How To Create A Safer Work Environment In your Laboratory

Laboratories are a common workplace around the world as they handle a wide range of activities, including product testing, medical manufacturing, and research and development. While the purpose, design, and operation of laboratories vary greatly, they all have one thing in common: the need for safety equipment and safe practices.

Laboratories are full of potential hazards that endanger the safety of your lab staff while also endangering the integrity of testing results. It is for this reason that Justrite provides such a wide range of safety equipment for laboratories. We strive to help provide your lab team with a safe and uncompromised environment in which to conduct their work.

To help you find the equipment that is best suited to your facility, we’ve provided an overview of the various areas of a typical laboratory facility and an outline of the safety equipment that can prove beneficial when utilized in those areas.

The storage area of a laboratory facility is often used to house a variety of materials used for research and manufacturing, including chemicals, personal protective equipment, and potentially hazardous materials. If these materials are mishandled or if the storage area lacks proper safety equipment, personnel could sustain injuries while retrieving supplies.

Justrite carries a wide array of safety equipment that is dedicated to providing a safe and secure means to store hazardous chemicals. Safety cans are an ideal choice when storing flammable or combustible liquids. Safety cabinets should be used when storing any form of hazardous chemical in your laboratory chemical storage facility. For the safe storage of gas cylinders, we recommend our gas cylinder lockers and stands.

In the event of a spill, we offer spill containment berms that can be used to contain the chemical and avoid further danger. If an employee finds themselves contaminated or splashed by a dangerous chemical, it is also important that you have a safety shower and eyewash station on hand and ready for use.

When using potentially harmful chemicals or hazardous substances in laboratory workstations or research areas, it is essential to utilize containers that are designed for safety and efficiency. Safety cans from Justrite—including Type I and Type II safety cans, disposal cans, HPLC disposal cans, and laboratory carboys—are designed to safely house dangerous substances and prevent leaks and spills from harming personnel or assets.

There are additional safety precautions that may be necessary. Protective face shields can protect your staff from illness as well as from splashing chemicals. Spill containment trays are another effective measure when looking to mitigate splashing and spilling. Should a splash or spill occur and contaminate a member of your staff, it is important that there are face and eyewash stations in close proximity to your workstation.

When testing products in your quality control area, spill containment berms or flexible spill containment barriers that are designed to contain chemicals and prevent leaks and spills safely are ideal.  Should a spill occur, our absorbent pads are a good means to clean up the mess.

Depending on the nature of the products you are testing, it might be necessary to have biohazard waste cans on-site as well. Justrite’s biohazard waste cans meet OSHA regulations for the segregation of infectious waste, allowing your team to stay safe and compliant.

As different volatile chemicals pass through your loading dock, it is important to ensure that your team is equipped with the safety equipment they need to handle them as safely as possible. Gas cylinders are extremely common in laboratories and testing facilities, and Justrite provides the equipment your team needs to handle and store them safely.

When moving a single compressed gas cylinder by hand, we recommend using a gas cylinder cart. The carts are designed to ease the strain on the user when moving unwieldy gas cylinders. If your team will be moving cylinders with a forklift, utilize our gas cylinder pallets, which allow you to move multiple cylinders at a time.

When your team is working in their office and write up spaces, it is crucial to ensure that they have the equipment needed to stay safe from illness. COVID-19 has emphasized the need for employees to take the necessary safety measures in the workplace, and Justrite provides a number of safety solutions that can be utilized in your offices.

Cough and sneeze guards can be installed throughout the space to mitigate the risk of the spread of infectious diseases, and protective face shields can be worn to keep team members safe as they move throughout the facility. It is also wise to have hand sanitizer readily available for your employees.

When using the different instruments throughout your laboratory, having the appropriate safety equipment in place can improve safety and allow your technicians to focus on the task at hand. Using the right lab carboys and chemical containers can make your operations safer and easier. When the time comes to take care of rags and other materials soaked in chemical waste, be sure to have a waste disposal container on hand.

Maintaining the integrity of your cleanroom is of the utmost importance.  Contamination within this part of your facility can undermine the work taking place. It is vital that you and your team have the tools you need to accurately dispense, store, and dispose of corrosive liquids while working in your cleanroom.

Using a drum pump, funnel, or faucet on your chemical storage containers can improve your technician’s accuracy and reduce the risk of a spill when dispensing or filling containers. Should a spill occur, spill trays and spill containment berms can be utilized to mitigate the impacts of any spills in the facility.

Safety showers and eyewash stations have both been referenced throughout the other spaces covered in the article, and with good reason. Their importance cannot be overstated.

OSHA 1910.151(c) states that “Where the eyes or body of any person may be exposed to injurious corrosive materials, suitable facilities for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and body shall be provided within the work area for immediate emergency use.”

Safety showers and eyewash stations save lives and help mitigate the negative effects that dangerous chemicals can have when they come in direct contact with your team.  Ensuring that your team has easy access to these facilities should be a top priority.

Justrite has been recognized as an industry leader in safety equipment for more than 100 years, and we supply facilities all over the world with the products they need to keep personnel and their customers safe. Justrite carries numerous products that would be of benefit in your lab, including chemical storage cabinets, safety cans, secondary containment solutions, and more. Through the use of proper safety equipment, you can create a safer working environment for your team.