Which of the following are reasons for washing hands before and after lab?
Proper hand washing can effectively remove many harmful bacteria and viruses such as E. coli, Salmonella, C. perfringens, S. aureus and norovirus. Proper hand washing involves two key aspects – the washing technique and drying. Show The proper washing technique involves rubbing your hands together with soap and water for at least 30 seconds. Water by itself is ineffective in removing germs. Soap is needed to lift dirt, oil and germs off the skin, and the rubbing action helps to break up the dirt and germs. The other aspect of handwashing is drying. Moisture enables the transfer of bacteria and therefore, it is important to dry hands thoroughly. The use of paper towels has been shown to be more effective than electric dryers for the drying of hands, as the rubbing action not only reduces the drying time, but also further removes residual germs. Reusable hand towels may be used but they should be changed frequently, especially when they become wet. The most important element of biological safety is strict adherence to standard microbiological practices and procedures. Individuals working with bio-hazardous materials must be aware of potential hazards and must be trained and proficient in the practices and techniques required for handling such material safely. The Safety Officer is responsible for identifying and adopting bio-safety practices and procedures designed to minimize or eliminate exposure to laboratory hazards and for laboratory personnelStandard Laboratory Practices for BSL-1 Laboratories BSL-1 is assigned to work involving well-characterized, non-bio-hazardous agents not known to consistently cause disease in healthy human adults. BSL-1 is suitable for work that does not involve biological agents or involves well characterized agents that are not known to cause disease in healthy adult humans, and that are of minimal potential hazard to laboratory personnel and the environment. All personnel who will be working in or frequenting animal facilities must be appropriately trained and evidence of training documented. The following list outlines standard laboratory practices to be implemented in ABSL-1 laboratories:
Laboratories (wet Labs) must have a sink for hand washing. The sink should preferably be hands-free or automatically operated. It should be located near the exit door. If the laboratory is separated out into different laboratories, a sink must also be available for hand washing in each zone. Additional sinks may be required as determined by the risk assessment.
The international bio-hazard warning signal must be displayed on the doors of the rooms where microorganism of risk Group 2 or higher are handled. The following list provides standard laboratory practices to be implemented in BSL-1 laboratories:
Bio-safety cabinets are not required for BSL-1 work
HAND WASHING Keeping hands clean through improved hand hygiene is one of the most important steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. Many diseases and conditions are spread by not washing hands with soap and clean, running water. If clean, running water is not accessible, as is common in many parts of the world, use soap and available water. If soap and water are unavailable, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 70% alcohol to clean hands. Wash your hands for at least 15 seconds. When should you wash your hands?
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