The document provides guidelines for designing and maintaining a safe and functional medical laboratory. It states that laboratories should have reliable water supply and plumbing, adequate space for workload and storage, impermeable floors and walls, proper ventilation and lighting, safety equipment and signage, protective gear for staff, and procedures for safe handling of hazardous materials and waste disposal. Staff areas should be separated from work spaces and safety data sheets provided for all chemicals. Proper design and maintenance of the laboratory is necessary to protect staff and patients.

1. Ebtihal Ahmed Babekir
Alneelain University-MLS
Haematology Department

2. Laboratory must be designed in good repair with a
reliable water supply and a safe plumbing and waste
disposal system.
Drainage from sinks must be closed and connected
to a septic tank or to a deep pit.

3. Adequate floor spaces and the overall size of the
laboratory must be appropriate for the workload,
staff numbers, storage and equipment requirements.

4. Floor with a surface that is nonslip, impermeable to
liquids, and resistant to those chemicals used in the
laboratory. It should be beveled to the wall and the entire
floor should be accessible for washing.
 Floor drains are recommended.

5. Walls that are smooth, free from cracks,
impermeable to liquids, and painted with washable
light coloured paint.

6. When practical, a door at each end of the laboratory so that
laboratory staff will not be trapped should a fire break out.
Doors should open outwards and exit routes must never be
obstructed. Where fitted, internal doors should be self
closing and contain upper viewing panes. External doors
must be fitted with secure locks.

7. Adequate ventilation supplied by wall vents and windows that can
be opened. The windows should not face the prevailing winds to
avoid excessive dust entering the laboratory in the dry
season. Windows should be fitted with sun blinds and insect proof
screens.

8. Sectioning of the laboratory into separate rooms or
working areas. The area where blood samples are collected
from patients must be away from the testing area of the
laboratory.
Seating should be provided for patients outside the
laboratory.

10. Bench surfaces MUST be without cracks, washable,
and resistant to the disinfectants and chemicals used
in the laboratory.

11. Suitable storage facilities, including a ventilated
locked store for the storage of chemicals and
expensive equipment.

12. Where required, a gas supply that is piped into the
laboratory with the gas cylinder stored in an outside
weatherproof, well-ventilated locked store.

13. staff room that is separate from the working area
where refreshments can be taken and personal food
and other belongings stored safely.

14. A handbasin with running water, preferably sited near
the door. Whenever possible, taps should be operated
by wrist levers or foot pedals. Bars of soap should be
provided, not soap dispensers.

15. Provision of protective safety cabinets and fume
cupboards is required

16. Safe electricity supply with sufficient wall electric
points to avoid the use of adaptors and extension
leads.

17. Fire extinguishers sited at accessible points.
These need to be of the dry chemical type. Several
buckets of sand and a fire blanket are also required.

18. As good illumination as possible.
Window screens must be fitted to protect from direct
sunlight (but these should not make the working
areas too dark).

19. Provision of separate labelled containers for the
decontamination of infected material, discarding of
needles, syringes, lancets, glassware for cleaning, broken
glass, and general laboratory waste.
A warning symbol such as a red triangle can be used to
mark containers in which infected material is placed.

20. Provides all information necessary to safely handle a particular
chemical Must be readily accessible to any employee using a
hazardous chemical.
Any chemical identified with a label that states “Danger, Caution, or
Warning” must have a SDS(safety data sheet).

21. Displaying suitable safety signs and symbols is one
way of promoting safety awareness.

23. Always wear appropriate personal protective
equipment. Change gloves when contaminated, and
dispose of used gloves with other contaminated laboratory
waste.

24. Wash your hands after working with potentially
hazardous materials and before leaving the
laboratory.

25. Do not eat, drink, smoke, handle contact lenses,
apply cosmetics, or store food for human
consumption in the laboratory.

26. Follow the institutional policies regarding safe
handling of sharps (i.e., needles, scalpels, pipettes,
and broken glassware).

27. Decontaminate all work surfaces before and after
your experiments.
 Clean laboratory equipment routinely, even if it is
not contaminated.

28. Report any incidents that may result in exposure to
infectious materials to appropriate personnel (e.g.,
laboratory supervisor, safety officer).