Laboratory of Pathology - Staff

Medical and laboratory equipment are evaluated by the Clinical Center Materials Management and Environmental Service section for safety prior to installation and periodically as required post repair, modification or when a problem is suspected. Refer to the Clinical Center's Criteria for Medical Equipment prior to the installation of any clinical instrument or electrical equipment.

National Institutes of Health, Department of Occupational Health & Safety Policies

https://ors.od.nih.gov/sr/dohs/Documents/occupational-health-and-safety-manual.pdf

Electrical and Equipment Safety 

• All instruments and appliances must be grounded, unless they are entirely encased in plastic (such as some cover slippers, stainers, microtomes). 
  NOTE: Exceptions to these requirements are as follows:
  1. Devices protected by an approved system of double insulation or its equivalent. Such devices must be distinctively marked
  2. Devices connected to wall receptacles or circuit breakers with ground-fault circuit interrupter (GCFI) protection built-in need not be checked for current leakage
  3. Equipment operating at 240 v must be checked for ground integrity only

• Instruments and appliances must be checked for adequate grounding and checked for current leakage by NIH Clinical Center (CC) Biomedical Engineering (301-496-1311) before initial use, after repair or modification, and when a problem is suspected. At the time of the inspection a label will be affixed to the item to certify the results of the ground check.

• All shocks must be reported immediately, including small tingles. Small shocks often precede major shocks and a light tingle may indicate potential trouble. Shut off the current and/or unplug the instrument if shocks occur. Do not attempt to use an instrument that is causing shocks, because it is potentially dangerous and all data gathered from the operation of that instrument may be unreliable.

• Do not work on or attempt to repair any instrument while it is plugged in. An exception is the calibration of instruments that require adjustments while plugged in. In this case, be sure hands are dry, remove all jewelry, and proceed with caution. Contact the instrument manufacturer or CC Biomedical Engineering if repairs are needed. All repairs will be documented.

• Repairs on the electrical system of the building are prohibited. Any work to be performed on switches, outlets, or circuit boxes (fuses, circuit breaker) must be referred to Maintenance (301-496-1234).

• Extension cords should be avoided. If used, they must be 3-way type and properly grounded. Gauge plugs are prohibited.

• Employees must call 911 to report any electrical arc (constant luminous discharge of electricity) of equipment.

Polarity and Ground Checks

• Maintenance is responsible for checking each circuit supporting fixed electrical receptacles in technical work areas for polarity and ground integrity, after new constructions or repairs. Polarity checks on wall receptacles are necessary because many laboratory instruments cannot be checked for current leakage under conditions of reversed polarity.

• If, at any time, an outlet becomes faulty or if electric current problems are suspected, contact Maintenance (301-496-1234) to resolve the problem.

• The Safety Officer of each section maintains the outlet polarity and ground check documentation in each laboratory. A copy is sent to the Program Assistant for central filing. All documentation must be readily available for inspection purposes and tracking of compliance.

Emergency Power

Each Section must determine if emergency power is adequate for the functioning of the laboratory. Emergency power supply should be adequate for refrigerators, freezers, incubators, etc., to ensure preservation of patient specimens. Depending on the type of testing performed in the laboratory, emergency power may also be required for the preservation of reagents, the operation of laboratory instruments, and the functioning of the data processing system. Emergency power is only supplied on a limited basis, due to limited availability in Building 10. If additional emergency power is needed, each section must submit a DelPro order through their Administrative Resource Center and include the appropriate justifications. The CC Office of Facility Management will evaluate the need and install emergency power, if approved.

If emergency power installation is not approved, the Section should evaluate and activate appropriate emergency back-up plans, including setting up alarm systems that will notify individuals during a power outage or instrument outage. If power is delayed for several hours each Section should work with their Chief to stabilize samples and/or ship them to a referral lab for further testing, if needed.

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