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INTRODUCTION
A hazard is any source of potential damage, harm or adverse health effects on something or someone.
Risk is the chance or probability that a person, property or environment will be harmed or experience an adverse health effect if exposed to a hazard.
Laboratory hazards can cause several harmful effects to the laboratory user, which may include:
- Injury and deaths to laboratory users
- Loss of working hours,
- Damage to equipment’s, supplies and records
- Contamination of laboratory reagents
- Damage to adjacent building environment
Laboratory safety is concerned with all safe practices in the laboratory. Failure to observe laboratory safety practices will result in risks and eventually accidents. Accidents can be defined as the unexpected occurrence that causes or leads to injury to a laboratory user or damage to property. Risks can be defined as anything that is likely to cause an accident to occur.
A good laboratory management is that which always strive to minimize chances of risks in the laboratory environment.
The main objectives of laboratory safety programs is:
- Identify the hazards and assess the risk to the staff and others.
- Prepare and implement an effective code of practice.
- To check whether health and safety codes are being followed.
- To ensure that staff knows how to work safely, what to do when an accident occurs and how to carry out emergency first aid.
- To ensure all laboratory accidents are reported informatively and investigated properly.
- To promote safety awareness.