CAP Pro Course - Safety - General Laboratory Safety (2026 & 2027)

Author: Robert Nickla, RBP, M(ASCP)
Reviewer: Shoolah Escott, MS, MLS(ASCP) and Joshua J. Cannon, MS, MLS(ASCP)CMSHCM

Continuing Education Credits

Objectives

  • Explain the importance of compliance with general safety and security procedures by individual laboratory members.
  • Identify safe work practices that will reduce exposure to safety hazards.
  • Identify the purpose of engineering controls and safety equipment available in the laboratory and explain proper procedures for use.
  • Identify the purpose of personal protective equipment (PPE) and describe appropriate use based on the procedures being performed.

Course Outline

  • Explain the importance of compliance with general safety and security procedures by individual laboratory members.
      • Responsibility for Laboratory Safety
      • Security Considerations
      • Laboratory Risk Assessments
      • Richard works in the sample referral section and was asked by a lead technologist the day before a holiday to ship two separate specimens to the state...
      • Abigail, the newest hire in microbiology, typically works the day shift. While covering a night shift, she observed Zoe, a night-shift staff person, p...
  • Identify safe work practices that will reduce exposure to safety hazards.
      • Laboratory Safety Plan
      • Hand Hygiene
      • Proper Attire, Good Personal Habits, and Safety Precautions
      • Disinfectants
      • Laboratory Cleaning and Disinfection
      • Good Housekeeping Habits
      • Proper Laboratory Techniques
      • Slip and Fall Prevention
      • Reporting Injuries, Hazards, and Exposures
      • While transferring serum into a new container, Travis accidentally dropped the vial and spilled some of the sample into his workstation keyboard, incl...
      • Erin works in the microbiology section, and just before the end of her shift, the blood culture instrument alerted her to a positive sample. Since she...
  • Identify the purpose of engineering controls and safety equipment available in the laboratory and explain proper procedures for use.
      • Engineering Controls
      • Biological Safety Cabinets (BSCs) and Chemical Fume Hoods (CFHs)
      • Splashguards
      • Emergency Eyewash Stations
      • Emergency Showers
      • Prevention of Sharps Injuries
      • Gina transported a rack of potentially infectious samples to the biological safety cabinet. When she sat down to begin work, she thought the cabinet f...
      • While preparing a diluted bleach solution for use in the laboratory, some of the solution accidentally splashed into one of the workers' eyes. She was...
  • Identify the purpose of personal protective equipment (PPE) and describe appropriate use based on the procedures being performed.
      • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
      • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Based on the Procedure Performed
      • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Based on the Procedure Performed: Gloves
      • Special Considerations for Handling Specimens Associated with COVID-19
      • Teresa is a phlebotomist and was instructed to draw a blood sample from a patient in one of the isolation rooms. The room requires respiratory protect...
      • Jason just started working in the tuberculosis (TB) laboratory this month and processes respiratory samples every morning. The required personal prote...
  • References
      • References

Additional Information

Level of Instruction:  Basic
Intended Audience: Medical laboratory scientists, medical laboratory technicians, laboratory supervisors, and laboratory managers. This course is also appropriate for MLS and MLT students and pathology residents.
Author Information: Rob Nickla, RBP, M(ASCP), began his public health career in 2004 at the Arizona State Public Health Laboratory (ASPHL), working in Mycobacteriology, Bacteriology, and Virology. While there, he became the State Training Coordinator and Bioterrorism Training Coordinator in the Bioemergency Response Section and actively participated in several APHL Special Interest Groups for Basic Microbiology, Biosafety & Biosecurity, and Select Agent Training. He served on the ASPHL Safety Committee for several years and helped develop and conduct many in-house safety-related trainings.
The author has no conflict of interest to disclose.  
Review Information:
Shoolah Escott, MS, MLS(ASCP), currently works as a biosafety and biosecurity consultant and trainer. She has over 14 years of experience working with the CDC and has experience as a regional coordinator with APHL. Earlier in her career, she was the manager of microbiology at Memorial hospital in the greater Boston area and more recently served as the Biosafety Manager and Alternate Responsible Official for the Massachusetts State Public Health Laboratory.
Joshua J. Cannon, MS, MLS(ASCP)CMSHCM received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Medical Laboratory Science from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA. He holds Medical Laboratory Scientist and Specialist in Hematology certifications through the ASCP Board of Certification. He was a professor at Thomas Jefferson University for seven years before transitioning into his current role as Education Developer at MediaLab by Vastian. His areas of expertise and professional passions include clinical hematology and interprofessional education.   

This course is part of the CAP Competency Assessment Hub.

See other included Pro courses

See other included instrument checklists
Request Info