Introduction
Training is essential to every employer’s safety and health program for protecting workers from injuries and illnesses, including laboratories.
Laboratory safety is the set of practices, rules, and equipment designed to protect people, experiments, and the environment from hazards in laboratory settings.
Lab safety encompasses protocols and practices aimed at preventing accidents, injuries, and illnesses in laboratories. It involves the proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) as well as the correct handling, storage, and disposal of hazardous materials. Effective lab safety ensures personnel well-being, protects the integrity of experiments, and prevents environmental contamination.

Implementing lab safety practices is crucial to protecting individuals from harm, preserving experimental integrity, complying with legal regulations, and preventing costly accidents. It fosters a positive workplace culture, reduces liability, and ensures that laboratories operate efficiently and ethically.

The five-day training course is essential for anyone working with hazardous chemicals, including laboratory personnel, supervisors, researchers, and students. The training focuses on hazard identification, risk assessment, proper chemical handling, storage, emergency response, and regulatory compliance.

Learning Objectives
At the end of the training, learners will be able to:
բ Introduction to Laboratory Safety
բ Define and understand the requirements and the importance of lab safety
բ Laboratory Safety Legislation – OSHA, HSE
բ Recognise the definitions relating to requirements for chemical hygiene plans
բ Identify required components of a chemical hygiene plan
բ The hazards of laboratories;
o Physical hazards.
o Chemical hazards
o Biohazards – blood-borne pathogens
o Hazards of ionising and non-ionising radiation
o Fire and explosion hazards
բ The control of the associated risks, Hierarchy of Controls
բ Toxicology – Exposure Limits
բ Hazard Communication – Obtaining safety information – SDS
բ Conducting laboratory safety inspections/audits
բ Personal protective equipment
բ Laboratory Equipment
բ Dealing with hazardous waste