Anatomy Laboratory Safety

1). Objectives

Students successfully completing this laboratory exercise should be able to:

1. Locate and properly use basic emergency equipment such as eye wash stations, first aid kits,

fire extinguishers, a telephone, etc.

2. Wear proper attire for the anatomy lab at all times.

3. Wash hands following laboratories.

4. Never eat or drink in the laboratory. EVER.

5. Never apply cosmetics, handle contact lenses, place objects (fingers, pencils, etc.) in the mouth, or touch the face.

6. Report all injuries immediately to the instructor.

7. Report all broken glassware to the instructor and receive instructions for clean-up.

8. Clean lab benches after laboratory exercises.

9. Keep lab benches clear of extraneous materials.

10. Follow appropriate steps in the event of an accident.

11.  Do not wear contact lenses in the lab.

2). Introduction

Laboratory safety is critically important in the anatomy lab because we will be working with a

number of potentially toxic chemicals. Therefore, proper lab procedures must be followed at all times.

3). Safety Procedures

A). Overriding Principles

Specimens are preserved with formalin/phenol-based chemicals which have a GHS rating of Health Danger.  Please treat every specimen used in the anatomy lab as a Chemical as well as Biological Hazard. Follow all safety procedures so that we can ensure that no student or instructor is harmed by any chemical used in this class.

WARNING

Entering this area can expose you to chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, including formaldehyde, from formalin-preserved specimens. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov

 

 

https://oehha.ca.gov/media/downloads/crnr/art6regtextclean090116.pdf

 

 

Embalming fluid and preservatives are treated as chemical hazards. 

Signal word:

Danger
Hazard Statement(s)
Harmful if swallowed.
Causes skin irritation.
Causes eye irritation.
May cause an allergic skin reaction.
May cause respiratory irritation.
Possible Carcinogen.

                        FORMALDEHYDE – Formaldehyde is a carcinogen classified as toxic, corrosive, and sensitizing chemical.  It is part of the embalming solution at a 2.0% concentration. In addition to preserving tissue for long periods of time it also acts to inactivate many microorganisms that may reside in the tissue. It has a pungent odor and the permissible exposure limit (PEL) for formaldehyde is 0.75 parts per million (ppm).  Airborne concentrations of formaldehyde above 0.1ppm can cause irritation of the respiratory tract.  Higher concentrations can be immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH). Primary routes of exposure include; inhalation, skin and/or eye contact. Skin contact with formaldehyde can result in various skin reactions, including sensitization.   

  

PHENOL – Phenol is classified as a toxic and corrosive chemical. It is used in the embalming solution at a .20% concentration.  It can cause irritations and burns and can have systemic toxicity.  It has a characteristic sweet acrid, disinfectant, odor that you most likely detect when you enter anatomy class.  The permissible exposure limit (PEL) for phenol is 5 parts per million (ppm). Primary routes of exposure include; inhalation, skin absorption, ingestions and/or eye contact.   

ETHANOL – ethanol is classified as a flammable and toxic liquid. It is used in embalming solutions at 18.0%. Contact with this chemical can result in irritation to the skin, eyes, and upper respiratory system.  It has a characteristic pungent odor. The PEL is 200 ppm. Primary routes of exposure include; inhalation, skin absorption, ingestion and/or eye contact.  

GLYCEROL – Glycerin is not a classified chemical. It is used in the embalming solution at 8.4%. This chemical is an irritant to the eyes, skin, and respiratory system.  It is a colorless, odorless liquid. The PEL for this chemical is 5mg/m³. Primary routes of exposure include; inhalation, skin and/or eye contact.   

LYSOL IC:  A Quaternary Disinfectant Cleaner and stronger then regular Lysol. It is used at a 1.7% cibsebtration.  DANGER -- CORROSIVECauses irreversible eye damage and skin burns. HARMFUL IF SWALLOWED. Do not get in eyes, on skin or on clothing. Wear protective eyewear (goggles, face shield or safety glasses), protective clothing and protective gloves (rubber or chemical resistant).HARMFUL IF INHALED. Wash thoroughly with soap and water after handling. Remove contaminated clothing and wash before reuse.

 

  INFECTIOUS AGENTS – Infectious agents are microorganisms that may cause disease in humans or animals.  Much like chemicals, you can be exposed to infectious agents by inhalation, ingestion, injection or absorption. Human tissues may contain infectious agents; however, the embalming solutions used on the cadavers not only preserve the tissue but also destroy many infectious agents.  In addition, the cadavers are screened For HIV and Hepatitis and therefore are of low risk but still considered a Biosafety Level 1 (BSL I). 

 

B). Safety Equipment

Know the location of the following safety equipment in the lab:

-The nearest safety shower and eye-wash station  (Figure 1)

-The nearest fire extinguisher/fire pull (Figure 2)

-The nearest fire blanket (Figure 2)

-The first aid kit (Figure 2)

-The lab disinfectant/degreaser

-The nearest emergency phone (located on the wall in each lab)

- The evacuation route

Figure 1:  Safety shower/eye wash combination located in the front of every classroom.

            (A)              (B)

Figure 2:  (A) Fire pull and fire extinguisher.  Note: If you pull the fire alarm due to an emergency you must also call 911 to make sure the fire department has been alerted. (B) First Aid Kit/Fire blanket located at the front of the classroom

C). Important Phone Numbers

Please know the following important phone numbers:

• Police, Fire, Ambulance: 911

4). Proper Attire/Personal Protective Equipment

Please wear proper clothing for the Anatomy lab at all times. Proper clothing consists of:

- Closed toe shoes that protect the feet from falling cultures, chemicals, or glassware. Absolutely

no sandals or other footwear that leave toes exposed.

-Please tie back all long hair.

-Gloves:  only Nitrile gloves should be worn in the lab and removed before exiting the lab.

-Purchase a lab coat that goes down to your knees, which will protect your clothing from exposure to Chemicals and tissues. Lab coat should be stored in the bins provided and should NOT be worn outside of the lab.

- Chemical Goggles or face shields should be wore during dissections to avoid eye injury.

-Spraying of wetting solution should not be done without proper respiratory protection.
-Respirators: The College does not provide respirators for students. If you feel that you need a repsirator due to the formaldehyde exposure then you are welcome to go to the local hardware store and purchase one for class use. Make sure to tell them the type of chemicals you will be exposed to so that they can provide the appropriate filters for the resipirator. Respirators will be provided for Staff and Faculty only after they have taken the required OSHA training and fit test provided by a certified company and on the condition that they retrain and re-certify every year per OSHA regulations.

5). Hand Washing

Students must wash their hands with disinfectant soap upon completion of the laboratory exercises. Always keep hands away from your mouth, eyes, nose, and face during the laboratory period. Keep all objects away from your face, mouth, or eyes during the microbiology lab.  DO NOT APPLY MAKE-UP WHILE IN THE LAB!

6). Food and Drink in the Anatomy Lab

There should be absolutely no food, drink or open food containers in the anatomy lab. If you need a short break, carefully wash your hands, remove the lab coat and leave the laboratory.

7). Broken Glass or Other Sharps

Do not touch broken glass or sharps with your hands. Use the broom and dustpan to collect the sharp materials and discard them in the appropriate container (the broken glass disposal container or the red sharps container for sharps that have been contaminated with blood/cultures) (Figure 3).  Scalpel blades should be removed from the handle using a blade remover (Figure 4).

(A) (B)

Figure 3: (A) Biohazard sharps disposal: any broken glass contaminated with blood or bacterial cultures. (B) Broken glass disposal: any broken glass NOT contaminated with blood or bacterial cultures disposed of in here.  Paper products or gloves should NOT be disposed of in either container.

Figure 4:  Blade remover used for disposing of scalpel blades.

8). Materials Disposal

-All gloves, paper towels and disposable lab coats that have been used during dissections are to be disposed of in the Biohazard disposal can.  

-Specimen/Pathogenic waste:  all tissues are to be disposed of in the biohazard disposal can labeled “Path Waste”.  No gloves, paper towels, etc should go in this biohazard can.  Absolutely NO human tissue is to be place in this biohazard can!

-Chemical waste, cadaver fluid, must also be disposed of in the proper collection container and is considered a Biological as well as Chemical Hazard. You will be further instructed in all proper laboratory and disposal procedures and will be expected to know and follow those procedures.  

9). Health Issues

If you are pregnant, immune compromised, or have respiratory issues please contact your instructor so that a few additional appropriate safety measures can be taken

For all injuries including ALL cuts (no matter how minor) alert your instructor immediately.  Incident reports must be filled out no matter how minor the injury.

10). Contact Lenses

Formaldehyde fumes may cause your contact lenses to yellow and or become hard.  In addition, fumes can become trapped under lenses increasing eye exposure to formaldehyde.  Wearing contact lenses in the Anatomy Laboratory is not recommended. (Taken from University of Virginia, School of Medicine’s Anatomy Thread/course outline)

11). Laboratory Work

Before beginning any laboratory:

- Electronic items, like cell phones should not be brought into the laboratory. They are disruptive

and may cause accidents. They are also very, very difficult clean.

- Wash your hands with disinfectant soap

-Wipe down the lab bench with the appropriate solution.

- Only have materials required for the exercise on the lab bench.

- Working alone in the laboratory is strictly prohibited.

- Only students enrolled in the class are allowed in the lab while an instructor or technician is present. **Children, friends, family, etc are not allowed in the labs for safety purposes.**

At the end of each laboratory period you should:

- Dispose of all materials as required by the instructor.

- Clean the lab bench with degreaser (Figure 4).

- Wash all dissecting trays and put on drying racks.

- Carefully wash your hands with disinfectant soap.

Figure 4:  Green Kleen degreaser.  The lab benches should be cleaned at the end of every laboratory session.

12). Laboratory Code of Ethics

At no point should people who are not enrolled in the class be allowed to enter or observe the classroom without prior instructor approval.  Cameras are NOT allowed in the classroom and photographing cadavers or any preserved human specimen is strictly prohibited!

Modified From:

Holly C. Pinkart, Ph.D., Dept of Biological Sciences, Central Washington University
And

Erica Suchman, Ph.D

University Distinguished Teaching Scholar Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University

Current revision: 7/26/18

Tasha Sturm

ANATOMY LABORATORY SAFETY AGREEMENT

Course # __________________________________

I, (Print name) ______________________________

(ID #) _____________________________________

I WILL ADHERE TO THE FOLLOWING RULES:

1). COMPLY WITH THE DRESS CODE ESTABLISHED BY THE CABRILLO COLLEGE BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT AND EXPLAINED BY THE INSTRUCTOR.

2). WEAR PROTECTIVE CLOTHING (GOGGLES, GLOVES, LABCOATS, CLOSE TOED SHOES) AT ALL TIMES WHEN WORKING IN THE ANATOMY LAB.

3). DO NOT EAT ANY FOOD, CHEW GUM, SMOKE, OR DRINK ANY BEVERAGE IN THE LABORATORY.

4). DISPOSE OF WASTE IN THE MANNER PRESCRIBED BY THE INSTRUCTOR.

5). REPORT ANY AND ALL ACCIDENTS TO THE INSTRUCTOR IMMEDIATELY.

6). WORK IN A SAFE MANNER AND LEAVE A NEAT AND CLEAN STATION FOR THE NEXT STUDENT.

7). DO NOT BRING VISITORS (ANY PERSON NOT REGISTERED IN THE COURSE) INTO THE LABORATORY OR TAKE PICTURES OF THE CADAVORS.

I UNDERSTAND THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT FOLLOWING ANY OF THE ABOVE RULES MAY RESULT IN A ZERO GRADE FOR THE GIVEN EXERCISE.  MULTIPLE VIOLATIONS WILL RESULT IN DISMISSAL FROM THE LABORATORY CLASS FOR THE SEMESTER.

Sign and return this laboratory safety agreement to the instructor.

STUDENT SIGNATURE_______________________________ DATE___________