Most preserved specimens (in general, not only in this lab) are preserved in formalin, isopropyl or ethyl alcohol, or various substances containing ethylene glycol and propylene phenoxytol. The complete Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS’s) for all these chemicals are stored in the Biology Stockroom, and you are welcome to read them if you wish. However, general safety precautions for handling preserved specimens include the following:

1. Wear safety glasses and do not wear contact lenses. (Wearing of safety glasses will prevent any possibility of chemicals splashing into your eyes. These precautions also lessen any eye irritation from formalin vapors. If any preservative does get in the eye, rinse the eye thoroughly with water.) See #3, below.

2. Wear appropriate gloves and lab coat. Wearing of gloves while dissecting or otherwise working with specimens, especially those preserved in formalin, is probably the most common and important of these precautions. It is strongly recommended that you use gloves when handling preserved (as well as live, in parasitology lab) specimens. Formalin goes through latex gloves; the blue gloves sold at Kiva Book Store provide sufficient protection from formalin and are recommended for members of this class. Wearing of lab coats is probably not necessary in this class. In any case, if your skin contacts formalin, you should wash your hands (or other contact areas) well with soap and water.

3. Work in a well-ventilated area. Our lab room is well ventilated, and also has a hood. Additionally, specimens we use are small and therefore do not produce much formalin vapor. Protective safety glasses used to to prevent eye irritation from formalin vapors are probably not necessary.

4. As mentioned above, there should be no eating or drinking (or food or beverages) in lab.

1. You will be making wet mounts of parasite materials on microscope slides. You need to wear gloves while preparing the slides. Get everything ready, put your prepared slide on a paper towel and THEN REMOVE YOUR GLOVES BEFORE USING THE MICROSCOPE. (Otherwise, there is the potential of contaminating the focus knobs, mechanical stage, and any other part of the microscope you touch). Once finished observing the slide, remove it from the microscope onto the paper towel, put your gloves back on, and carry on. Note: Always remove your gloves before touching water faucet handles, door knobs, cabinet and drawer handles, and any other general surfaces, as well as before using microscopes.

2. ALL supplies, equipment, parasite products, etc. used when handling live human parasites must be put into autoclave bags for Neil to autoclave. This includes your gloves, paper towels, microscope slides and cover slips, funnels, cotton swabs, cheescloth, parasite samples, etc.).

3. Lab equipment as your forceps should be swished around in the bleach solution in lab for a few minutes, then rinsed and dried.

4. It is a good practice to wipe down lab benches, microscope knobs (NOT lenses!), etc., with cleaning fluid after handling parasites.

1. Preserved specimens, as Ascaris, Macracanthorhynchus, etc., should be treated as any other preserved dissection specimen. After dissection, specimens should be disposed of in the preserved specimen hazardous waste container in lab, and dissecting trays should be rinsed, dried and returned to their normal storage area. (If we use preserved fecal material for finding human parasites, treat that material as you would live materials, above.)

2. Remove your gloves (or at least the one on the hand you will use) BEFORE touching water faucet handles, door knobs, cabinet and drawer handles and any other general surfaces, to prevent contamination of those surfaces.

1. Always remove used gloves before touching/using water faucet handles, door knobs, cabinet or drawer handles or any other general surfaces. This is good practice not only in parasitology lab, but any time. If you have toxins, etc., on the outside of your gloves, and turn on a water faucet while you have those gloves on, then that faucet handle will be contaminated with those toxins, and whoever uses the faucet later, has a good chance of becoming contaminated with the toxins your gloves were protecting you from. You wouldn't want to be the next person to use that faucet after someone else contaminated it; no one else does either. Feel free to explain your objection to others if you see them practicing bad laboratory habits in this respect, also.

2. In general, gloves and lab coats should remain in the lab, i.e., remove them before going to the bathroom, stockroom, another lab, etc. Again, this is not just for parasitology, but is the usual standard. However, gloves used in our parasitology labs are not to leave Room 105! There will be containers available for discarding used gloves.

If you are doing parasitological field work , it is especially important to be aware of contamination potentials both for people and other animals. Learn and practice proper techniques for handling animals, for handling parasites and for proper disposal of parasites. Be aware that hosts (mammals, birds, etc.) can inflict nasty wounds if improperly or carelessly handled. Learn how to protect yourself from hosts and always use caution and proper techniques when handling hosts. If you do happen to get bit, scratched, etc. while handling hosts, get proper medical attention immediately (this includes rabies and tetanus protection if indicated).

If doing work with wild animals (even road kill!) be sure you have permit or exemption from State/Federal Fish and Game/Fish and Wildlife Departments. For example, it is illegal to even remove parasites without permit, from dead marine mammals and from any endangered species. Other species are also protected to varying degrees; always know legal requirements and get proper permits for any biological study.

If doing work off campus, you should practice the standard field trip safety requirements as required for any field trip in the Dept. of Biological Sciences (if the field work is course or otherwise university related).