How to Teach Lab Safety

Regardless which type of lab you work in, safety measures need to employed to discourage the risk of accidents or injuries. By reading a few helpful hints, you will learn how to teach lab safety and how to diminish the risk of a work-related occupational incident.

Discuss eye safety. Working in a lab can be dangerous to your eye health. When you teach lab safety always include a discussion on eye safety. Various chemicals and biohazards are present in labs, and when a foreign substance gets sprayed into the eyes, the consequences can be extreme. Certain labs work with hazardous chemicals, while hospital and diagnostic labs work with blood and other body fluids. Getting the eyes splashed with a chemical can result in blindness and getting body fluids splashed in the eyes can results in disease. Reinforce the importance of wearing safety goggles when working around chemicals and body fluids and remind employees where the eyewash stations are.

Talk about proper footwear. A slip and fall accident can be devastating, and when you teach lab safety, remind employees to wear shoes with non-skid soles. Chemicals and other liquid spills are common on lab floors, so to discourage falls, safety shoes are a must. Have employees refer to the lab's policy and procedure handbook for more information.

Have employees sign the in-service sheet. To make sure the employees understood what was taught to them, have them sign the in-service sheet. By signing the sheet, they acknowledge that they attended the training session and understood the material being presented to them. Make sure the sheet they're signing is not simply an attendance sheet, but a sheet stating that they understood what was being taught to them.