Working
with hazardous chemicals is a necessary danger for lab professionals in the
pharmaceutical and medical fields. From flammable liquids such as alcohols to
fume and direct contact risks, some of the most powerful and effective results
of pharmaceutical research come from work with volatile, dangerous materials.
These
materials can include acids, nitrates, sulfates and far more. Proper safety
practices and handling are critical for a healthy workplace when dealing with
these materials. Below, we will review some of the most important safety tips
to protect your workers, facility and business.
Safety Tips for Hazardous Chemical Handling
Proper
safety practices and training are your most effective defense against incidents
involving hazardous chemicals and your workers. Without a comprehensive safety
plan, you risk the health of your employees, the reputation of your business,
and the results of your research and development investments.
The
following tips can help protect against safety incidents:
·
Keep real-time, 1:1 records: Confirm that employees and managers
are aware of the chemicals that are entering the facility and the lab setting,
in real time. Lab workers should understand and acknowledge the specific
materials with which they are working, so they know the correct handling
procedures, potential interactions and risks. Records should be kept in real
time for maximum safety and accuracy — not after the fact.
·
Develop comprehensive standard operating procedures: A well-planned standard
operating procedure (SOP) is among the most effective ways to prevent safety
incidents. The SOP should include the details of day-to-day functions (such as
lab startup and shutdown), standard personal safety standards such as PPE,
documentation requirements, inventory standards, incident reporting and more.
The SOP should be reviewed and readily available to all employees, but most
critically those who are in direct contact with chemicals.
·
Instill a safety culture through training and example: Safety training is
unlikely to be effective if it is treated as a one-day “necessary” requirement.
Safety starts culturally, at the top, and is most effective when it becomes an
organizational standard. In addition to leading by example, consider proactive
positive reinforcement such as safety record benchmark tracking, educational
certifications and other methods.
·
See that the proper infrastructure is present: From fume hoods to air
circulators, lab infrastructure is on the frontline of protecting workers. Not
only must this equipment be present, it must be kept in good working order,
tested regularly, and reported if any aberration or malfunction is detected.
·
Train all employees on immediate incident response: Chemical spills and other
incidents are bound to happen, even with comprehensive training and SOPs in
place. The first few minutes after an incident are often critical not only to
the safety of the employees involved, but also to the long-term effects of the
accident. Strive to ensure that all employees are equipped to quickly and
safely respond to incidents.
·
Practice accountability: Hand in hand with the culture of
safety, personal accountability can be a hugely effective tool in helping
employees adhere to these standards. Instill practices such as the “buddy
system” and safety accountability in performance reviews so that workers remain
aware of the importance of a safe facility.
·
Go beyond the baseline: Safety training, SOP development and
facility infrastructure are an excellent start for a safe facility. Yet to be
truly effective, these practices must be instilled and repeated: regular
retraining, equipment checks and testing, SOP review and fine-tuning, and more.
Safe chemical handling is only possible when it becomes second nature to
workers, and these are some of the best ways to achieve that goal.
It
is difficult, if not impossible, to overstate the importance of lab safety for
chemicals in the pharmaceutical and medical fields — most importantly, in your
responsibility to your employees, but also for the ongoing effectiveness and
viability of your facility and business. With these tips at the ready, you are
now prepared to instill the tenets of a safe lab facility.
Author bio: Steve Gonzales is CEO of Technical Safety Services, which provides testing,
certification and calibration of equipment and controlled environment crucial
to the success of the biopharma, medical device, academic research and food
production industries.
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