Keeping your lab technicians safe is challenging, but it is essential if you run an R&D department or any research facility within an organization.
But what, precisely, should you be doing? Let’s take a look.
Restrict Access
One of the simplest ways to keep lab technicians safe is to restrict access to specific areas. Ensuring that workers can only go to certain areas of your property helps to keep it safe and prevents them from stumbling across items and chemicals that could potentially cause them harm.
You can restrict access in numerous ways. The best is to use a keycard or biometric system on doors that scans credentials and provides access. This approach lets you silo your technicians, only letting them access facilities that are essential for work.
Provide Regular Health Checkups
Another approach is to provide your technicians with regular health checkups, testing for likely harmful toxins in your environment. This approach provides you with real data you can work with and lets you know whether you need to improve your safety standards or procedures.
Catching health issues early is also beneficial in general. The sooner technicians can begin treatment, the earlier they can return to the lab.
Invest In Ergonomics
You can also try investing more in ergonomic furniture, such as chairs and desks. Technicians spend much of the day sitting and peering over benches. As such, they need furniture that adapts to their movements and reduces the risk of injury.
Fortunately, ergonomic items are more straightforward to procure than ever before. Getting them is relatively easy.
Provide Proper Ventilation
It is also essential to provide technicians with proper ventilation. Labs often deal with dangerous chemicals that can cause harm if staff breathes them in.
Ventilation can take various forms, depending on the substances you are handling. Many labs use a fume cabinet that extracts dangerous gasses and sends them for processing. Others use systems that scrub and circulate the air continuously, just in case dangerous chemicals enter the atmosphere.
Keep Emergency Equipment On-Site
You should also keep any emergency equipment on site just in case technicians have an accident. Keep safety showers, fire extinguishers, first aid kits, and eyewash stations nearby to maintain a safe working environment.
Make PPE Available
Another essential is to make PPE freely and readily available at all times so there are no barriers to using it. You don’t want a situation where staff are weighing up the pros and cons, wondering whether they should take the risk of not wearing it.
At a minimum, you should offer safety goggles, lab coats, and gloves. Depending on the substances you are handling, you might also need respirators, face shields, and glove materials that can withstand chemical corrosion.
Provide Training And Education
Finally, ensure you provide comprehensive training and education to technicians consistently. Keeping them informed of the latest safety procedures and approaches can help to reduce the risk of accidents and keep them safe on your premises. It also teaches them various emergency procedures they can use if something goes wrong.
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