Team:Valencia-CIPF/Safety

Safety

1. Concerning our institution.
   The Polytechnic University of Valencia (as well as the Catholic University and CIPF) has a solid manual of good laboratory practices, covering several aspects such as signalling, cleaning, waste management, security, emergency situations and more. Our team has worked according to this manual and under the supervision of the experts in the lab.
   
   
2. Safety in the lab.
   As in every lab, conventional protection is used: gloves, lab coat and glasses if necessary. Such items of equipment avoid contaminations and also protect the worker and the environment.
   
   
   Figure 1. Gloves, glasses and lab coat.
   
   Concerning management of waste, chemical and biological waste must be managed properly before disposal.
   
   When biological residues are produced, like petri dishes with microorganisms, they must be autoclaved before being discarded in the classical way.
   
   In the case of chemical waste, it must be stored in special tanks to be managed by specialist on a monthly basis together with all similar waste produce in in the same campus or organization.
   
   
   Figure 2. Container for a chemical waste.
   
   In spite of the lack of safety experts in our team, we have been lucky to work in a laboratory where all protocols and equipments were ready to ensure safety.
   
   
3. Regarding our microorganisms
4. Management of chemicals
5. Is there a local biosafety group, committee or review board at your institution?
6. Our project... trying to imagine a safer world