Although not officially a pandemic, the miserable 2018 flu season is a vivid reminder of the importance of preparing so that your lab responds effectively if and when the next pandemic does hit. The … [Read more...]
LAB SAFETY
Emergency Staffing ABCs
January 22, 2018
By Dan Scungio, MT (ASCP), SLS, CQA (ASQ) bio When I was growing up near Buffalo, New York, experiencing two snow storms in three weeks was no big deal; in fact, it was rather commonplace. … [Read more...]
OSHA
The 10 Assumptions NOT to Make when Doing Your OSHA 300s
November 30, 2017
December is here and it's time for the logs. No, not the yule logs—the OSHA 300 logs! It's time to get the year's injury and illness records in order and start getting the OSHA 300A ready for the Feb. … [Read more...]
LAB SAFETY
CLIA Corner: FDA Moves to Boost CLIA Waiver Transparency
November 30, 2017
The CLIA standards that a lab must meet are based on the complexity of the in vitro diagnostic tests it performs. The FDA's primary role in the CLIA system is to categorize IVDs. Test … [Read more...]
LAB SAFETY
Fanning the Flames
October 16, 2017
By Dan Scungio, MT (ASCP), SLS, CQA (ASQ) bio Story #1: The fire started in the university chemistry laboratory when a research student used a flammable chemical too close to the open … [Read more...]
LAB SAFETY
By the Numbers: Lab Injury and Exposure Data
August 21, 2017
By Dan Scungio, MT (ASCP), SLS, CQA (ASQ) bio Finding information about the number of Laboratory Acquired Infections (LAIs) and other laboratory injuries in the United States is difficult. … [Read more...]
SURVIVING AN INSPECTION
The 5 Things You Should Never Say to an OSHA Inspector
July 31, 2017
The way you handle an OSHA inspection can have as much impact on the outcome as the actual health and safety condition of your lab. More precisely, the things your front line employees do and say when … [Read more...]
COMPLIANCE PERSPECTIVES
How Much Time Does OSHA Have to Cite Labs for Recordkeeping Violations?
June 5, 2017
GROUND RULE OSHA Recordkeeping Regulations (Section 1904.33) require labs and other employers to retain accurate illness and injury records) for 5 years. OSHA has a 6-month window to issue … [Read more...]
LAB SAFETY
Getting a new lab space? Design it for safety now and save thousands later
May 24, 2017
By Dan Scungio, MT (ASCP), SLS, CQA (ASQ) bio Let me tell you a story. Once upon a time, there was a laboratory manager who worked in a hospital that was designing a new stand-alone … [Read more...]
LABORATORY SAFETY
Making Laboratory Safety as Simple as ABC
April 10, 2017
By Dan Scungio, MT (ASCP), SLS, CQA (ASQ) bio When it comes to safety in the laboratory, there are several rules, regulations, and guidelines to keep track of from multiple organizations. … [Read more...]
