ABC of Safety in the Biological Sciences
BODY FLUIDS
All body fluids received in a laboratory for testing, unless accompanied by documentation to the contrary, should be regarded as a potential hazard.22 26
Essential precautions in handling body fluids are as follows:
If breakages occur in the centrifuge, the whole bucket assembly should be capable of autoclaving. The lid should not be removed until the spill has been decontaminated (see centrifuging). Sodium hypochlorite, 1% aqueous, is suitable for deactivating bacteria and virus particles including HIV and hepatitis B. However, sodium hypochlorite is an oxidising agent and a corrosive and may damage some metal parts. Discard specimen containers and centrifuge tubes into lidded buckets or wet bags for autoclaving before disposal.
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