BIO 107 — General Biology Practical I: Lecture Note

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AGE la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS

AGE la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS Course code: BIO 107 Course title: General Biology Practical I Course credit load: 1 Unit Series 1: Laboratory Hazards and Safety • Part 1.1: Common Laboratory Hazards o Sub Part 1.1.1: Chemical hazards o Sub Part 1.1.2: Biological hazards o Sub Part 1.1.3: Physical and fire hazards • Part 1.2: Prevention of Laboratory Hazards o Sub Part 1.2.1: Personal protective equipment o Sub Part 1.2.2: Safe handling and storage of materials o Sub Part 1.2.3: Laboratory rules and conduct • Part 1.3: First Aid in the Laboratory o Sub Part 1.3.1: First aid for chemical exposure o Sub Part 1.3.2: First aid for cuts, burns, and electric shock o Sub Part 1.3.3: First aid kit contents and emergency procedures • Part 1.4: Laboratory Safety Symbols and Regulations o Sub Part 1.4.1: Common laboratory safety symbols o Sub Part 1.4.2: Waste disposal and environmental safety o Sub Part 1.4.3: Laboratory safety regulations and responsibilities

AGE la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS Introduction A biology laboratory provides access to living organisms, chemicals, heat sources, sharp instruments, and electrical equipment, any of which can cause injury if misused or handled carelessly. Understanding the hazards present in a laboratory and the precautions needed to prevent accidents is the essential foundation of safe, effective practical work. This Series covers the common chemical, biological, physical, and fire hazards found in biology laboratories; the prevention measures including personal protective equipment, safe materials handling, and laboratory rules; first aid responses for chemical exposure, cuts, burns, and electric shock; and the safety symbols, waste disposal principles, and regulatory responsibilities that govern laboratory conduct. This safety knowledge underpins all the practical work covered in the remaining Series of this course. Series Learning Outcomes Upon completing this Series, you should be able to: • SLO 1.1 identify and describe common chemical, biological, and physical laboratory hazards, • SLO 1.2 describe prevention measures including personal protective equipment, safe handling, and laboratory rules, • SLO 1.3 describe first aid responses for chemical exposure, cuts, burns, and electric shock, and • SLO 1.4 recognise common laboratory safety symbols and explain waste disposal and safety responsibilities.

AGE la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS 1.1 Common Laboratory Hazards 1.1.1 Chemical hazards Chemical hazards in biology laboratories arise from acids (such as hydrochloric and sulphuric acid, which can cause severe burns on contact with skin or eyes), alkalis (such as sodium hydroxide, similarly corrosive), flammable organic solvents (such as ethanol and acetone, which ignite readily and produce toxic vapour), and toxic or carcinogenic reagents (such as formaldehyde used in specimen preservation, and various staining chemicals). Chemical hazards are particularly dangerous because many harmful chemicals have no obvious warning properties such as colour or odour at the concentrations typically encountered, making it easy to underestimate the risk; additionally, some chemical effects, such as sensitisation to an allergen or the long-term effects of repeated low-level exposure to certain chemicals, accumulate over time rather than producing immediate visible harm, reinforcing the importance of consistent preventive practice rather than only responding to obvious immediate danger. Fill in the blank: Chemical hazards in biology labs include acids, alkalis, flammable solvents, and toxic or ________ reagents such as formaldehyde. 1.1.2 Biological hazards Biological hazards arise from contact with microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites), biological specimens (animal or plant tissue, blood, or other body fluids), or biological waste, any of which may carry pathogens capable of causing infection if ingested, inhaled, or contacted with broken skin or mucous membranes; practical biology courses frequently involve handling living or preserved organisms, cultures, and biological samples that may present infection risk if proper precautions are not followed. The risk level of different biological materials varies considerably, with routine instructional specimens generally carrying lower risk than clinical samples or unknown cultures, but the appropriate response is to treat all biological material as potentially infectious rather than to attempt to estimate the specific risk for each individual sample, since the presence of

AGE la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS contamination is not always visually obvious and the consequences of unexpected exposure can be serious. Fill in the blank: The appropriate response to biological materials in the laboratory is to treat all biological material as potentially ________ rather than to attempt to estimate specific risk for each sample. 1.1.3 Physical and fire hazards Physical hazards include sharp instruments (scalpels, dissecting needles, broken glassware) capable of causing cuts and puncture wounds; electrical hazards from laboratory equipment (electric shock risk, particularly when equipment is used near water or with wet hands); heat hazards from Bunsen burners, hot plates, and autoclaves; and eye hazards from flying particles, chemical splashes, and ultraviolet light sources sometimes used in laboratory work. Fire hazards arise particularly from the combination of flammable solvents and open flame or heat sources, such as a Bunsen burner used in proximity to ethanol solutions, a scenario demanding particular care; fire can also arise from electrical faults, overloaded sockets, and improperly stored flammable materials, reinforcing that fire hazard prevention requires attention to both the materials used and the condition and arrangement of laboratory equipment. Fill in the blank: Fire hazards arise particularly from the combination of flammable ________ and open flame or heat sources, such as a Bunsen burner used near ethanol solutions.

AGE la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS Figure 1.1: Common laboratory hazards Pilot questions 1.1 1. Name four types of chemical hazards found in biology laboratories. 2. Explain why chemical hazards are particularly dangerous even when not immediately obvious. 3. Define biological hazard and name two sources of biological hazard in a biology laboratory. 4. Explain why all biological material should be treated as potentially infectious. 5. Name three physical hazards commonly found in biology laboratories.

AGE la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS 1.2 Prevention of Laboratory Hazards 1.2.1 Personal protective equipment Personal protective equipment (PPE) provides the primary physical barrier between a laboratory worker and the hazards present in the working environment; standard biology laboratory PPE includes a laboratory coat (protecting clothing and skin from chemical and biological splashes), safety goggles or spectacles (protecting eyes from chemical splashes and flying particles), gloves (protecting hands from chemical and biological contact), and, where airborne hazards are present, an appropriate face mask or respirator. PPE is effective only when worn correctly and consistently: a laboratory coat left open, goggles pushed onto the forehead, or gloves with holes provide little meaningful protection; students should therefore understand not only which PPE is required for a given task but also how to wear it correctly, and should inspect gloves and other PPE for damage before use, replacing any items that are damaged or past their effective lifespan. Fill in the blank: Standard biology laboratory PPE includes a laboratory coat, safety goggles, gloves, and, where airborne hazards are present, an appropriate face mask or ________ . 1.2.2 Safe handling and storage of materials Safe chemical handling requires reading and understanding the label and safety information on every chemical container before use, using the minimum quantity of chemical needed for a task, working in a fume cupboard when handling volatile or toxic chemicals, and never pipetting by mouth (using a pipette filler or bulb instead); chemicals should never be mixed unless specifically instructed to do so, since many apparently harmless combinations produce toxic or dangerous reactions. Safe storage requires keeping chemicals in their designated, properly labelled containers; storing flammable materials away from heat and ignition sources in appropriate, ventilated storage; keeping incompatible chemicals separate to prevent dangerous accidental reactions (such as acids and alkalis, or oxidising agents and flammable materials); and ensuring all containers are properly sealed when not in use to prevent vapour accumulation and accidental spills.

AGE la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS Fill in the blank: Safe chemical handling requires never pipetting by mouth, instead using a pipette ________ or bulb. 1.2.3 Laboratory rules and conduct General laboratory rules that prevent accidents include: always wearing full PPE before entering the laboratory working area; never eating, drinking, or applying cosmetics in the laboratory; keeping the bench clear of unnecessary materials and personal belongings; tying back long hair and securing loose clothing before working near heat or rotating equipment; and reporting any accidents, spills, or equipment defects immediately to the supervising instructor rather than attempting to deal with them silently. Students should also familiarise themselves with the location of emergency equipment in the laboratory before beginning work, including the fire extinguisher, emergency eyewash station, emergency shower, first aid kit, and fire exit, since in an actual emergency there is no time to search for these items; knowing their location and basic operation in advance could make a critical difference in the response time

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