Microbiology Lab Safety

Introduction

In consultation with microbiology instructors on all Montgomery College campuses, Dr. Judith Prask has developed safety guidelines for conducting microbiology laboratory sessions. The guidelines, which became effective January, 2004, are reprinted below. For a printout, please follow the link at the end of this article to the original MS Word document.

Safety Guidelines in Effect for Microbiology Laboratories on all Campuses of Montgomery College
Effective January 2004

The microbiology courses on all three campuses of Montgomery College have always followed the safety measures outlined in standard microbiology laboratory manuals, including, but not limited to:

Upon entering the laboratory, place coats, books, and other paraphernalia in specified locations—never on bench tops.
Keep doors and windows closed during the laboratory session to prevent contamination from air currents.
At the beginning and end of each laboratory session, wipe bench tops with a disinfectant solution provided by the instructor.
Do not place contaminated instruments, such as inoculating loops, needles, and pipettes,on bench tops. Loops and needles should be sterilized by incineration, and pipettes should be disposed of in designat­ed receptacles.
On completion of the laboratory session, place all cultures and materials in the dis­posal area as designated by the instructor.
Rapid and efficient manipulation of fungal cultures is required to prevent the dissemination of their reproductive spores in the laboratory environment.
Wash hands with liquid detergent and dry them with paper towels upon entering and prior to leaving the laboratory.
Tie back long hair to minimize its exposure to open flames.
Wear a lab coat or apron while working in the laboratory to protect clothing from contamination or accidental discoloration by staining solutions. (*Only Germantown has done this in the past.)
Closed shoes should be worn at all times in the laboratory setting.
Never apply cosmetics or insert contact lenses in the laboratory.
Do not smoke, eat, or drink in the labora­tory. These activities are absolutely prohibited.
Carry cultures in a test-tube rack when moving around the laboratory. Likewise, keep cultures in a test-tube rack on the bench tops when not in use. This serves a dual purpose: to prevent accidents and to avoid contamination of yourself and the environment.
Never remove media, equipment, or espe­cially, bacterial cultures from the laboratory. Doing so is absolutely prohibited.
Immediately cover spilled cultures or broken culture tubes with paper towels, then saturate them with disinfectant solu­tion. After 15 minutes of reaction time, remove the towels and dispose of them in a manner indicated by the instructor.
Report accidental cuts or burns to the instructor immediately.
Never pipette by mouth any broth cultures or chemical reagents. Doing so is strictly prohibited. Pipetting is to be carried out with the aid of a mechanical pipetting device.
Use only self-stick labels for the identification of experimental cut tubes.

In keeping with the Fall 2003 Safety Recommendations from the American Society for Microbiology Undergraduate Education Committee, which are influenced by the CDC guidelines governing the use of BSL-2 organisms . . ., the three campuses of MC will begin the following additional mandatory procedures:
1) Signage:
Prominent biohazard signs will be displayed in the laboratory, on the refrigerators in the laboratory, and on the doors to microbiology preparation room.

2) Protective clothing:
Where storage facilities exist (only Germantown Campus at this time), lab coats will be worn by students. At the end of the semester, the coats will be transported home in sealed plastic bags. The students will be instructed on how to wash them (separately with hot water and bleach). At Rockville and Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campuses students will wear rubberized aprons which can be disinfected in the event of a spill. Said aprons will be stored folded into a sealed Ziploc plastic bag in the appropriate drawers at the student’s lab station.

3) Eye Wear:

Students will wear protective eye shields (splash guards) when in the act of manipulating cultures (that is, inoculating cultures, removing bacteria from cultures, preparing smears, etc.). Splash guards will not be necessary, and would indeed hinder the student, when using the microscope. These splash guards will be stored along with the aprons / lab coats (in drawers at Rockville and Takoma Park Campuses, in the storage lockers at Germantown).
Use of a safety cabinet for inoculatin BSL-2 organisms is possible only at Germantown; Rockville and Takoma Park do not have such cabinets.

4) Gloves:
Biohazardous / human body fluids are not used in BI 203. In the rare event that they might appear in the laboratory, gloves will be used in handling them. Students are instructed to wear gloves in the event of an accident which results in bleeding.

5) Emergency Eyewash:
An eyewash facility will be available in the laboratory.

 

Microbiology Safety Guidelines

(Original MS Word Document)
For More Information

If you have any questions about these safety standards, please e-mail
Dr. Judith Prask or telephone her at (240)567-5126. Questions or concerns about laboratory safety also may be directed to Sharmila Pradhan in the Environmental Safety Office; telephone: (240) 467-4308.