Laboratory safety
In our team's experiments, laboratory safety is one of the most important aspects. To ensure the health and safety of our team members, we adhere to strict laboratory safety protocols, covering lab facilities, training, safety management, and waste disposal. We are committed to ensuring that all team members follow stringent operational guidelines, fostering a controlled experimental environment for each procedure.
Laboratory Safety Facilities
Our laboratory is equipped with comprehensive safety facilities to ensure that each experiment is conducted in the safest conditions possible. First and foremost, the laboratory has an efficient ventilation system, including biological safety cabinets and fume hoods. All experiments that involve microbiological manipulation or generate harmful gases are performed within these devices to ensure that our students are not exposed to hazardous substances, minimizing potential risks. These facilities are also regularly maintained and inspected to ensure they function properly.
Fire extinguishing devices, such as fire extinguishers and fire blankets, are permanent to respond to potential fires or emergencies. In an emergency, lab members can quickly locate and operate fire extinguishers, thereby avoiding severe injury and damage.
Additionally, we have installed emergency eye wash stations and safety showers to prevent injuries from accidental chemical or biological splashes to the eyes or skin. Each team member is trained on how to use these facilities properly, ensuring that emergency measures can be implemented quickly if necessary.
Figure 1. Diverse safety facilities within our laboratory
Safety Management
Safety management involves assigning dedicated personnel in the laboratory to regularly inspect equipment safety status and promptly issue maintenance notices, ensuring the smooth progress of experiments and rational allocation of resources. Beyond the students themselves, the college management also diligently safeguards laboratory safety.
After 12:00 AM daily, security guards in the laboratory building will conduct regular patrols to check personnel departure and lab closure status in each lab. If a student is found conducting experiments alone or staying late into the night, they will verify whether the student has reported the overnight experiment to the management and increase patrol frequency to ensure the safety of the researchers.
Furthermore, each floor of the laboratory building is equipped with first-aid kits and AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators), along with emergency call devices to facilitate timely reporting of hazards. After purchasing hazardous chemicals such as hydrochloric acid, they must be promptly stored in safety cabinets. Both collection and return are subject to face recognition verification tied to real-name registration, with a limit imposed on the quantity a purchaser can collect as well. Through these measures, multi-level safety management and risk control are implemented, safeguarding personnel's safety.
Figure 2. Multi-level safe management and risk control
Laboratory Organization and Cleaning
To prevent cross-contamination and the escape of engineered strains, we implement zoning management for reagents and instruments, and regularly clean the laboratory environment. Disposable consumables such as gloves, shoe covers and masks are promptly replaced and properly disposed of. Pipettes, tips, centrifuge tubes, and other lab tools are categorized and organized, with sufficient operating space reserved. Hazardous reagents, raw materials for preparing culture media are assigned dedicated zones based on risk levels, and notably, highly contaminated substances like nucleic acid stains are managed in specially designated contamination zones, where cross-use of gloves is strictly prohibited.
Figure 3. Laboratory zoning management for various parts of experiments
Additionally, the lab is always stocked with 75% ethanol for thorough disinfection of the surrounding environment and lab equipment, mitigating the risk of microbial contamination. A rotational maintenance system is enforced for public lab benches, encompassing tasks such as replacing and collecting trash bags. Through collective efforts, we maintain a clean lab environment, laying a robust foundation for the accuracy of experimental data and the health of all personnel.
Waste Disposal
Waste disposal is a critical part of laboratory management, and we follow national and institutional regulations to ensure proper handling of the various types of waste generated during experiments. Biological waste, such as bacterial cultures, media, and related materials, is treated according to strict procedures, typically by soaking lye to eliminate microbial activity and collecting in the dedicated waste liquid container, ensuring it is safely handled.
For chemical waste, we ensure that each type of chemical waste is treated separately. Chemical reagents and solvents used during experiments are collected in designated waste containers according to their specific categories, preventing cross-contamination or improper mixing. We also pay special attention to wastewater generated during experiments and pretreat it to remove harmful components before being safely discharged.
Table 1. List of Hazardous Waste Classification in Laboratories of Zhejiang University
Apart from biological and chemical waste, other general waste, such as plastic and glass, is also properly sorted and disposed of. All types of waste are labeled according to classification standards. They are transported to the cluster's waste recycling station for centralized disposal at designated times on workdays, following the shift schedule. Meanwhile, proper registration and backup records are maintained, with responsibilities assigned to each individual.
Figure 4. Schematic diagram of laboratory waste disposal