CLINICAL LAB SCIENEC

102
ESSENTIALS OF CLINICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE
Safety Alert
Clinical Instructor Safety Instruction
Clinical instructors of medical
laboratory programs are responsible
for instructing students and effectively
communicating activities required to
remain safe and healthy.
• Incorporate safety instruction in the
course of study.
• Give instructions on hazard and
accident prevention specifi c to the
particular laboratory program.
• Give instructions and promote
activities that may lead to accident
prevention in the future.
• Personally foster safety practices.
• Individually follow all safety
practices.
• Keep informed about modern and
accepted safe practices in the subject
field.
• Revise laboratory facilities to provide
for optimum safety conditions. Give
special attention to layouts, utilities
and building services, equipment and
tools, and storage and handling of
materials.
• Carry out recommendations of the
administrator for improving safety
instructions.
• Devise and enforce safe
housekeeping procedures.
• Provide for use and maintenance
of necessary personal protective
equipment.
• Develop specific safe practices and
regulations.
• Make recommendations to
administrators for improving
environmental safety conditions.
• Develop a safety program for the
department and keep it up to date.
prevention. In the clinical setting where a student may be performing
skills practice, the departmental preceptor or instructor has the
major responsibility for ensuring the students and other workers
are properly oriented and trained in safety matters. The Safety Alert
on this page lists the responsibilities of the instructor or the preceptor
in the clinical site for a comprehensive accident prevention
program in school shops and laboratories.
Student Responsibilities
Students are an integral part of the safety program because they are
involved with processes that may expose them to danger if they are
uninformed, complacent, or careless. Learning the proper safety
procedures prepares them in the proper use of tools and equipment.
Safety is an important component of training, and students
should be advised on reporting unsafe practices or conditions (see
the Safety Alert on the following page), as this responsibility rests
on the student worker.
Accident Investigation
All accidents should be investigated, and the sooner they are investigated,
the more effective the observations will be. Any need for
modifications of policies and procedures should be quickly initiated
to avoid repeat incidents. Investigators or Safety Committee
representatives (and instructors if the incident involves a student)
should be prompt and thorough in their investigations. The following
steps are intended to assist in investigating accidents.
Everyone should be made aware that there is a very real dividend
to be earned in safety, not only in the money saved by avoiding
costly accidents but also in an improved student morale produced
by setting up safety programs. The safety-oriented organization is
one that cares about its students’ welfare and knows that caring
pays off. Obviously, all workplace accidents cannot be eliminated.
As long as there are people, accidents will occur. But much can
and should be done to train students to work safely and to provide
students with safe working conditions. Since some accidents
will occur, this section deals with what should be done after an
accident occurs. Loss of staff may occur for extended periods of
time while recovering from injuries suffered in the workplace. This
places an undue financial burden on the institution by requiring
that others be required to work overtime, or temporary help may
be solicited.
An accident is easily identified and is accurately defined as an
unintended occurrence that caused or could have caused personal
injury or material damage, such as tripping or slipping and falling
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