Biosafety

General safety in our lab

Firstly, in order to be allowed to work in the lab, everybody had to take part in a lab tour, when our lab manager introduced us into the safety and work rules. The following main parts were included in it:

• Work with hazardous compounds

Hazardous substances are those that have injurious effect on health and environment. For example such substances can cause eye and skin irritation and damages or induce cancer. Hence in order to prevent ourself, our lab mates and the nature special handling and storage place is necessary. Taking care of the appropriate clothes and protection during the work with these compounds is also important.

• Personal Safety Instructions

Lab coat, gloves and glasses were compulsory to wear during every experiment, what we have done. However special glasses are requirements when UV light and blue light are used. Such glasses are provided in our lab, near the certain instruments.

• Accident risks during the work

The main accident risks can be mechanical injuries, burns and corrosion, poisoning, and electric shocks.
• Cutting: Never use damaged glasswear! Glass should be collected in designated boxes to avoid injury to the cleaning personnel.
• Burns and corrosion: Bunsen burners have almost invisible and silent flame so it is a hazard. The most common accidents in a laboratory is fire causing flammable solvents. Since our department work with large amounts of such liquids it is important that all person is aware of how to handle such a fire.
• Poisoning: It can occur by inhalation of gases or fumes, or through the skin.
• Electric shocks: If a person has gotten in contact with an AC line there is a severe muscle convulsion that makes the person unable to get loose from the line. Such cases are extremely dangerous.

• Fire protection

Equipment for fire extinction is found in all corridors. This equipment consists of water hoses, portable fire extinguishers (CO2 or powder), and fire cloths. There are also heat detectors and smoke detectors in the building in case of a fire.





Except from the Introductory Lab Tour, all of the team members were obliged to:
• Read the Safety Instructions of the lab
• Fill in a Risk Declaration form
• Sign the Safety document and get a signature from the supervisor and from our lab manager

Video

A video was established by our lab manager (Marie Nordqvist) about the main risks in our laboratory

Safety in our iGEM project

Here you can find the Gothenburg team’s safety form, which was necessary to submit for the competition.

OurTraining

a) Have your team members received any safety training yet?

Yes, we have already received safety training.

b) Please briefly describe the topics that you learned about (or will learn about) in your safety training.

Work with dangerous compounds, Personal Safety Instructions (eye protection, clothes, gloves), Fire protection, Accident risks (cutting, splinters, hot equipment or liquid, burning materials, corrosive chemicals, inhalation of gases or vapors, electricity), Measures in case of accident.

c) Please give a link to the laboratory safety training requirements of your institution (college, university, community lab, etc). Or, if you cannot give a link, briefly describe the requirements.

Requirements before work in the lab: Read the Safety Instructions, Participating in an introductory lab tour including an introduction of the KLARA system, ordering and usage of autoclaves/centrifuges, Fill in the Risk Declaration form, Sign the Safety document and get a signature from the supervisor and from our lab manager.

Our local rules and regulations

a) Who is responsible for biological safety at your institution? (You might have an Institutional Biosafety Committee, an Office of Environmental Health and Safety, a single Biosafety Officer, or some other arrangement.) Have you discussed your project with them? Describe any concerns they raised, and any changes you made in your project based on your discussion.

Marie Nordqvist. Yes. No concerns.

b) What are the biosafety guidelines of your institution? Please give a link to these guidelines, or briefly describe them if you cannot give a link.

c) In your country, what are the regulations that govern biosafety in research laboratories? Please give a link to these regulations, or briefly describe them if you cannot give a link.

The Organisms and Parts that We Use