Biohazards

Appropriate biohazard precautions and labeling should be applied to any evidence-bearing biological material collected from a crime scene and submitted to the forensic laboratory. This ensures compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations and protects laboratory personnel.
Laboratory policies and procedures for handling biohazardous material should be followed.

Typical policies and procedures include these:

• Treating all evidence ammunition components as a potential biohazard
• Applying biohazard labels if this has not been done previously
• Air drying bloody evidence items in a fume hood prior to examination
• Wearing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) such as laboratory coats, masks, eye protection, and gloves when performing examinations
• Disinfecting fired evidence bullets with denatured alcohol or a 10 percent solution of bleach
• Removing encrusted blood and tissue from evidence ammunition components

Chemicals

Good laboratory practice dictates the use of appropriate precautions while working with chemicals to prevent inhalation, ingestion and/or skin contact. Laboratory policies and procedures for handling chemicals should be followed.

Typical policies and procedures include these:

• Laboratory ventilation
• Personal protective equipment (PPE), including laboratory coats, protective gloves, and eyewear
• Fume hoods
• Chemical spill kits
• Eye wash stations
• Hand wash stations
• Proper storage of prepared chemicals and test media

Back Forward