Day 1 - First Things First: Lab Safety

Proper lab safety prevents contamination and infection, so certain practices must be followed.

General practices:

• Leave personal belongings in the hallway out of the lab
• Wear long pants and closed-toed shoes
• Keep long hair tied back
• Wear a lab coat
• Wear safety goggles and disposable gloves when needed
• Do not eat or drink in the lab
• Do not touch your eyes or mouth
• Never use your mouth to draw liquids into pipettes
• Keep cultures in a rack
• Discard contaminated waste in a red biohazard waste bag or container
• If bacteria spills, cover the spill with disinfectant for at least 3-5 minutes before cleaning it up.

 

3 Steps to follow when entering the laboratory:
1 - Put on a lab coat
2 - Wash hands
3 - Wipe down the workplace with Lysol

When exiting the lab, follow the above steps, but in reverse order. 

Okay, now that we have proper safety under control, let's have some fun!