PERSONAL PROTECTION IS KEY FOR ALL TESTING PERSONNEL. SAFETY IS EVERYONES RESPONSIBILITY

1. Safety rules in a
histopathology laboratory

2. SAFETY RULES IN HISTOPATHOLOGY
LABORATORY:
• Safety is your responsibility.
• Assure PPE
• Open toed shoes are not allowed in the laboratory area.
• Steel toed shoes are not necessary in this work area.
• Confine long hair and loose clothing.
• Avoid wearing contact lenses.
• Do not eat, smoke or drink in the lab.
• Wash your hands frequently.
• Always wear your white coat to prevent contact with dirt and minor chemical splashes.
• Before leaving the lab, remove lab coat and leave them on the coat rack on the back of the
door to be laundered by linen services. Contaminated lab coats should not be worn out of the
laboratory.
• Change your coat twice per week. Clean lab coats are to be stored in the coat closet provided.

3. Safety rules cont.
Make sure you know the hazards listed in a method sheet before carrying out a
method.
Keep the work area clean and uncluttered. Clean up the work area at the
completion of each operation, also at the end of each day and put away items
you are finished, with replace microtome blades in the original box, and, discard
waste material you have finished with respect that DON’T discharge
concentrated acids or bases, flammables, highly toxic substances, or heavy
metals such as mercury (B-5 fixative) into the sewer. These substances must be
recycled or reduced when possible, or placed in appropriate containers to be
picked up by safety services.
Formulations of 10% or less of formaldehyde may be discharged to the sewer,
unless they exhibit other characteristics of hazardous waste or they are in a high
enough volume to generate a problem.
 Treat minor cuts and abrasions as follows:
 Wash thoroughly.
 Allow to bleed freely.
 Dry and apply elastoplast.
 Enter details in accident book and notify senior medical laboratory
scientist.
 In case of major accident. Notify a senior member of staff immediately, it may

4. Equipment Safety Rules:
All equipment is potentially dangerous; do not use any item until you have been
shown how to use it properly.
If the equipment is not working properly stop using it, and inform the competent staff.
Unplug any electrical equipment before you attempt to adjust it or open it.
Do not open the centrifuge until the rotor has stopped. In the event of a breakage in
the centrifuge, switch off the power, leave the lid closed for 20 minutes. Wear
disposable gloves to remove the centrifuge buckets, place them in disinfectant. Do not
carry the reagents and chemicals bottles by the neck.
Read the instructions on the bottle before transporting or using any chemicals or
reagents, they may need special handling.
 Plastic aprons are provided for protection from splashes and should be worn when: working with or
around formaldehyde (specimen grossing), Making solutions ,Working around fresh unfixed tissue or
body fluids
 Plastic aprons should not be worn when working around flammable materials.
 Wear gloves when the potential for contact with toxic materials exists. Inspect the gloves before each
use and wash them before removal. Replace them frequently to avoid contaminating yourself and
other objects such as door handles. One hand must be clean to open doors. Do not wear gloves out of
the laboratory area.
 Wear Sleeves which are disposable garments worn to protect the arms from contact with biohazards
and chemicals.

5. Wear the glasses or goggles for eye protection when:
 Making solutions.
 Distributing solutions from one container to another.
 Changing solutions on equipment.
 Grossing specimens.
 Wear the dust particle mask (yellow), which should be used when weighting out
powders. Or the charcoal mask protects against organic solvent fumes. It should be
worn when changing or pouring solutions.
Laboratory hoods are used to prevent hazardous vapors from entering the general
laboratory area. With the sash down, they can also be used as a physical barrier
against chemical reactions. The hoods have a constant airflow (there is no on/off
switch) and are vented to the roof.
 Always use the hood when:
 Microwave staining, leave hot solutions inside the hood until cooled.
 Making heated solutions.
 Grossing specimens, especially formalin fixed specimens;
 When diluting acids, always add acid slowly to water ( NO other way ) and do so with the bottle or
glassware in the sink standing in water so that plenty of water is available in the event of an accident.
 Do not use ether in a room where there is a naked flame
 All histology personnel must know the location and use of safety showers and eyewash stations