Guidelines for biosafety in National Polio laboratory

PURPOSE: This SOP explains the measures and procedures adopted in the laboratory to ensue safe working environment for the employees.

RESPONSIBILITY- All the faculty  

The following Good laboratory practices are followed in each laboratory

1. All staff members should take protective measures to avoid direct physical contact with blood such as    wearing gloves, aprons and foot wear.
2. Cover open cuts or wounds with waterproof dressing before work.
3. Gowns should be closed in front, (up to the neck and knees) and with the cuffed sleeves.
4. Do not wear sandals or open style shoes.
5. Wash hands regularly with water and soap before and after wearing gloves. If bar soap is used, it should be dry. In case of liquid soap, the container should be cleaned and maintained regularly.
6. Do not interchange micropipettes, multi-channels and other equipments between the labs.
7. All the staff should be immunized against hepatitis B.
8. Do not eat, drink, smoke, handle contact lenses or apply cosmetics in the laboratory.
9. Store food outside the work area in cabinets or refrigerators designated for this purpose only.
10. Prior to consumption of any food, remove potentially contaminated protective clothing, wash hands thoroughly and exit the work area.
11. Do not leave the lab doors open
12. Use and care of gloves:
13. • Use gloves when contact with blood/body fluid is expected.
    • Rings or hand jewelry which may interfere with glove functioning should be removed before wearing gloves.
    • Gloves should be discarded (in the container with 1% Na hypochlorite) immediately after use and prior to contact with the environment outside the immediate work area. After the day’s work, they should be discarded in red bag.
    • Do not leave the lab with gloves on.
    • Do not touch any instrument/equipment in the lab with gloved hands.
    • Do not touch eyes, nose, mouth or any uncovered body part with gloves.
    • Do not touch telephone receiver, door handles with the gloved hands.
    • Do not touch tap with gloved hand. Open it with elbow.
    •  Dispose off gloves in the appropriate container labeled with biohazard sign
    13. Handling Sharps: Follow safe procedures for handling and disposal of sharps.
    • Do not recap/shear or bend used needles.
    • Never pick the sharp items with gloved hands alone. Use forceps to lift the sharps.
    • Dispose off sharps in puncture proof container filled with freshly prepared 1% hypochlorite solution.
    14. Management of spillage:-
    • Put absorbent material on the spilled area after wearing gloves.
    • Pour freshly prepared 1% hypochlorite solution upon and around it.
    • Allow 30 minutes for the disinfectant to work. 
    • Place the absorbent material in the yellow biohazard bag meant for infectious waste. 
    • Reapply the disinfectant solution to all exposed surfaces and mop up.
    • All spillages are documented in Accident register no DR 21.
    15. Working with pipettes:
    • Avoid mouth pipetting and bubbling while mixing the fluids.
    • Do not blow out the last drop in the pipette.
    • Use plastic instead of glass Pasteur pipettes for hazardous materials.
    • Discard the pipettes in discarding jar in such a way that the rim of discarding jar is not
    • Contaminated and pipettes are completely submerged in disinfectant solution.
    • Calibrate the micropipettes every three months and document the calibration.
    • Calibration of the pipettes is maintained in calibration File DF 13.
    16. Discard jars:
    • The jars should be robust and autoclavable (Polypropylene jars).
    • Fill jars with diluted disinfectant (1% hypochlorite).
    • Replace the 1% hypochlorite solution in the discard jars once daily even when they have received little material during the time.
    • Opening of the sample tubes:
    • Take care while opening the tube. In the conditions where large film of liquid is likely to be trapped between the tube and the cap, open the container by gripping the closures through a strip of paper which is wrapped around both the closure and the top of the container. Paper and the cap may then be discarded into disinfectant, and if necessary, a fresh cap used.
    • At the end of each day’s work, waste disposal container is autoclaved at 121°c for 15 minutes & sent for disposal to the common collection site in Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad.
    17. OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE AND POST-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS
    • An “exposure” that may place a Health Care Provider (HCP) at risk of blood borne infection is defined as a percutaneous injury (e.g. needle-stick or cut with a sharp instrument), contact with the mucous membranes of the eye or mouth, contact with non-intact skin (particularly when the exposed skin is chapped, abraded, or afflicted with dermatitis), or contact with intact skin when the duration of contact is prolonged (e.g. several minutes or more) with blood or other potentially infectious body fluids.
    
    
    Management of Exposure:
    • In case of any accident or occupational exposure, lab Incharge is informed immediately and treated as emergency.
    • If there is cut then hands are washed running water with soap.
    • If there is splash of blood or any other fluid, then area is washed properly with water. Inform the lab in-charge and document in accident register.
    • Lab in charge should inform the Medical officer, In-Charge, ART centre for appropriate actions.
    Dr. Asha N Shah, Prof.& Head of the department of Medicine is contacted for clinical evaluation and treatment
    ·       Risk of infection & transmission is evaluated by clinician and if necessary, prophylaxis is initiated by him.
    
    
    DONTS:
    Do not panic
    Do not reflexively place pricked finger into mouth
    Do not squeeze blood from wound, this causes trauma and inflammation, increasing risk of transmission
    Do not use bleach, alcohol, betadine, or iodine, which may be caustic, also causing trauma
    DOS:
    Remove gloves, if appropriate
    Wash site thoroughly with running water. Irrigate thoroughly with water or saline if splashes have gone into the eye or mouth.
    REFERENCES - Laboratory manual for Technicians ch.3 page no.14 (NICD)