A Health and Safety Inspection Checklist For a Biomedical Laboratory Area

• Conducted on

  Date

• Prepared by

• Building

• Location
  Address

• Areas Covered

  Select Yes No N/A

  • Yes
  • No
  • N/A

General Work Environment

• was this area covered/inspected?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Administration Plans/Required Information/Postings

• was this area covered/inspected?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Chemical Safety

• was this area covered/inspected?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Hazardous waste management

• was this area covered/inspected?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Biological Safety

• was this area covered/inspected?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Radiation safety

• was this area covered/inspected?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Emergency Planning

• was this area covered/inspected?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Exit Access and Corridors

• was this area covered/inspected?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Personal Protective Equipment

• was this area covered/inspected?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Electrical Safety

• was this area covered/inspected?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Machinery

• was this area covered/inspected?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Training/Awareness

• was this area covered/inspected?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Ventilation

• was this area selected/inspected?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Food and Beverages

• was this area covered/inspected?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Housekeeping/Internal Audit

• was this area covered/inspected?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

General Work Environment

• Work areas illuminated

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Aisles and passageways kept clear

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Trash removed promptly

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Heavy items stored on lower shelves

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Pits and floor openings covered or guarded

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Fire doors not blocked or wedged open

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Appropriate PPE are worn by lab workers

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Storage of combustible materials minimized

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Administration Plans/Required Information/Postings

• Do all lab personnel have access to written SOPs that document safety procedures?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Do all lab staff know how and when to report accidents, incidents, or near misses

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Was a safety self-inspection performed and documented within the last 12 months?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are risk assessments of hazards conducted and documented for new work and chemical usage?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are emergency contact numbers, including after-hours emergency contact numbers for lab staff, posted within the laboratory?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is a lab hazard caution sign posted on corridor door?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are additional hazard warning signs (toxic chemicals, flammable, high voltage, etc.) posted in lab near the hazard?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Has the lab’s chemical inventory been reviewed and updated within the last year?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Yes

  No

  N/A

Chemical Safety

• Refrigeration units for chemical storage labeled No Food

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Chemical storage cabinets properly labeled

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Appropriate labels are found on all hazardous chemical containers.

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Ventilated gas cabinets used for highly toxic gases

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• All compressed gas cylinders secured in upright position.

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• All compressed gas cylinders capped when not in use.

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Shelves and chemical containers in good condition (no leaks, rust).

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Spill control equipment (neutralizers, absorbent pads) are present.

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Containers kept closed except during transfers

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Hazardous Waste Management

• Are biomedical wastes and/or 'sharps' wastes generated here?

  No

  Yes

• Are there color-coded waste bins for bio-medical wastes available in the lab area?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Constituents of the waste described on the container label?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Do each colored waste-bin contain items assigned to it?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Containers labeled with the words Hazardous Waste?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is there a biohazard symbol imprinted over waste bags?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Waste containers are in good condition (not leaking, rusted, bulging or damaged).

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Waste containers are kept closed unless adding waste?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are waste bags securely fitted with the bin?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are sharps such as needles, syringes, blades and other sharps disposed in a proper container 'sharp box' that is kept closed unless waste is being added?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are chemical wastes generated in this area?

  No

  Yes

• Glass chemical containers recycled per established procedures?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Separate disposal containers available for broken glass

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are chemical waste containers in good condition and compatible with their contents?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are incompatible chemical wastes segregated by hazard class?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are all chemical waste containers labeled with a completed hazardous waste label?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Biological Safety

• Biological materials are not stored in hallways or stored in unlocked freezers or refrigerators?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Biohazard signs are posted in all labs handling infectious materials?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Lab coats, gowns or scrubs are in use in labs handling infectious materials?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Disinfectants are on hand for sanitizing bench tops and treating spills?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• is a sink available for hand washing?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Biological safety cabinet(s) were certified within the last 12 months?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is bio-hazardous waste packaged for regulated waste or autoclaved in a timely manner?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Radiation Safety

• Is radioactive material present in this area?

  No

  Yes

• Is a proper sign posted on the lab door?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Radioactive and/or mixed waste containers are properly labeled.

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• The GM meter(s) is calibrated.

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• The radioactive material use area is marked properly.

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• The radioactive material storage freezer is properly labeled.

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Vials of radioactive material within a freezer are stored in a proper "lock box".

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Emergency planning

• Written Emergency Action Plan?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are fire extinguishers available, easily accessible, and free of obstructions?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Fire alarm pull stations unobstructed

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are roof fire sprinklers available?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Eyewash and safety showers available in close proximity and unobstructed

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Emergency lights functional

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Does the laboratory have access to chemical/biological spill kits?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Do lab staff have access to a fully stocked first-aid kit?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are emergency contact numbers, including after-hours emergency contact numbers for lab staff, posted within the laboratory

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are all lab staffs trained on emergencies such as fire drills, spillage incidents, use of first-aid kits, hazardous accidents?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Building Evacuation Routes posted?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Exit Access and Corridors

• Are aisles and exits within the laboratory space free of clutter and obstructions?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are corridors and exits free of obstruction and hazardous materials?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Personal Protective Equipment

• Has a PPE hazard risk assessment been completed for all laboratory activities?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Have all lab personnel completed PPE Training?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are supplies of minimum PPE required for routine work available to all lab members?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Eye and face protection available where needed

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• inappropriate shoes prohibited where corrosive chemicals are used?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Electrical Safety

• Are extension cords or power strips chained to each other?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are building electrical panels accessible?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Exposed wiring or electrical cords in poor condition are not in use?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are extension cords not used, or used only as temporary wiring and not running under carpets, doors, or through walls and ceilings?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is equipment with motors, heaters, and other high amperage needs plugged directly into a wall receptacle?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Cover plate in place for outlets and switches

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) used for wet/exterior use

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Multiplug adapters have overload protection

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Machinery

• Are all hazardous pieces of machinery mounted or secured to prevent movement or tipping?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are all points of operation, rotating components, and other moving parts of machinery properly guarded to prevent injury?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is laboratory equipment with potential hazards routinely inspected, and maintained or serviced as recommended?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Training and Awareness

• Workers have attended Laboratory Safety Training

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Workers have attended Emergency Action Plan Training

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Workers have attended a laboratory orientation

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Training (Health and safety training and departmental) is documented

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• workers are aware on what to do in the event of an emergency, such as fire, injury, including evacuation routes?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• workers are aware of how to clean up chemical spills

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• workers are aware of what type of personal protective equipment to use and when to use it

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• workers knows most hazardous materials they use and what precautions to take when disposing hazardous wastes

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Workers knows the Safety Manager for the department?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Ventilation

• Fume hood vents (baffles) unobstructed

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are processes that emit vapors, gasses, or fumes adequately captured by local ventilation (hoods, snorkel)?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Fume hoods used with sash in appropriate position

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Each fumes hoods vents are surveyed and are working properly

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Food and Beverages

• Is food and drink prohibited in laboratory areas?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are break areas separated by walls and doors from the lab

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Food refrigerators located in break areas or another location separate from laboratory space and labelled appropriately

  Yes

  No

  N/A

House Keeping/Internal Audit

• Is the lab free of slip and trip hazards?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is the lab adequately organized, orderly, and clean to provide for sufficient work space for operations without spills, accidents, and other preventable incidents?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is there minimal glassware stored in the sink or on the bench top?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are lab coats regularly laundered by hospital or industrial laundry service?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are sinks kept clear to provide access to handwashing at all times?

  Yes

  No

  N/A