Laboratory conditions and safety in a chemical warfare agent analysis and research laboratory

Military Medicine, Aug 2002 by Karayilanoglu, Turan

Decontamination System

A separate shower system, decontamination system, and dressing area should be provided.

Alarm System

There should be an alarm system available to provide safety against spills, accidents, and system failure detection.

Air-Lock System

Chemical agents and related equipment should be treated through a well-organized air-lock system.

Laminar-Flow Cabinet Equipment

Exhaust air is filtered via a high-efficiency particulate air filter, and waste water should be disposed of according to safety rules.

Personal Protective Clothing

Personal protective clothing and equipment, including a typical full-face respirator, are required in this laboratory. However, some health problems can arise because of the use of protective clothing and equipment. Full-face respirators can create visual distortion, cause breathing to be more difficult, and impair verbal communication. Mobility can also be inhibited by protective suits.3

Destruction Facility

All contaminated materials with CWAs and other laboratory tools should be destroyed by appropriate techniques or burning systems such as incinerators.

Ventilation-Exhaust System

A ventilation-exhaust system is one of the most important design features of any laboratory. An emergency-purge ventilation system is also necessary, which would be activated in a toxic leakage alerted by an alarm system. The balance of air flow is adjusted to provide a negative pressure. Most of the air is supplied through the main building service.

Fire Extinguisher

A fire extinguisher is necessary to put out fires in the laboratory. Everyone in the laboratory should be instructed in the use of these extinguishers or any other fire-fighting equipment.5 Each employee should know the location of available fire-fighting equipment and how to use it and where the evacuation routes are.6

Safety in a Study with CWAs

A large number of safety items should be available for a CWAARL. Implementation of these standards should be based on improving researchers' health, safety, productivity, and work quality. To optimize the design of a laboratory, designers should work closely with chemists, technicians, and safety personnel to best evaluate the needs.3

Storage

The proper storage and use of chemicals is necessary to avoid dangers such as burns, explosions, fires, and toxic fumes. Thus, knowledge of the properties of the chemicals in use and of proper handling procedures greatly reduces dangerous situations.5 A few important safety items are described briefly below.6

Handling and Transportation

Careful attention in a CWAARL must be paid to the appropriate collection, handling, and transport of forensic and pathology specimens7 and to the disposal of chemical/biological hazardous materials, including all biological and other related (soil, air, water) specimens.6 Toxic agents or samples contaminated by them also must be transported by technicians in special containers having a card alarm system, thereby creating additional physical work as well as potentially hazardous situations.3