Blood Borne Pathogens

According to OSHA Blood Borne Pathogens are “infectious microorganisms in human blood that can cause disease in humans.” Some of these blood borne pathogens include Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV.  Individuals from a variety of occupations can be exposed to blood borne pathogens, they can be exposed through being stuck by a needle or by being cut. If exposed to these blood borne pathogens it is important to look into what can be done to control the exposure.  It is imperative for employers to implement an exposure control plan for protection measures of everyone working in the lab specifically with blood. Plans must describe in detail the work practice controls, where the personal protective clothing and equipment is located, and specific training.

Our class was able to visit Dr. Michael Kushnick’s lab. Dr. Kushnick is an exercise physiology professor at Ohio University who researches cell biology, specifically dealing with blood.  Dr. Kushnick is constantly dealing with anonymous blood samples, meaning that he and the students working in his lab are dealing with potentially infectious blood, and have a higher risk of exposure to blood borne pathogens. Dr. Kushnick is the only one using the lab for his research, and he has about 13 students working with him. Dr. Kushnick is in charge of enforcing the rules and guidelines for the protection of everyone working in his lab.

Blood borne pathogens are very dangerous, and Dr. Kushnick was fast at letting us know that information. He told us a story of an incident that had happened to him. On a Sunday afternoon Dr. Kushnick went into his lab to finishing up some work, he did not have the appropriate protective clothing on. Kushnick had on shorts and open toe shoes. As he was taking a vial of a blood sample out of the fridge it dropped and ended up cutting him. Dr. Kushnick took the appropriate measures and followed the Chemical Hygiene Plan. He called the necessary people and was sent to the emergency room. The sample that he was exposed to was anonymous so he had no knowledge if the sample was infected or not.  

There are a countless number of things that can go wrong when working in a lab specifically with blood. The problems that can occur are risks of exposure through open cuts being contaminated, and inhalation. The experience that Dr. Kushnick shared was a clear example of being exposed through cut contamination. Exposure through inhalation can happen, when a vile is opened and the blood vapors are breathed in. When working with blood borne pathogens it is essential to take the appropriate measures and precautions to keep everyone in the lab safe. One of the most important things to have in order to keep his lab safe is student training. They need to know the how to work with blood and the risks that is associated when working in the lab.  

I found many things to be interesting in the way that Dr. Kushnick operated his lab. One specific thing that stood out to me was how poor his labeling was specifically on the hazardous waste container. First, the container that he was keeping his hazardous materials in was an old juice container, and the signage on it was a faded skull and cross bone. This stood out to me because at first glance it looked like juice and it was hard to determine what it actually was without closely examining. The next piece of information that Dr. Kushnick shared with our class is that he has personal protective clothing available but does not enforce the individuals in his lab to utilize the gear. 

https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/bloodbornepathogens/

https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/hospital/hazards/bbp/bbp.html

https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/bloodbornepathogens/bloodborne_quickref.html

Identifying Hazards in a Lab

Blog 4: How do you identify hazards in the lab?

There are multiple ways in which a person can identify hazards within a laboratory.  The first way in which a hazard in a lab can be identified is by checking to see if all chemical containers have labels. The labels should be legible, firmly attached and have the appropriate name for the contents within the containers. According to Prudent Practices in the Laboratory “commercial suppliers are required by law (OSHA Hazard Communication Standard) to provide their chemicals in containers with precautionary labels.”  It is essential to have labeling on all chemical containers within the lab because they normally provide a short summary of what the possible hazards are with the chemical contents. However, the labeling that comes on the containers are just precautionary and do not replace the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).The Material Safety Data Sheet is a document that contains key information on the potential health effects when exposed, it also outlines how to work safely  with the chemicals that are being handled. Labels are one of the most important ways to identify possible hazards within a lab. Labeling is imperative because they serve as a reminder of the main hazards that can be associated with these chemical substances. Material Safety Data Sheets are to be received with all incoming shipments of hazardous chemicals should be kept and made available for individuals working in the lab.

The next way in which hazards within a lab can be identified is through continuous information and training. Individuals working in labs are required to receive training on new label components and on the safety data sheets. Employees have to recognize and understand what the potential hazards are, what to do if chemicals were to spill, and how to properly handle the situation when exposed to hazardous chemicals. The information and training that employees receive must ensure their awareness of the chemicals being used in their work areas. Employers must also train the individuals working in their labs on the different methods of detecting the release of a hazardous chemical, both physical and health hazards when working with chemicals, and the different measures that everyone can take to protect themselves from potentially dangerous hazards. This includes an understanding of the procedures that should be implemented to protect employees form exposure. Another important aspect of training is, knowing where the chemical hygiene plan is located.

Hazard identification helps to minimize the risks associated with those identified hazards. Being able to identify hazards is a critical component to working safely. Common hazards can vary throughout different labs. Some of the potential hazards include exposures to chemicals, biological agents, noise, and vibration to name a few. However, working alone can also become a hazard, if an employee leaves their work station unattended with chemicals out, and spills. The last way in which hazards can be identified within the lab is through specific knowledge and instructions on how to properly dispose of hazardous waste. There are proper procedures that should be followed when disposing of waste that need to be taken seriously so hazard incidences do not occur. Suitable bins must be administered in labs in which waste can be kept, they should be properly labeled and in an area where everyone working in the lab knows where it is and what it is.

 http://www.nap.edu/read/12654/chapter/5#52

 https://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_General_Facts/hazardouschemicalsinlabs-factsheet.html

 https://www.ohio.edu/medicine/about/departments/biomedical/upload/BMSChemicalHygienePlan.pdf

DuPont

According to http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethic ethics is defined as “rules of behavior based on ideas about what is morally good and bad.” The New York Times published an article titled The Lawyer Who Became DuPont’s Worst Nightmare. DuPont was established in 1802 and has continued to grow and contribute to solving global challenges ever sense opening its doors. However, when people living in close proximity to DuPont plants started getting sick, one man living in the area decided to seek help. Wilbur Tennant owns a cattle farm in Parkersburg, West Virginia. Tennant started to notice that there was something wrong with his cattle, they were getting very sick. Tennant believed that it had something to do with the water and specifically the chemicals that DuPont was releasing into the water. When Tennant sought help, the people within the community were not there in support. Tennant states, “One hundred fifty-three of these animals I’ve lost on this farm.” Rob Billot a partner at Taft Stettinius & Hollister decided to take on this case, not knowing what it would lead to.

In class we discussed the number of ethics that are seen and also violated within the DuPont case. The ethics seen within this case vary, by those who are in power. The levels discussed were personal, the community, professionals, and ethics at the corporate level, and also federal and state. There are many reasons in which the DuPont case has violated the issues of ethics within the community. One being that DuPont was aware of the chemical: perfluoroctanoic acid commonly known as C8 that was being dumped in the water. C8 is used in the manufacturing of Teflon. This issue is violating the first level of ethics which is personal. The problem is that DuPont knew that the chemical was in the water but kept this information disclosed from the community.  Therefore, the community was unaware of the health effects that C8 could have on them. DuPont had kept this information from the public and knew all along the health effects that it could cause. The ethics of this is on the personal level because they knew the toxicity of the chemical being released into the water and the possible effects that it could have on pregnant women, and the defects that it could cause their unborn children. The company kept this information for years and continued the same cycle instead of fixing it immediately. This was not only unethical of DuPont but also very irresponsible of the company to try and cover up what they were doing.  

 According to the article The Lawyer Who Became DuPont’s Worst Nightmare it is stated that “DuPont scientists determined an internal safety limit for PFOA concentration in drinking water: one part per billion.” However, DuPont found that water in one local district contained PFOA levels at three times that figure. High exposure levels of PFOA, has been linked to prostate cancer.  One specific example of DuPont’s effects on the community all started with Wilbur Tennant. Tennant owned a cattle farm and due to the PFOA in the water the cattle started dying off.  Tennant found a lawyer who would take on his case, and that is when Billot started digging into DuPont’s past. This level of ethics is community, because DuPont supported the community by providing people within the area jobs. DuPont funded the livelihood of many people within the area. Many of the people within the community did not support the case and stopped talking to Tennant because they did not want to risk losing their jobs with the company.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/10/magazine/the-lawyer-who-became-duponts-worst-nightmare.html?_r=0'

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/sep/18/first-test-case-against-dupont-begins-in-ohio-fede/