As a high school team, safety is paramount, and following safety rules are essential in any lab environment. In addition to standard protocols, we must be diligent in safety, as our workspace doubles as a lab and a classroom. We must follow the standard rules to protect both us and our samples as well as to guarantee the safety of teammates and peers alike. This signifies that every individual, regardless of concurrence or participation is the team, must comply and practice the safety procedures.
To eliminate any unnecessary risk factors in relations to public safety, we made sure that all of our organisms are non-pathogenic. We created designated waste disposals for any biohazards, which are separated from the rest of the student body and are properly autoclaved. We also created separate disposal sites for our pipette tips, due to a previous issue of ripping trash bags and spilling around the campus. Through these measures we have managed to make our project reliably safe, eliminating any concerns and possible hazards.
Some of the lab safety protocols that we follow include:
Wearing proper protective gear such as lab coats, goggles, and closed toed shoes. If we are using an autoclave, we take the extra precaution of a face shield.Eating and drinking in designated areas and keeping food from the lab space.
Wearing gloves while dealing with anything that is sensitive or possibly contaminatedKeeping our hair back and tied up while in the lab.Keeping a meticulously clean lab space through organization and disinfection with 70% isopropyl alcohol. Clearly labeling everything.Washing hands before and after labs.
