Abstract

A Study on Safety Measures Adopted for Laboratory Technicians During COVID-19 in Chennai – The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has presented major challenges to health care workers including laboratory professionals. Clinical laboratories play a critical role in this challenging environment by providing information to clinicians regarding prognosis, disease severity, and response to therapy apart from the diagnosis of COVID-19. Clinical chemistry laboratories inhabit central role in the management of COVID-19 through assessing the biochemical and inflammatory profile. The lab professionals at one end are at increased risk of contracting the infection while on the other end have to deal with the various challenges during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. This survey was undertaken to analyze the lab professionals’ perspectives, in terms of the challenges, financial implications, fears, motivation and satisfaction from organizational processes and policies adopted, amid the COVID-19 crisis.

This alarming figure prompted us to make guidelines for bio safety procedures to protect health care workers including laboratory personnel. Infection and quarantine of health care workers cause additional burden to health care services due to shortage of manpower.

Introduction

It is to address the general workflow safety concerns of laboratory personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic. All laboratories should perform site-and activity-specific risk assessments to determine the most appropriate safety measures to implement for particular circumstances.

Risk assessments should include the following considerations:

• Analyse the number of people that the laboratory space can realistically and safely accommodate while maintaining social distancing.
• Assess the flow of personnel traffic. Where possible, design one-way paths for staff to walk through the laboratory space.
• Assess procedures for cleaning and sanitizing commonly equipment and areas for example, counters, desks-to ensure clean surfaces and equipment for all users.
• Review emergency communication and operational plans, including how to protect staff at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

Every institution should have a COVID-19 health and safety plan to protect employees. This plan should be shared with all staffs. Ideally, this plan would:

• Describe steps to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 if an employee is sick.
• Provide information on whom employees should contact if they become sick.
• Provide employees with accurate information about COVID-19, how it spreads, and the risk of exposure.
• Reinforce training on proper handwashing practices and other routine infection control precautions to help prevent the spread of many diseases, including COVID-19.

Social Distancing

To the extent possible, adhere to social distancing recommendations by adjusting staff
schedules, adding additional shifts, or implementing non-overlapping teams to minimize personnel contact. Identify laboratory tasks and activities that can be performed with reduced or no face-to-face interactions. Examples include limiting the number of laboratory meetings that occur and, when possible, using remote collaboration tools (such as video and phone conferencing), even for those who work in the same location or building.

To the extent possible, reconfigure workspaces and locations of shared equipment to reduce crowding. Create one-directional paths and workflows. Declutter workspaces
and dispose of unnecessary items to help with reconfiguration. If reconfiguration is not
possible, consider placing barriers (plexiglass, partition, plastic, etc.) between computer workstations, desks, or equipment that position staff six feet apart from each
other.

Minimize personnel traffic and interactions by limiting visits from vendors and other external partners; engage with them virtually whenever possible.

Face Coverings

To help slow the spread of COVID-19, CDC recommends wearing face coverings in settings where social distancing measures are challenging to maintain, like office spaces, computer workstations, and break rooms. In general, laboratory employees should wear a face covering in laboratory spaces that do not have requirements for respiratory PPE and where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.
Any face covering that is worn inside a laboratory area where personnel work with
potentially infectious material should subsequently not be worn outside of that laboratory area. Laboratory PPE are critical supplies, and employees should refrain from removing them from the laboratory for general use. Site- and activity-specific risk assessments, as well as available resources, should determine where specific facial protection, such as disposable masks, should be used.

These face coverings should not be used in place of recommended personal protective equipment (PPE).

• Face coverings are not intended to protect those who wear them and are not
  considered PPE.
• All staff should follow established PPE requirements for working in laboratory
  spaces.

Wash hands before putting on face coverings and minimize the removal while in the laboratory. The guidance below describes how to remove a face covering and replace it with a clean face covering:

• Take off the face covering carefully.
• Be careful not to touch eyes, nose, or mouth when removing a face covering.
• Untie the strings behind the head or stretch the ear loops.
• Handle only by the ear loops or ties.
• Place reusable cloth face coverings in a bag and close the bag until it can be
  washed.

Components of a Project Report

A project report varies according to the MBA final year project course at top colleges, depending on the consequences and the requirements of the concerned project. But broadly, a project covers the following components:

• Title page
• Table of contents
• Introduction
• Background of the project
• Project objectives
• Methodology
• Results
• Discussion and Analysis
• Conclusion
• Bibliography or references
• Appendices

Project Report Pages : 80

Can be used in : HR

Delivery Time : Within 12 hours.

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