the involved part with pure carbolic acid.

Precautionary Measures

1. A fire extinguisher should always be handy.

2. Keep sand bucket in the laboratory.

3. Take measures to prevent electrical short circuiting.

4. No smoking in the working zone of the laboratory. FIG. 1.6: Mouth-to-mouth respiration

Laboratory 15

5. Breakable items should be kept in proper racks and

never at the edge of the working table.

6. Do not suck anything with the mouth, use rubber teats

and bulbs for sucking.

7. Do not place eatables on the working bench.

8. Keep fingernails short.

9. At the end of the day, clean all working benches with

a disinfectant. See that nothing except the required

electrical appliance is on.

10. Dispose all infected material properly. Can put such

material in hypochlorite solution or in an acidic

solution, e.g. diluted sulfuric acid (25%). Burn off all

dried contaminated articles, e.g. filter papers.

11. The glassware should be disinfected with a suitable

disinfectant and be cleaned thoroughly with running

water.

12. Use rubber gloves and a nose mask while working with

infective samples, e.g. serum of viral hepatitis patient.

UNIVERSAL WORK PRECAUTIONS (UWP) FOR

LABORATORY PERSONNEL (ESPECIALLY IN

RELATION TO HIV TRANSMISSION)

Introduction

Healthcare personnel (HCP) can acquire certain illnesses

beyond those acquired by all others who live and work

in our society, by virtue of their profession. HCPs are

at risk of acquiring any of the whole gamut of infections

from patients/specimens, which may be viral, bacterial,

parasitic or fungal. However, this risk due to occupational

exposure can be minimized if not obliterated altogether, if

we follow universal work precautions (UWP).

Today, with the WHO estimates of above 5 million HIV

positive persons in India, there is an urgent need to review

UWP. Besides HIV, there is the very real danger of acquiring

Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C in exactly the same way as

HIV and could also be fatal. Hepatitis B is 100 times more

infectious than HIV. Besides, Hepatitis B is also far more

prevalent in India in comparison to HIV with estimated

carriers being between 30 and 40 million, a considerable

number being infectious. However, fortunately, effective

vaccination is available for hepatitis B; therefore, it is

strongly recommended for all levels of healthcare workers.