equipment restrictions.

Fire Emergency Plan:

Have a written emergency plan. Conduct emergency plan drills regularly and learn how to use emergency equipment provided.

Laboratory fire safety equipment:

All laboratories should be equipped with fire alarms, fire extinguishers, first aid kits, evacuation maps, and MSDS folders, for safety equipment that may be required in a specific laboratory, such as safety showers, eye wash stations, fire blankets, and fire resistant lab coats.

Fire emergency Procedures:

Notify those around you (shout), use the fire alarm to notify others inside the facility, and call 119 (for China) to report the incident. Immediately evacuate the problem area, the laboratory space where the problem occurred, and the building in which it was located. Isolate fire sources, lower ventilation hoods, and close laboratory and hallway doors. When using a fire extinguisher, use the PASS method: pull (pull the pin), aim (aim at the bottom of the fire source), squeeze (squeeze the handle), and strafe (left and right strafe). If the situation becomes unsafe, evacuate immediately.

References

Howell, Stanley, et al. “Laboratory Waste | Office of Environmental Health and Safety.” Ehs.princeton.edu, ehs.princeton.edu/laboratory-research/laboratory-safety/research-waste-management/laboratory-waste.

Robinson, Jennifer. “Chemical Burns.” WebMD, 7 Sept. 2022, www.webmd.com/first-aid/chemical-burns.

Australia, Healthdirect. “Chemical Burns.” Www.healthdirect.gov.au, 5 Sept. 2018, www.healthdirect.gov.au/chemical-burns.

Gudgel, Dan. “Recognizing and Treating Eye Injuries.” American Academy of Ophthalmology, 4 Mar. 2021, www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/injuries.

“Fire Safety in the Laboratory.” Safety, safety.ep.wisc.edu/hazards/laboratory-fire-safety. Stony Brook University. “Lab Safety Guide | Environmental Health and Safety.”

Stonybrook.edu, 2017, ehs.stonybrook.edu/programs/laboratory-safety/lab-safety-guide.