For these workers, engineering controls provide the first line of defense against potential airborne hazards. In addition to other harmful properties a gas might have, any cryogenic (ultra-cooled) gas presents an inhalation hazard as it can instantly freeze a person’s upper airway.īeyond hazardous gases, other potential airborne dangers in labs-especially in healthcare and/or bio-medicine-include toxic fumes from pharmaceuticals (such as antineoplastic chemotherapy drugs for cancer) pathogens such as viruses and bacteria and particular solvents used in hospitals for staining and processing tissues in pathology labs to help determine a proper diagnosis for a patient. The university notes that while the first three gas types are of “particular concern,” even the inert compressed gases are dangerous, as they can displace oxygen from confined spaces, leading to asphyxia. First are several types of compressed gases: The University of Texas at Austin’s Environmental Health & Safety Department has summarized the range of airborne dangers that might be present in a lab.
Lab workers can be exposed to any number of hazards in the air, with adverse effects ranging from mild respiratory irritation to severe injury, and even death, depending on the agent and level of exposure.
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