Team:Grenoble-Alpes/Safety
Safety
A night spent watching the night sky, at the base of the imposing Aiguilles d’Arves. Credits: Estelle Vincent
SAFETY IN A LAB
The safety in laboratory is essential part of every biological project, especially when genetically modified organisms are involved.
Our team works with two non-pathogenic strains of E.coli – DH5α and TOP10 - that appertain to Risk group 1 and do not cause health problems. The safety level of our lab is 1 (low risk) and we use open benches and biosafety cabinets as work areas for the biological materials.
In the beginning of the lab work, the whole team received safety training by the departmental specialist and the instructors. During this training we learnt about the biosafety levels and equipment, the emergency procedures and the electrical safety. Everyone who enters the lab wears lab coat, pants, closed shoes and gloves.
In the laboratory it is forbidden to eat, to drink and to smoke. We have to wash our hands before and after manipulation. We can not smell or eat the materials and the products. Before and after manipulation we have to disinfect using ethanol 70% the lab bench and the biosafety cabinet. The labelling of every material is obligatory.
The biologic garbage is evacuated in specific bins - yellow for the contaminated materials and black for the non-contaminated. The biologic liquids are collected in containers and a setting agent is added in order to jellify the liquids. After this they are evacuated in the yellow bins and the containers are washed with bleach.
Every equipment has its responsible person that explained the working protocols and the safety measures to all users. All machines, autoclave for example, were handled with caution.
The aim of our project is to be used in the diagnostic field. As all biological organisms will be inside the biokit, it is possible to have environmental risks but it will not have any influences on the human health as we work with level 1 genetically modified organisms. The material used for its construction is also suitable with any eventual risks. It is planned that the biokit also contains a compartment with bleach in case of damage of the device.
