Biological & Physical Hazard Safety
Guides
Respirator Fit Testing: Qualitative vs. Quantitative, and What the Annual Requirement Covers
Respirator fit testing is an OSHA-mandated, annual, per-facepiece requirement (29 CFR 1910.134) for anyone using a tight-fitting respirator in a lab. This guide explains the medical evaluation prerequisite, qualitative vs. quantitative test methods, why facial hair disqualifies a wearer, and how a fit test differs from a daily user seal check.
Lockout/Tagout in the Research Lab: Energy Isolation Before Equipment Service
How lockout/tagout (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147) applies to lab equipment: authorized vs. affected employees, the six-step procedure, stored-energy hazards for autoclaves, centrifuges, chillers, vacuum pumps, and lasers, and where lab responsibility hands off to facilities.
Fire Extinguisher Classes in the Lab: Matching the Agent to the Fire
How to match extinguisher class (A, B, C, D, K) to the fuels actually present in a research lab, why Class D reactive-metal fires need a completely different agent, the PASS technique, and when to evacuate instead of fighting the fire.
Job Hazard Analysis for Lab Procedures: Breaking Down Steps, Hazards and Controls
How to build a job hazard analysis (JHA) for a lab procedure: break the task into steps, identify the hazard at each step, apply the hierarchy of controls, and route the finished JHA into the SOP and training record.
Risk Assessment Matrix for Laboratory Hazards: Scoring Severity and Likelihood
How to build and use a 5×5 severity-times-likelihood risk assessment matrix for laboratory hazards, with lab-specific scoring definitions, three worked bench examples, residual-risk re-scoring after controls, and guidance on setting a risk-acceptance threshold.
What a Radiation Safety Officer Does: Role, Responsibilities and Licence Authority
Who must appoint a Radiation Safety Officer, what the role’s duties and authority actually are under NRC and Agreement State license rules, RSO qualification pathways, and how the role relates to the Radiation Safety Committee.
Bloodborne Pathogens Training for Research Personnel: OSHA Requirements
A clear breakdown of OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030) for research institutions: who is covered, required training content and timing, exposure control plan elements, and recordkeeping.
Autoclave Operating Safety: Avoiding Steam Burns and Pressure-Related Injuries
The physical hazards specific to autoclave operation — steam burns, superheated-liquid boil-over, and pressure-vessel risks — and the loading, cycle-selection, door-opening, and PPE practices that prevent them, plus what should never go into an autoclave and how to respond to a burn.
Liquid Nitrogen and Cryogen Handling: Oxygen Displacement, Cryo-Burns, and Dewar Safety
How liquid nitrogen and other cryogens cause oxygen-deficiency asphyxiation and cryogenic burns, and the dewar handling, PPE, ventilation, and emergency-response practices that manage both risks in a research lab.
Time, Distance, Shielding: Applying ALARA Principles in Everyday Radioisotope Work
ALARA is a regulatory requirement, not just good practice. This guide breaks down the three controllable variables — time, distance, and shielding — and how to apply them at the bench during everyday radioisotope work.
How Dosimetry Badges Work: Wearing, Exchange Schedules, and Reading Your Radiation Exposure Report
What a radiation dosimetry badge measures, the main badge types (film, TLD, OSL, electronic), how to wear one correctly, typical exchange schedules, and how to read the dose report you get back.
Radioactive Waste Disposal in the Lab: Segregation and Decay-in-Storage
How research labs are actually required to segregate, store, and dispose of radioactive waste under 10 CFR 20 Subpart K — including how decay-in-storage works, when waste must be shipped off-site instead, and how mixed radioactive/chemical or biological waste is handled.
Needlestick Injury Response: The First-Hour Protocol Every Lab Should Post
A step-by-step first-hour protocol for needlestick and sharps exposures in the lab: immediate wound care, reporting, HIV PEP timing, and what OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens Standard requires from employers.
Chemical Spill Kits: What to Stock and How to Respond to a Lab Spill
What belongs in a lab chemical spill kit, how many kits a lab needs, and the OSHA-defined line between an incidental spill your own staff can clean up and one that requires calling emergency responders.
Laser Safety Classes Explained: From Class 1 to Class 4, What Researchers Need to Know
What the seven ANSI Z136.1 laser hazard classes (1 through 4) mean, and what engineering, administrative, and PPE controls each one requires in a research lab.
