How to be Ready to Handle Hazardous Drugs to Improve Safety and Lab Productivity
Summary
Lab safety, workflow efficiency, and productivity begin with the right selection of laboratory furniture designed for use in an environment of hazardous drugs, chemicals, and other materials.
Laboratories must be designed to facilitate the safe handling of hazardous drugs, chemicals, and other materials. To achieve this is the right selection of lab furniture, work surfaces, and casework.
OSHA Standards
Lab workers can be in danger if exposed to hazardous drugs, chemicals, biological, physical, and radioactive. Because of these dangers, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has established standards and regulations designed to protect workers. Throughout the United States, over 500,000 people are working in laboratories and unless the right precautions taken those lab workers may become sick, injured, or even killed, according to OSHA.
Prevention of harm to lab workers in testing labs, medical labs, chemical labs, and laboratories of all kinds includes selecting lab furniture and work surfaces that make them a safe place for lab employees.
Labs of any type must comply with the local, state, and federal regulations, and it is best to exceed those requirements. It is less expensive and far better to prevent the adverse effects of hazardous drugs or chemicals.
Lab supervisors and managers are responsible for maintaining laboratories a safe and healthy place to work. They must understand and follow all the applicable health, safety, and environmental regulations to ensure the lab and everything in it will be OSHA compliant and their employees will be safe at all times.Â
Prevent Contamination Of The Drug Is Important Too!
Employees are the number one concern, but as well as the integrity of the work performed in the lab. Contamination will destroy the work, disrupt the efficiency of workflow, and increase production costs. It could also create a public relations issue that may ruin the reputation of the company and impact obtaining future lucrative contracts.
Easy To Clean, Chemical Resistant Lab Furniture
Work surfaces must be easy to maintain, easy to clean and disinfect, and are therefore an integral part of the work done in the lab. Spills, for example, must be easy to clean up and surfaces must be 100 percent non-absorbent to prevent contamination. The right work surfaces in a laboratory are critical to the success of the work in the lab, as well as to the success and long-term revenue and profits of the company.
Attracting the highest quality employees is a significant consideration to any lab operation, as well as to the long-term success of any project. The reputation of the quality or lack of quality in the work environment may have a significant impact on the decision making of potential employees. They want a safe environment, as well as an environment that makes their job more manageable, and quality results.
High quality, potential employees who evaluate a lab environment do not want to be in a situation where there are unnecessary risks due to hazardous drugs and chemicals. They want every precaution to be taken to protect them and their work, and the right lab furniture and work surfaces will be a big part of their decision on whether to work there or not.
