INTRODUCTION : In any science lab you work with chemicals, gases, electrical equipments, glassware, instruments etc. In case you are working in a biology laboratory handling the plants, animals, dissections, microorganism and, disposal of used materials are essential exercises. The hazards caused by handling chemicals, gases, electrical equipments, instruments and glassware are common for physics, chemistry and biology labs. The additional hazards encountered in the biology laboratories are diseases like infections and allergies.
In the earlier units we have discussed the hazards due to chemicals, gas and electricity. In this unit we are going to discuss the major hazards caused by handling and working with biological materials (plant and animal tissues, live and dead animals, and microbes) and instruments used in handling these. It is possible that the hazards you encounter in your particular laboratory are not covered in this unit. In such a case you can discuss the problem with your lab incharge. owever, we have highlighted the important problems in this unit. In the next block we will discuss the laws and legislations related to various aspects of laboratory work.