Formaldehyde Overexposure to formaldehyde irritates the eyes, nose, throat, and skin. Formaldehyde can cause allergic reactions of the skin (dermatitis) and the lungs (asthma). Formaldehyde is a known cause of cancer in humans.
How to find out if
Some synonyms
you are working with formaldehyde
and trade names of formaldehyde products
Your employer must tell you if you are working with formaldehyde, and must train you to use it safely, under California's Formaldehyde Standard and the Hazard Communication Standard (see page 8). If you think you may be exposed to formaldehyde on the job, ask to see the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) for the products you are using. The MSDS must identify formaldehyde in Section 2, by the Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) number 50-00-0. Formaldehyde is commonly used as formalin, a mixture of 30-50% formaldehyde and 10-20% methyl alcohol in water. Formalin readily gives off irritating vapors with a strong odor.
formalin methaldehyde methanal methyl aldehyde methylene glycol methylene oxide oxomethane oxymethylene paraform paraformaldehyde
BFV Fannoform Formalith Formol Fyde Ivalon Karsan Lysoform Morbicid
How formaldehyde is
used and where it’s found Formaldehyde is used as a…
FACT SHEET
HESIS
FEBRUARY 2011 (revised)
• • • • •
disinfectant and sterilant,* fumigant, preservative, and in… embalming fluid, some keratin-based hair smoothing treatments.
* (other aldehydes used include glutaraldehyde and ortho-phthalaldehyde)
HAZARD EVALUATION SYSTEM & INFORMATION SERVICE California Department of Public Health Occupational Health Branch 850 Marina Bay Parkway, Building P, 3rd Floor, Richmond, CA 94804 510-620-5757 • www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/ohb
California Department of Public Health • California Department of Industrial Relations
It is used in making… • chemical resins • wrinkle-proof fabrics • rubber products • latex paints • dyes • plastics • paper products, and • cosmetics. It is found in… • insulation materials • plywood • particle board • adhesives • glues • paint primers, and • fingernail products. Any of these materials may give off formaldehyde vapors.
Liquid formaldehyde solutions contacting the eyes can damage the cornea, possibly causing blindness.
Formaldehyde is also present in combustion products, such as vehicle exhaust and tobacco smoke.
Lungs. High levels (5-30 ppm and higher) can severely irritate the lungs, causing chest pain and shortness of breath.
Some workers who
may have substantial exposure to formaldehyde
chemical and rubber workers embalmers laboratory workers health care workers clothing and textile workers furniture or wood product makers foundry workers insulation workers
H ow formaldehyde affects your body
Formaldehyde can affect you when you breathe its vapors or touch the liquid. Because formaldehyde reacts quickly with body tissues, it mainly affects the place of direct contact, such as the eyes, nose, and skin. The most common effect of overexposure is irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat.
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Eyes, Nose, and Throat. The eyes, nose, and throat are irritated by formaldehyde vapors at levels as low as about 0.3 part formaldehyde per million parts of air (0.3 part per million, or 0.3 “ppm" — see “Legal Exposure Limits"). This exposure can cause red, teary, burning eyes, sneezing and coughing, and sore throat. Some people have irritant symptoms at these very low exposure levels, while others can tolerate levels as high as a few ppm with little or no reaction.
Repeated exposure to formaldehyde can cause allergic asthma. Symptoms of asthma include chest tightness, shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing. Formaldehyde's long-term effects on the lungs are not fully understood. Skin. Formaldehyde solutions can destroy your skin's natural protective oils, causing dryness, flaking, cracking, and dermatitis (skin rash). Skin contact can also cause an allergic reaction (redness, itching, hives, and blisters). As many as one in twenty workers who are regularly exposed to formaldehyde develop an allergic skin reaction. Cancer. Formaldehyde exposure can cause cancer of the nose and sinuses in humans, as well as some types of leukemia and lymphoma. Formaldehyde is regulated as a carcinogen by Cal/OSHA and Cal/EPA. Reproductive System. Formaldehyde’s effect on pregnancy and the reproductive system has been studied in both humans and in laboratory animals. Formaldehyde has been shown to decrease fertility and increase the risk of spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) in humans. In laboratory animals, formaldehyde can harm the developing fetus and damage sperm. In order to avoid risk to pregnancy and the reproductive system, HESIS recommends minimizing workplace exposures to formaldehyde prior to and during pregnancy.
Legal exposure limits
➤ Re-test the air for formaldehyde each time there is a change that may result in new or additional exposure.
Permissible Exposure Limits. The Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board sets Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) for the amounts of chemicals in workplace air. PELs are intended to protect the health of most workers who are exposed every day over a working lifetime.
➤ Determine exposures promptly, if employees are
The PEL for formaldehyde is 0.75 part of formaldehyde per million parts of air (0.75 part per million, or 0.75 ppm). Legally, your exposure may be above the PEL at times, but only if it is below the PEL at other times, so that your average exposure for any 8-hour workshift is no more than 0.75 ppm.
➤ Notify employees in writing within 15 days after
The Short-Term Exposure Limit (STEL) for formaldehyde is 2 ppm. Your average exposure during any 15-minute period must not exceed 2 ppm. Exposure at or above the STEL triggers special requirements. The Action Level for formaldehyde is 0.5 ppm averaged over an 8-hour period. Air monitoring, medical surveillance, and other special requirements are triggered at or above this level. Cal/OSHA's formaldehyde standard, California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Section 5217, contains many other specific requirements (see information on page 8).
Monitoring your exposure
To reduce your risk of developing health problems from exposure to formaldehyde, your employer must…
➤ Identify employees who may be exposed at or above the action level or STEL.
➤ Test the air to accurately determine how much formaldehyde each identified employee is breathing.
having formaldehyde-related respiratory or skin symptoms.
➤ Allow employees or their designated representatives to observe any required exposure monitoring. receiving the exposure monitoring results. See the formaldehyde standard (information on page 8) for additional exposure monitoring requirements.
Tests for exposure and medical effects
Blood or urine tests. Formaldehyde does not stay in your body. No medical or laboratory test can accurately measure the amount of formaldehyde to which you have previously been exposed. There is no medical reason to do blood or urine tests for formaldehyde. Medical Surveillance. If you are exposed to formaldehyde at or above the action level or above the STEL, your employer must have a medical surveillance program to monitor effects on your health. Your employer also must…
➤ Provide the medical surveillance program if you develop signs and symptoms of overexposure to formaldehyde, or if you are exposed to formaldehyde during an emergency.
➤ Provide a medical disease questionnaire before assignment to jobs where exposures are at or above the action level or above the STEL, and promptly when you experience signs and symptoms that indicate overexposure to formaldehyde.
➤ Test the air periodically if the first tests show that exposures are at or above the action level or STEL.
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➤ Ensure a medical examination
Reducing exposure
• if evaluation of the questionnaire indicates that you may be at increased risk for health effects;
• a t the time you first start using a respirator (if you are required to wear one) and then once a year;
By law, employers must provide a safe and healthy workplace. Here are some ways employers and workers can work together to reduce exposures to formaldehyde. See the formaldehyde regulation for specific Cal/OSHA requirements (information on page 8).
• a s soon as possible if you are exposed to formaldehyde in an emergency.
Use safer substitutes whenever possible
➤ Provide the medical exam at a reasonable time and place, at no cost to you, and without loss of pay.
➤ Have a licensed physician or someone under
the physician’s supervision perform all medical procedures, including administration of the medical disease questionnaire.
➤ Hydrogen peroxide-based solutions often can be used as disinfectants.
➤ Ethyl alcohol, polyethylene glycol, or
phenoxyethanol can be used as fixatives or preservatives.
Ventilate the work area
➤ Provide specific information about your job, and ➤ Install professionally a copy of the formaldehyde standard and the appendices, to the health care provider.
➤ Provide you with a copy of the physician’s written opinion within 15 days after receiving it.
Medical Removal. If you experience significant irritation of the eyes, throat, or lungs, or asthma-like symptoms such as chest tightness, shortness of breath, coughing, or wheezing, a physician must determine whether you need to be removed from exposure to formaldehyde. A physician must also evaluate skin irritation or skin allergies caused by products that contain at least 0.1% formaldehyde. See the Cal/OSHA formaldehyde regulation for other specific medical removal requirements including job transfer or job training with retention of current earnings, seniority and other benefits, and provisions for multiple physician review of evaluation results.
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designed ventilation systems to maintain formaldehyde exposures below legal exposure limits.
➤ Conduct regular
maintenance on ventilation systems and ensure that they are functioning properly.
➤ Do not allow ventilation systems to recirculate formaldehyde vapors. Use personal protective equipment
➤ Protective clothing and equipment must be
provided at no cost to prevent skin and eye contact with liquids containing 1% or more formaldehyde. Employers must ensure that employees use it.
➤ Change rooms as specified in Title 8, Section 3367 must be provided for employees who are required to change from work clothes to protective clothing.
➤ Gloves made of nitrile, neoprene, butyl rubber or polyethylene laminate protect against incidental hand or skin contact with formaldehyde. Gloves made of latex may not provide adequate protection and can cause allergic reactions.
➤ Chemical resistant aprons protect against splashes to the body.
➤ Chemical safety goggles protect eyes from splashes.
➤ Face shields with chemical safety goggles protect the entire face from splashes.
➤ Respirators should be used as specified in the
formaldehyde regulation, only if ventilation and other control methods are not effective or feasible. Employers also must comply with the Cal/OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard (Title 8, Section 5144).
Inform and train workers
➤ Explain and discuss the formaldehyde regulation and MSDSs.
➤ Educate employees about formaldehyde health hazards and symptoms of overexposure. Emphasize the importance of reporting symptoms early.
➤ Provide eyewash facilities in areas where splashing may occur with solutions that contain 0.1% or more formaldehyde. Provide emergency showers in areas where solutions of 1% or more formaldehyde are used. Where both are required, locate them together within 10 seconds of the splash area (Title 8, Section 5162).
➤ Use laboratory fume hoods when working
with open containers of formaldehyde and specimens preserved in formaldehyde.
➤ Label all containers as specified in the formaldehyde regulation.
➤ Cap storage containers immediately when formaldehyde is not in use.
➤ Do not use formaldehyde on surfaces like carpets that can’t be cleaned easily. Minimize exposure from spills and contaminated material
➤ Instruct employees on the use of safe work
➤ Perform preventive maintenance on equipment
➤ Demonstrate the proper use and maintenance
➤ Develop procedures to contain spills,
➤ Explain the purpose and limitations of
➤ Use formaldehyde neutralization pads or sheets
➤ Instruct employees on how to respond to
➤ Repair all leaks and clean up spills promptly.
procedures.
of fume hoods and other local exhaust ventilation systems.
personal protective clothing and equipment and demonstrate how to use them properly. spills and emergencies, and on safe clean-up procedures.
and inspect frequently to detect leaks and spills. decontaminate work areas, and dispose of waste in work areas where spills may occur. where small spills or drips may occur on work surfaces. Ensure that employees are wearing suitable protective equipment and are trained.
➤ Conduct drills on emergency procedures that
➤ Use formaldehyde neutralization products
➤ Ensure that employees understand the
➤ Promptly remove contaminated material, such
include each employee’s specific duties. information and training.
Establish and use safe work procedures
➤ Identify regulated areas where formaldehyde
concentrations exceed the PEL or the STEL. Post with signs required by the regulation, and limit access to persons trained on the hazards of formaldehyde.
that neutralize quickly and don’t generate hazardous by-products. as towels, clothing, and sponges from the work area.
➤ Ventilate contaminated clothing and equipment
in properly labeled and established storage areas. Have only persons trained in formaldehyde hazards remove them.
➤ Place contaminated waste and debris for
disposal in sealed, labeled containers that warn of formaldehyde hazards.
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SPECIFIC WAYS TO REDUCE EXPOSURES FOR VARIOUS INDUSTRIES FUNERAL
APPAREL AND TEXTILE
➤ Use embalming fluid substitutes that contain
➤ Use low formaldehyde-containing cross-linking
ethyl alcohol, polyethylene glycol, or phenoxyethanol. Be aware that embalming creams and drying and hardening powders may also contain formaldehyde.
➤ Use embalming tables with local exhaust
ventilation that draws air down at the sides and carries it out of the room through ducts. These systems are sold for existing tables.
agents in textile manufacturing processes, when possible.
➤ Use a roof exhaust fan or other ventilation
systems to remove formaldehyde vapors from stored apparel and to provide a continuous supply of fresh air.
➤ Use small quantities for easy and safe handling. ➤ Use personal protective equipment such as gloves, chemical safety goggles, face shields, and aprons. Airflow
To exhaust
Cross section as viewed from end of table
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MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES ➤ Use other sterilization methods, such as low
temperature plasma or autoclaving, instead of formaldehyde whenever possible.
➤ Use nonformaldehyde disinfectants. Hydrogen peroxide-based solutions may be suitable.
➤ Use formaldehydefree fixatives for histopathological procedures, when possible.
➤ Use formaldehyde-based fixatives with the lowest concentration of formaldehyde possible.
➤ Incorporate automatic dispensing systems to replace manual formaldehyde handling procedures, such as washing, disinfecting, or dispensing.
➤ Ensure that hemodialysis drain line connections
are airtight to prevent formaldehyde vapors from escaping into treatment rooms.
➤ Spend as little time as possible in areas where hemodialyzers are reprocessed.
➤ Conduct work with open containers in laboratory fume hoods or using other local exhaust ventilation systems.
FOUNDRY AND FURNITURE
ELECTRONICS
➤ Convert to low-emitting formaldehyde resins,
➤ Consider switching to formaldehyde-free
when possible.
➤ Use formaldehyde-free wood products. ➤ Provide a continuous supply of fresh air where furniture is stored.
alternatives in printed circuit boards. Carbon, graphite, organic-palladium, tin-palladium, sodium hypophosphite electroless copper, and conductive polymer technology are examples.
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RESOURCES REGULATIONS THAT HELP TO PROTECT WORKERS ➤ Formaldehyde Standard. This comprehensive standard, California Code of Regulations (CCR), (Title 8, Section 5217) requires employers to take specific actions to protect workers from allergic reactions, irritation, and cancer that can result from exposure to formaldehyde. See www.dir.ca.gov/title8/5217.html.
➤ Hazard Communication Standard. Under this standard (Title 8, Section 5194), your employer must tell you if you are working with any hazardous substances, must train you to use them safely, and must make Material Safety Data Sheets available. See www.dir.ca.gov/title8/5194.html.
➤ Injury and Illness Prevention Program. Every employer must have an effective, written Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) that identifies a person with the authority and responsibility to run the program (Title 8, Section 3203). The IIPP must include methods for identifying workplace hazards, methods for correcting hazards quickly, health and safety training at specified times, a system for communicating clearly with all employees about health and safety matters (including safe ways for employees to tell the employer about hazards), and recordkeeping to document the steps taken to comply with the IIPP. See www.dir.ca.gov/title8/3203.html.
➤ Access to Medical and Exposure Records. You have the right to see and copy your own medical records, and any records of toxic substance exposure monitoring (Title 8, Section 3204). These records are important in determining whether your health has been affected by your work. Employers who have such records must keep them and make them available to you for at least 30 years after the end of your employment. See www.dir.ca.gov/title8/3204.html.
WHERE TO GET HELP ➤ HESIS. Answers questions about formaldehyde and other workplace hazards for California workers, employers, and health care professionals. Call 1-866-282-5516. HESIS also has many free publications available. To request publications, leave a message at (866) 627-1586, visit our website at www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/ohb, or write to HESIS at 850 Marina Bay Parkway, Building P, 3rd Floor, Richmond, CA 94804.
➤ National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Hazard Control 26 / Controlling Formaldehyde Exposures During Embalming: www.cdc.gov/niosh/hc26.html.
➤ California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA). Investigates workers’ complaints and answers questions about workplace health and safety regulations. Complainants’ identities are kept confidential. Contact the nearest Cal/OSHA Enforcement District Office. They are listed in the blue government section near the front of the phone book, under “State Government / Industrial Relations /Occupational Safety and Health /Enforcement" or visit their website at www.dir.ca.gov/DOSH.
➤ Other resources for employees may include your supervisor, your union, your company health and safety officer, your doctor, or your company doctor.
➤ Cal/OSHA Consultation Service. Helps employers who want free non-enforcement assistance to improve health and safety conditions. Employers can call 1-800-963-9424. To obtain a copy of this document in an alternate format, please contact: (510) 620-5757. (CA Relay Service: 800-735-2929 or 711). Please allow at least ten (10) working days to coordinate alternate format services.
Edmund G. Brown Jr., Governor State of California Diana S. Dooley, Secretary Health and Human Services Agency ark B Horton, MD, MSPH, Director M Department of Public Health Marty Morgenstern, Secretary Labor and Workforce Development Agency John C. Duncan, Director Department of Industrial Relations
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JANE NORLING DESIGN
Gross Anatomy Laboratory Rules and Regulations Working in the gross anatomy laboratory is a privilege. All students, faculty, instructors, and staff are required to observe the following rules and regulations: 1) The willed body donors will be treated with respect at all times. 2) Students, faculty, instructors, and staff will treat each other with respect at all times. 3) Human remains must never be removed from the lab. 4) Do not remove donor or specimen identification tags. 5) The gross anatomy laboratory is a restricted area. Only authorized personnel (students enrolled in anatomy and authorized faculty, instructors and staff) may enter. At no time will visitors be permitted in the lab without an academic purpose AND the permission of Dr. Fisher, the Director of the Gross Anatomy Laboratory. 6) The doors to the anatomy lab must be closed and locked at all times. Authorized personnel will gain access to the lab via a keycard badge. 7) The right of privacy and confidentiality of the donors must be respected at all times; students, instructors, staff, and authorized visitors are prohibited from taking photos or recording video in the lab. 8) Eating (including gum or hard candy), drinking, and smoking are not permitted in the lab. 9) Long pants and closed-‐toed shoes are required in the lab at all times. Shorts and open-‐toed shoes are not permitted. In addition, you must wear the provided protective sleeves, apron, nitrile gloves, and safety glasses at all times while working in the lab. This Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is used to prevent contact between your skin and eyes and the preservative fluids and other donor body fluids. If any of your PPE becomes torn or otherwise unable to prevent this contact, remove that item, throw it away and replace the item with a new one immediately. Class time will be reserved for demonstration of proper use of this required PPE. 10) If handsaws, surgical saws, or mallets and chisels are being used, everyone in the lab must wear additional PPE. Instructors who are operating the tools must wear safety goggles and N95 facemasks and all other individuals, including students, must wear safety goggles and surgical masks; in addition, if surgical saws are being used, everyone in the lab must wear earplugs. Only instructors are permitted to use the saws, mallets, and chisels; students are not permitted to use them. Instructors who will be operating this equipment must be medically screened, fit-‐tested and trained on respirator use. Saws, mallets, and chisels are typically used only during the NAU PA & PT/ASU labs. 11) All personal protective gear (including gloves) must be removed and hands washed prior to leaving the lab. Door handles should never be touched with gloved hands. However, during an emergency
evacuation, all PPE must be removed prior to leaving the lab but hands should be washed elsewhere, in a safe location (please see sections 14 and 23 for more information). 12) The fume levels in the lab are monitored to ensure that they are within safety limits. However, we recommend that those who are pregnant or are planning to become pregnant wear a P100 respirator with vapor cartridges in the lab. Preliminary studies suggest a potential link between exposure to organic solvents and an increased risk of fetal malformations (JAMA, 1999, Volume 281: 1106-‐1109). If you would like to wear a respirator, please contact Caleb Heap, the Coordinator of the Gross Anatomy Laboratory (
[email protected]). Caleb will assist you in the process of getting medically screened, fit-‐tested and trained on respirator use. For further guidance, please consult with your personal physician. 13) Do not open a body bag at a slotted, ventilated table until the 3-‐hour timer is turned on. This will ensure that the ventilation at that table is running at 100% capacity. To confirm that a table is running at full capacity, please refer to the gauge at the foot of each table. If the table is operating at 100% capacity, the needle will lie in the green zone. If the needle is in the yellow or red zones, zip up the body bag immediately. During class hours, report this to an instructor; after class hours, call Caleb Heap immediately (602 827-‐2303) to report the incident. Only these individuals are authorized to check for obstructions within the table (e.g., paper towels), which may be reducing the ventilation. Students are not permitted to disassemble the tables to check for obstructions. One minute prior to the expiration of the 3-‐hour time period, an alarm will sound. The alarm will cease when the 3-‐hour limit is reached. If the alarm goes off and work is ongoing at that table, the timer must be turned on again to reset another 3-‐hour period at 100% capacity. When the timer is off, the ventilation at that table is running at 50% capacity and the gauge needle will lie in the red zone. Class time will be reserved for demonstration of proper use of these tables. 14) If you are working in the lab outside of class time and there is a power outage, please zip up the body bag at that table(s), remove all PPE, and evacuate the gross lab immediately. Proceed to the sixth floor restroom to wash your hands and then call Caleb Heap (602 827-‐2303) to report the incident. Please post a sign on the main lab door to warn other users that the laboratory is closed. Class time will be reserved to demonstrate an emergency evacuation drill. 15) While you are working in the lab, do not apply lip balm, touch your face or make any other direct skin contact with the donor or items and surfaces in the lab. If skin contact does occur, immediately irrigate the area in the sink for a minimum of at least 15 minutes. In extreme cases, when a large area of skin is affected and the area cannot be thoroughly irrigated in the sink, use the emergency shower located outside the lab. During class hours, report the incident to an instructor immediately. All incidents must be reported (no matter how minor), entered into the incident log, and documented with an incident report. After completing these steps, the instructor will give the incident report to Caleb Heap. If the incident occurs after class hours, call Caleb Heap immediately (602 827-‐2303). 16) If fluid splashes into your eye, rinse it out thoroughly at one of the eye wash stations. Immediately irrigate your eyes with copious amounts of water for a minimum of at least 15 minutes, while holding the eyelids open and rolling the eyes. After irrigation, get medical care as soon as possible. If you are wearing contact lenses, do not delay irrigation to remove your lenses. Irrigate immediately and remove your lenses when it is practical. During class hours, report the incident to an instructor
immediately. All incidents must be reported (no matter how minor), entered into the incident log, and documented with an incident report. After completing these steps, the instructor will give the incident report to Caleb Heap. If the incident occurs after class hours, call Caleb Heap immediately (602 827-‐2303). Although contact lenses are permitted in the gross lab, prescription glasses are strongly recommended as chemical environments may represent an additional hazard to contact lens wearers due to possible absorption. 17) If you develop a rash, are cut or otherwise injured, inform an instructor immediately. All incidents must be reported (no matter how minor), entered into the incident log, and documented with an incident report. After completing these steps, the instructor will give the incident report to Caleb Heap. If the incident occurs after class hours, call Caleb Heap immediately (602 827-‐2303). Two first aid cabinets are located in the lab. Always wear nitrile gloves when assisting someone with a cut or other injury, as you may be exposed to potential bloodborne pathogens. 18) Handle the plastic anatomical models and skeletal material in the lab with care. Please put on a clean pair of gloves when handling these items. Do not disarticulate the mounted skeletons. Do not remove the anatomical models and osteological material from the lab. 19) The use of cell phones or other communication devices is not permitted in the lab. If cell phones or pagers need to be turned on during class time, you must set them to vibrate mode. If you need to make a call, please leave the laboratory to do so. Before leaving the lab, you must remove all PPE and wash your hands. All communication devices are prohibited during exams. 20) The use of portable music players is not permitted during class. You may use these devices when working in the lab after hours; however, headphones or earbuds must be worn at all times. 21) Each lab group is responsible for setting up their lab station prior to class and cleaning their lab station at the end of class. Please arrive in a timely fashion (at least 10 minutes prior to the start of lab for medical students) to set up your station, including placing the dissection tools and Netter atlas on the table and putting on your protective sleeves, apron, safety glasses, and nitrile gloves. In addition, students are required to review the donor chart for any notes recorded during the previous lab. At the end of lab, each lab group is responsible for cleaning the dissection tools with soap and water, cleaning the dissection table, body bag, lab stools, protective sleeves, and aprons with the disinfectant provided, cleaning the safety glasses and goggles with the lens cleaners provided, and returning the tools, sleeves, aprons, safety glasses and Netter atlas to the storage bins. In addition, prior to leaving the lab, students are required to record any observed variations, pathologies, or evidence of surgery in the donor chart. 22) Each lab group is responsible for keeping the donor properly hydrated. Keep parts of the donor that you are not working on covered at all times. While you are working, spray the dissected area with water to keep the tissues hydrated. At the end of each lab, moisten the dissected area with water or wetting solution if needed and wrap the exposed area with skin flaps (secured with string) or paper towels saturated with water. Zip up the body bag at the end of each lab and inform an instructor immediately if a bag is cut or damaged. 23) Maintain a clean working environment. Do not let fluid accumulate on your table or on the floor. For minor spills only, wipe up spilled fluids immediately using paper towels. Do not attempt to clean up
minor spills unless you are wearing the required PPE (e.g., protective sleeves, apron, nitrile gloves, and safety glasses). Class time will be reserved to demonstrate the proper procedure for minor spill cleanup. In the event of a large spill, do not attempt to clean it. Instead, remove all PPE and evacuate the lab immediately. Proceed to the sixth floor restroom to wash your hands and then call Caleb Heap (602 827-‐2303) to report the incident. Please post a sign on the main lab door to warn other users that the laboratory is closed. As noted above (in section 14), class time will be reserved to demonstrate an emergency evacuation drill. 24) If fluid needs to be aspirated from the body cavity of a donor or the body bag, please ask an instructor or Caleb Heap for assistance. Students are not permitted to operate the vacuum units in the lab. 25) All students are expected to study a number of donors in the lab to appreciate the normal range of variation and to prepare for exams. NAU OT students are not permitted to dissect and ASU students, NAU PA and PT students, and UA medical students are only permitted to dissect at their assigned table. As you dissect, fat and other cadaveric waste will accumulate. Place this waste in the plastic container that is provided at each table. When the container is full, dispose of this waste in the designated biohazard containers and close the lid on the container. However, keep all organs and skin flaps in the body bag with the donor-‐do not dispose. 26) Non-‐biological waste (e.g., gloves and paper towels) should be disposed of in the designated biohazard containers. 27) Take care when using scalpel blades. Make sure all group members are aware of the location of the blade(s) on the table. If you are unsure how to insert or remove a blade, please ask an instructor for help. When a blade gets dull and at the end of each lab, place used blades in the designated sharps containers; take care when transporting the blades to these containers. Class time will be reserved for demonstration of proper blade disposal for those students who will be dissecting. 28) A copy of these rules and regulations are posted in the gross anatomy laboratory. For more details on lab safety, please refer to the Gross Anatomy Laboratory Biosafety Manual and MSDS sheets that are stored in the lab. MSDS sheets for formaldehyde products can also be found online at the manufacturer’s website: http://shop.dodgeco.com/materialsafetydatasheets.aspx 29) Any individual failing to comply with these rules and regulations is subject to disciplinary action and/or revocation of the privilege to work in the gross anatomy laboratory. 30) All individuals using the gross anatomy laboratory will acknowledge their understanding of these rules and regulations by signing the first page of the Gross Anatomy Laboratory Safety Training module.
