Safety in the Laboratory: Avoiding Injury, Infection, and Contamination

Laboratory safety encompasses all aspects of the lab. Some guidance comes in the form of simple and obvious platitudes of everyday life (e.g., make sure a match isn’t still smoldering when you throw it away). Others are more specialized or esoteric tidbits of wisdom (e.g., leave the lid loose when autoclaving liquids). And most fall into the in-between (e.g., use the shortest electrical cord possible).

It’s a near-mathematical impossibility to list all of the rules, and so common sense, mentorship and resources like this eBook play a role in learning to be safe.

Topics covered in this eBook include:

• Importance of establishing who is responsible for enforcement of lab safety rules
• Guidelines to keep in mind when conducting a risk assessment
• Best practices for handling biohazardous waste
• Tips for working with fume hoods
• How to clean a spill in a biosafety cabinet