I can’t solve that problem, but I can tell you what you definitely should not do. DO NOT eat in the lab. Ever. Under any circumstances. Labs are designed to keep the bad stuff from getting out, but what if the bad stuff gets in us and we take it out? Right into our homes and to our families. You got it. Have you heard about the one where a foodborne illness investigation leads back to an improperly cleaned specimen processing bench that served as a dining room table? It’s true. Things like this actually happen. The Biosafety in Biomedical and Microbiological Laboratories, 6th ed. states “Eating, drinking, smoking, handling contact lenses, applying cosmetics, and storing food for human consumption are not permitted in laboratory areas. Food is stored outside the laboratory area.” Right before it states that mouth pipetting is prohibited.
The bloodborne pathogen standard also states “Eating, drinking, smoking, applying cosmetics or lip balm, and handling contact lenses are prohibited in work areas where there is a reasonable likelihood of occupational exposure.“ 1910.1030(d)(2)(ix).
According to pathogen safety data sheets produced by the Public Health Agency of Canada, Hepatitis B can survive on an environmental surface for seven days. HIV can remain viable in blood and CSF for up to 11 days. Salmonella enterica can survive on fingers for up to 80 minutes, depending on inoculum size. Shigella can survive for months on dry surfaces.
Norovirus can survive in soil, water, and inanimate surfaces for an unknown period of time. It also has a very low infectious dose, meaning it does not take much to infect a person. Norovirus is a non-enveloped virus and is not inactivated by alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
Did you know that not all pathogens are inactivated by household bleach? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a website where you can find registered disinfectants by category of pathogens or treatment type. If you pull up List S for bloodborne pathogens and sort by product name, you will notice that Ultra Clorox Brand Regular Bleach lists NA in the contact time column for Hepatitis B and C. This means that Ultra Clorox Regular Bleach is not recommended for Hepatitis.
On the other hand, the contact time for HIV is five minutes. By the way, contact time is the amount of time the surface MUST REMAIN WET, so if you are spraying and wiping, you are likely not doing much to get rid of what might be hiding on your work benches. (You can find other Clorox products that are effective against Hepatitis and HIV on that same list, some with much shorter contact times.)
The bloodborne pathogen standard also mentions that “Food and drink shall not be kept in refrigerators, freezers, shelves, cabinets or on countertops or benchtops where blood or other potentially infectious materials are present.” 1910.1030(d)(2)(x).
Equipment in the lab that could be potentially contaminated is required to display a biohazard label. This includes refrigerators,”. 1910.1030(g)(1)(i)(A) states “Warning labels shall be affixed to containers of regulated waste, refrigerators and freezers containing blood or other potentially infectious material; and other containers used to store, transport or ship blood or other potentially infectious materials.” Refrigerators in the laboratory should also be labeled “Do not store food or drink in this refrigerator”.
If you have areas designated for your staff’s food, make sure it is used ONLY for food and that everyone knows where it is located. . If there is not a breakroom or designated refrigerator in the laboratory, food might have to be kept in a locker, a nurse’s station (if they allow it!), or a community breakroom. We should not tell staff that they cannot eat in the lab without providing some type of alternate location. Lab rats need to eat too!
It is never too often to remind your staff about good laboratory practices. Per the bloodborne pathogen standard, “The employer shall train each employee with occupational exposure in accordance with the requirements of this section. Such training must be provided at no cost to the employee and during working hours.” 1910.1030(g)(2)(i).
Make sure that all staff, including night shift and traveling staff, are aware and have acknowledged understanding of all laboratory policies and procedures. Everyone who works in or comes into the laboratory workspace has a responsibility, no matter their shift or position. Risk assessment, staff-buy-in, and strong leadership are all necessary elements in creating and maintaining a culture of safety.
If you have any biosafety questions or concerns, please contact Crystal Fortune, cfortune@mt.gov, 406-444-0930.
https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.1030
https://www.cdc.gov/labs/bmbl/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/clean-hands/data-research/facts-stats/hand-sanitizer-facts.html
https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/selected-epa-registered-disinfectants