Reagents

After use, laboratory reagents and materials were stored in the laboratory warehouse for proper inventory management and safe usage.

Personal Safety

Our personal protection techniques like tying back hair, wearing a face mask, nitrile gloves, a lab coat, long pants, and close-toed shoes, were a fundamental aspect of our work, guaranteeing everyone's safety and maintaining experimental integrity.

Personal items

Non-disposable items were stored in their designated location and remained within its space, avoiding potential risks to team members and the campus community. Personal items that could contaminate, like necklaces and earrings, were not worn. The correct use of PPE was strictly upheld throughout laboratory activities.

Emergency protocol

For our personal safety, our laboratories provided us specific guidelines to know how to act in case of an accident on the workplace. This diagram includes the phone numbers of campus authorities. Also, it is placed over a first-aid kit. Additionally, our team made sure safety came first by making sure all emergency exit doors were clear and easy to use. We're not just focused on doing experiments well; we also want to create a culture where we're always watching out for potential issues and ready to handle anything that comes up

Hand safety

Consistent handwashing upon entry and exit and the use of 70% ethanol before and after wearing gloves ensured a clean and contamination-free environment. Additionally, we applied 70% ethanol to our hands before and after handling any laboratory samples, further enhancing our commitment to maintaining a sterile workspace. Furthermore, thanks to the Personal Protective Equipment course offered by the Public Health Agency of Canada, the team members responsible for the experimental phase of the project have adopted the correct procedure for removing nitrile gloves once their work in the laboratory is completed.

Sterile environment

Proactive sterilization of surfaces and equipment using 70% ethanol and burners upheld the laboratory's sanitary conditions. This dedicated commitment to hygiene protocols ensured the credibility and integrity of our experimental outcomes

Waste

Laboratory waste generally falls into four categories, each with its own disposal method. Proper disposal is crucial to prevent contamination and accidents. Solid biological waste goes into a yellow bag, while non-solid biological waste is placed in a sealed yellow bottle. Sharp objects and used electrophoresis gels are disposed of in a red plastic bottle. Any materials in contact with bacteria or other infectious agents are put into a red bag. Given our project involving bacteria, we mainly used red containers like bags and bottles for disposal.

Neutralization

Bacterial cultures and any associated debris were meticulously disposed of following the addition of sodium hypochlorite, a potent disinfectant, to neutralize any potential hazards. Also, they were properly disposed of in red bags. This conscientious approach prevented the risk of contamination and the unintentional spread of microorganisms beyond our controlled environment.