Ways to Maintain Cleanliness in the Laboratory

 

A laboratory is always meant to be clean, just the way lab personnel is expected to be very hygienic when working inside the laboratory. Laboratories are known to be a place where tests are carried out and given to patients. 

Also, when you think of a medical practitioner, be it a Nurse, Pharmacist, Pathologist, etc. - you immediately visualize the cleanliness, accuracy, and discipline these people possess, which are traits most of them have. That is because, for ages, cleanliness has always been a part of medical practice. 

So, maintaining cleanliness in the laboratory is not just a norm, but also a way to avoid contaminations, infections, and hazardous accidents due to dangerous and highly flammable reagents used inside a laboratory. 

Why is it Necessary to Maintain Cleanliness in a Laboratory?

Personal hygiene is not just applicable in our homes but also to our workplaces and leisure environment too. 

A clean lab gives room for quality work and accurate experiment results. 

We have listed 5 major benefits of maintaining a clean lab below. 

1. Prevents contamination - A laboratory can easily be contaminated by germs, debris etc. A clean lab allows you to prevent problems as such and gives room for an efficient workplace. 

2. Saves money - Most lab accidents and contaminations are caused by a poorly maintained lab. When such incidents happen, the administration is forced to spend on hiring cleaning companies and replacing lab apparatuses. 

3. Staff discipline - When all staff in a lab maintain personal hygiene, it becomes a part and parcel of most of the staff in the lab, and this trait follows them everywhere they go. 

Top 5 Ways to Maintain Cleanliness in a Laboratory

1. Make sure you and other personnel's wear the necessary Protective Personal Equipment's (PPE's)

2. Engage in regular disinfection protocols such as using a 10 per cent bleach solution as the disinfection standard. 

3. Decontaminate materials and devices such as computers, smartphones, tissue boxes, pens, etc. 

4. All laboratory administrators must ensure all personnel's in the lab are trained to observe personal hygiene and laboratory maintenance. 

5. Quickly get rid of spills in the lab, and spilt chemicals too.

6. Ensure you place the lab apparatuses in their right positions after use and cleaning. 

A laboratory is always expected to be clean and can't be entrusted to unskilled or unhygienic individuals. 

Working in an unclean laboratory can make the work zone exposed to debris and clutter, and this makes conducting experiments difficult, especially when you are under pressure to generate results within a specific time. 

It is every laboratory staff's job to make sure the work zone is always tidy and ready to conduct important experiments and get results at the desired time.