A recent Work Safe review of an Australian Clinical Laboratories workplace in Western Australia has found that collection rooms without proper ventilation may be exposing workers to aerosols containing microorganisms and microbiological pathogens. Work Safe determined that the company must comply with their recommended measures within a reasonable timeframe. 

  This is not an isolated experience. Many of our pathology collectors work in rooms without windows or any way to bring fresh air into the environment that we spend so much time in. 

Urine is one of the many biohazards we are exposed to every day and as such should not be aliquoted (to separate a small sample from the whole sample, often with a plastic pipette) without proper safety precautions. Most of us do not have such precautions in place in our collection rooms. Even more alarming, the more likely situation is that these safety precautions may not be available at the main laboratories either. 

The Phlebotomists Council of Australia proposes that if we get a significant response to this petition, we will contact the Pathology companies on your behalf to demand safer conditions for workers in their collection rooms. 

There are 3 suitable ways for the companies concerned to fix this problem

Install extractions fans for proper ventilation
Supply a biohazard safety cabinet to be used for aliquoting samples
Ensure all specimens that require aliquoting are handled in the lab where there should be proper safety precautions in place. 

Number 3 is going to be the easiest and least expensive way for the Companies to rectify this important issue without any interruption to the Collection Rooms.  The laboratories should be already set up to provide safe spaces to handle biological hazards and there is no reason the work can’t be done there.