Risks of Pipetting to Laboratory Workers, Sample, Test, Patient and Final Data

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Risks of Pipetting to Laboratory Workers

Ergonomics of pipetting is important and relates to development of WRULD (Work Related Upper Limb Disorders, CTD (Cumulative Trauma Disorder) or RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury). These include a whole spectrum of diseases, from tendonitis of the hand or wrist to carpal tunnel syndrome. If hands or wrists hurt or go numb or tingle, if your joints ache after repetitive tasks, such as pipetting, it is almost certainly a WRULD. Other symptoms include losing strength or coordination in your hands, perhaps even dropping objects. Not everyone experiences all symptoms, and sometimes your symptoms may not occur until several hours or even days after the activity which causes them. This problem can be caused by a number of elements: Design of the pipette, number of repetitions, seating position, lack of rest intervals or poor bench layout. It can be also accompanied by other ailments such as backaches or headaches. Although this problem is not clearly covered in legislation, cases frequently come to light, employers naturally become very concerned and directives will no doubt follow in due course.  Secondly the action of pipetting can form aerosols. Obvious precautions need taking to avoid inhalation or even skin contact. All laboratories should have sound safety practices and these are governed by established bodies world-wide. Protective coats, gloves, laminar airflow cabinets etc. all assist in this prevention.

Risks of Pipetting to the sample, Test and Patient

This is an area of laboratory work that has come under close scrutiny in the last few years. If the sample is not handled correctly a result could ensue that puts at risk the test and even a patients life. The areas of concern are as follows:

• Are the pipettors regularly calibrated and serviced? Without this how can any worker be sure that the volume of sample is correct and therefore the result correct. 
• Is the correct tool used being used for the job? For example, using an air displacement pipette to aspirate and dispense viscous fluids is unlikely to produce accurate results.
• Are the pipettors used under the correct conditions and in the correct manner? Is the pipette held upright, is the volume adjustment used correctly, is the blow out facility used properly, is the right technique being used? What is the ambient laboratory temperature, the pipette temperature and sample temperature? All these factors need to be addressed.
• Is your pipettor cross contaminating your samples? Do you know if your pipettor aspirates aerosols up into the tip cone, if you suspect it might, how often and how much? Does your tip cone touch the side of a reaction vessel? Do these risks mean that you cross contaminate samples regularly? So do you use filter tips as a precaution? Do these filter tips actually work?

Risks of Pipetting to the Final Data

Once you have calibrated and serviced a pipette, the information should be stored accurately and securely for later retrieval. The same should also be said about sample tracking and processing. Although the pipette may have been calibrated, was it used for a specific test? Was the entire test protocol stored and easy to retrieve including information on the pipette used and who used it? If information is stored through use of software is it backed up regularly and accredited? 

Most aspects of this safety chain are addressed in one way or another and some, such as calibration, are being considered by the relevant authorities more carefully month on month. The most obvious gaps in our knowledge that companies need to work on are:

• Further research and study on the mechanics of manual pipetting with respect to WRULD.
• Further research on the cross contamination of pipettors. 

Article courtesy of  Biohit Ltd

If you would like a comprehensive guide to pipetting please email them on glh@biohit.com