4 Tips for a Safe and Hygienic Medical Lab

Maintaining a clean and safe medical laboratory is very important for the health and well-being of both, the staff as well as the patients. A clean and hygienic laboratory is also very much essential to maintain the morale of your staff, and prevent the outbreak of infections and the cross-contamination of specimen samples.

Clinical laboratories have the expensive and complex equipment, large quantities of medical supplies and several months' worth of disposables. So it becomes extremely important that your lab is not only safe and clean but well-organized too. Phlebotomists are often responsible for keeping their workplace safe and organized, and it is an important job responsibility as well.

Here are a few things that you can do to ensure that the medical laboratory is always safe, sanitized and organized.

1) Ensure Cleanliness

First and foremost, a medical lab needs to be kept clean and germ-free. In order to remove contaminants and other infectious spills, it is important to follow strict and foolproof Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that ensure zero infection outbreak.

Hospital-standard cleaning solutions kill almost all bacteria and help sanitize work surfaces, equipment, and other lab supplies. While cleaning the office, it is necessary to use high-quality vacuums that are fitted with High-Efficiency Particulate Absorption (HEPA) filters. This will ensure that even the smallest micro particles are removed and the surfaces are thoroughly clean.

2) Wear Protective Clothing and Gear

Protective clothing and gear ensure that medical lab technicians, patients, and customers stay safe. Medical lab technicians handle potentially dangerous and hazardous specimens, so it becomes extremely critical that they protect themselves.

A fresh pair of non-sterile disposable gloves is recommended for phlebotomists for every new patient. It is also necessary to disinfect the patient's skin before and after drawing blood. The syringe and the needle have to be discarded and the collected specimens, emptied in sample tubes, should be handled with utmost care. The phlebotomist should label the specimens and store them safely.

The essential protective gear for lab technicians includes a lab coat, gloves, goggles and face mask. Specialized heavy-duty protective gear needs to be used when handling dangerous specimens, especially in the wake of the outbreak of fatal infectious diseases. Protective gear should be worn when cleaning lab equipment that holds noxious chemicals as well.

It is important that lab technicians are trained in proper safety practices and are aware of the SOPs.

3) Waste Management is Critical

Medical diagnostic labs must adhere to strict and stringent waste management protocol. The common wastes produced in labs include material wastes like used syringes and needles, cotton swabs, wipes and other disposables. It is necessary that they are discarded in properly labeled bins. Sharp needles and glassware should be separately disposed to avoid injuries.

Biomedical wastes have to be disposed of following strict procedures and protocols. Often the government lays down rules and regulations regarding disposal of hazardous medical wastes. There will be separate color-coded disposal units for dangerous bodily wastes including infectious waste, blood products, contaminated equipment, and IV tubes. Medicines past their expiry date, hazardous drugs, radioactive waste and other disposables all need to be disposed separately.

Any flaw or mistake in the proper disposal of biomedical waste at medical facilities can prove to be extremely dangerous or even fatal.

4) Stay Organized

A well-organized medical lab will ensure that accidents and mishaps do not occur.

A medical lab technician or a phlebotomist has to ensure that the samples and specimens that are collected are properly labeled and stored. In a case of wrong or faulty identification, the wrong diagnosis will lead to faulty treatment. Such grave errors often lead to lengthy lawsuits too. So you need to be very careful here.

If your facility is in a busy hospital, there will always be an endless stream of patients filling in. Most patients will carry self-identifying tags, documents or badges. In other cases, you can ask for the details from the patient himself, or from an accompanying caregiver, family member or nurse.

Once the specimen samples are collected, you are required to store them properly. Most bodily samples will need to be refrigerated if you do not have diagnostic or testing facilities in your lab. Sometimes patients bring in urine samples collected overnight or over a certain period. These specimens are usually collected from home using urine cups or with products having urine transfer tube. You will have to ensure that the sample is stored at the desired temperature and transported safely.

Conclusion

Medical diagnostic labs face several challenges in maintaining a clean and a safe working environment. If proper procedures are followed and quality safety protocols are implemented, this can be effectively achieved.

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