Lessons from the Lab and the Importance of Risk Management

Laboratories are hubs of innovation and discovery, but they also carry inherent risks. Whether in a university setting, a high-level research facility, or a lab just like yours, the potential for accidents underscores the need for robust risk management practices.

Real-life incidents are stark reminders of what can go wrong and how preventative measures can save lives and protect property. In the incidents below, the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Incident 1: A Brush with Explosive Chemistry

During a third-year organic chemistry lab at university, Sam was tasked with synthesizing a compound involving the addition of nitric acid to create an N-C bond. As was the practice at the time, (don’t tell the EPA 😊) the waste products were poured down the sink. Unbeknownst to Sam, another classmate had recently disposed of toluene in the same sink. The combination of nitric acid and toluene can produce an explosive environment — think TNT.

Fortunately, Sam had the foresight to run plenty of water down the drain while decanting the waste, mitigating the risk of concentrated chemicals mixing. This simple act of precaution likely prevented a catastrophic incident.

The story highlights the importance of proper waste disposal protocols and clear communication among lab users.

Incident 2: An Electrifying Weekend Experiment

In another story, Dan needed to power on an experiment over the weekend. To do so, he had to access the mains located in a confined space. Alone in the lab, Dan was electrocuted while handling the equipment. Thankfully, the shock was not fatal, and Dan lived to share his harrowing experience.

This incident underscores the critical need for safety protocols when working alone in potentially hazardous conditions. It also raises questions about the design of laboratory spaces and the accessibility of emergency response systems.

Incident 3: Missing Virus Samples in Queensland Laboratory

Samples of Hendra virus, Lyssavirus and Hantavirus are unaccounted for and were discovered missing in August 2023, in a major breach of biosecurity controls.

Queensland Health’s Virology Laboratory discovered 323 vials containing live viruses, including Hendra virus, Lyssavirus, and Hantavirus, went missing. The breach has prompted an investigation into lapses in protocol.

The laboratory has not been able to determine if the materials were removed from secure storage or destroyed. Fortunately for everyone, there is no evidence of risk to the community from the breach.

The incident highlighted the need for stringent biosecurity measures and accurate record-keeping about handling, storage and destruction of samples in labs, especially when handling dangerous pathogens.

 

While we might laugh nervously at these real-life incidents, there are some good reminders beyond “don’t run with scissors” kinds of rules in the lab. The first is the value of good risk management.

Risk Management: Learning from the Past

When something unforeseen happens, that’s the clue to dip into what we already know about risks in the lab and our assessment of those risk. In these incidents there were a few areas touched on, including:

• the need for a culture of safety in labs,
• the communication processes between colleagues working in the same space, and
• the importance of sound record-keeping practices beyond those from the test or calibration.

 

The good news is that risk management is not rocket science and there are lots of things we do in labs that are all about risk management and prevention. But the system and processes for risk management do need to be solid to prevent those unforeseen problems and incidents.

 

The steps to risk management success

Your lab needs to plan and implement actions to address risks and opportunities by adopting a process approach.

The steps to do this are:

1. Identify
2. Analyse
3. Evaluate or rank them
4. Determine actions
5. Implement and monitor

 

You don’t have to have a big fancy system run through commercial software, but you do need a system. You can say you think about risk “all the time” but where is the evidence and is this consistently done in the lab? It’s the evidence and formality of tools such as procedures, policies and records that can make this real instead of something people just say to their staff, auditors and other stakeholders.

 

There is plenty of free advice on the internet. (We think our article 5 Steps to Risk Management is a pretty good place to start!)

 

What else can we learn from the folly of others?

 

If you’re reading this, you are probably an accredited lab. The extra good news is that many of the requirements in standards such as ISO/ IEC 17025, ISO 15189 and ISO 17020 are protection against these kinds of incidents. But merely having accreditation is not completely curative, as the incident with Queensland Health’s Virology lab shows.

 

What labs can do is be serious about investigating problems when they occur, doing solid root cause analysis, and implementing some of the tougher actions from that work. Other tools in the toolkit are audits, training, and clear and accurate policies and procedures. Adopting a good quality culture is another.

 

 

The stories and incidents detailed here are not just cautionary tales but opportunities to learn and improve. Risk management in laboratories is a dynamic process requiring vigilance, education, and commitment.

 

What if I need help?

That’s why we’re here!

Our Risk Management in the Lab training course will give you all the help you need. We’ll answer your questions and give you practical, hands-on activities to support your work and your business.

Our training schedule for the next few months is coming soon. Or, if you have a number of people you’d like trained we can run an in-house session for you.

Call Maree on 0411 540 709, or email info@masmanagementsystems.com.au and discover how we can support risk management in your lab!

 

Remember, you don’t have to do this alone!