New information seeks to minimize risks to lab employees

Fires, explosions, and equipment have caused a number of laboratory incidents over the last few years, leading to debilitating illnesses and even death. Now lab managers have new resources available to reduce or even eliminate the hazards.

The Laboratory Safety Guidance describes how electrical, fire, explosions, and falls can be avoided by having safety plans, worker training, engineering controls, and personal protective equipment in place. It's one of several new educational documents OSHA is making available.

More than 500,000 workers are employed in labs, the agency said. They are often exposed to chemical, biological, physical, and radioactive hazards in addition to the musculoskeletal stresses that affect workers in many industries.

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The new materials are aimed at helping employers identify hazards and measures to better protect the workers. For example, fact sheets are provided that focus on specific hazards related to lab environments.

The practices and precautions include safety guidance for using autoclaves and chemical fume hoods. There is also information on labeling and transferring chemicals and latex exposure.

Read more at the WorkersComp Forum homepage.

December 5, 2011

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