Let's pretend ONE container is being transported from 'here to there' and 
it gets dropped off a cart in the hallway - but no one notices.  Joe 
Janitor comes along and finds the leaking container and tries to clean up 
the spill - of course he has no idea what it is because the container 
isn't labeled and he doesn't know anything about pathology.    The liquid 
(formalin) splashes in his eye - he runs to the ER in pain, but has no 
idea what splashed in his eye. 
That's the type of scenario your safety people are trying to prevent.    I 
know there are guidelines in place with one or more federal agencies 
dictating that all hazardous containers must be labeled with appropriate 
hazard warnings. 



"Peterson, Dan" <1dpeterson@meriter.com> 
Sent by: histonet-bounces@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
05/03/2006 12:42 PM

To

cc

Subject
[Histonet] Storage question






We've recently been cited by our on-site safety committee for not having
ALL of our specimen containers labeled as containing formalin. Anything
we send out from the lab to outside accounts, all have a warning label.
However, the specimens we collect in-house are placed into plastic
containers and filled appropriately with formalin. We're talking 40-50 a
day. Our staff are the only people to handle the containers from fill to
disposal. I'm just curious as to how other labs are handling this. I
would like to place the HCS label on the outside of the cabinets where
the tissue is stored. We have formaldehyde warning placards on every
door entering the lab. It just seems like a waste of time and money (for
labels) for an unwarranted worry that someone can get into somewhere
they don't belong and mess with something they have no idea of what they
are messing with.

Daniel R Peterson HT(ASCP)
Histopathology Section Head
General Medical Laboratories
(608)-267-6557
1dpeterson@meriter.com

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