Appendix 1: Sample Submission Safety Considerations
Updated 22 October 2024
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Health and safety
The specimen containers and mail transport systems provided by the laboratory should be used. The individual requesting or taking specimens from patients known to be infectious must ensure that both the form and specimen bag are appropriately labelled.
It is essential, where the requester knows or strongly suspects that the patient is infected with a dangerous pathogen that this specific information is provided with every specimen or request form.
Packaging of specimens
Specimens should be placed in the appropriate specimen container, which must be securely fastened and any accidental spillage cleaned immediately, with an appropriate chlorine containing disinfectant (see below for details).
Each specimen should be placed in a clear plastic double (marsupial) self sealing bag with one compartment containing the request form and the other the specimen.
Where a needle has been used to obtain the specimen, the needle should be disposed of safely into an approved sharps container at the point of use, and not included in the packet transported to the laboratory.
Packaging of Specimens from patients should be placed in the appropriate specimen container, which must be securely fastened and any accidental spillage cleaned immediately with an appropriate chlorine containing disinfectant: 10,000 ppm available chlorine for blood spillage (do not use on urine spills) 1,000 ppm for surface disinfection.
Please note, undiluted domestic bleach contains 100,000 ppm available chlorine.
Packaging of high risk specimens
Specimens from patients in the infection risk from blood category should be placed in the appropriate specimen container, which must be securely fastened and any accidental spillage cleaned immediately with an appropriate chlorine containing disinfectant: 10,000 ppm available chlorine for blood spillage (do not use on urine spills) 1,000 ppm for surface disinfection.
Point to be noted: Undiluted domestic bleach contains 100,000 ppm available chlorine.
This should be placed in a clear plastic double (marsupial) self sealing bag with one compartment containing the request form and the other the specimen. The specimens should then be placed in a second (outer) plastic bag and appropriately labelled. All specimens and forms should be clearly labelled with an infection risk from blood label.
Transport of specimens
Specimens packaged as above must be transported to the laboratory in a robust, lidded, washable transport box. Do not use ordinary envelopes or ‘jiffy’ bags for transportation. Do not staple or puncture polythene bags.
High risk incidents and safety
Universal precautions should be observed and appropriate personal protective equipment worn when specimens are collected. Sterile gloves to take blood, masks, protective eyewear and a plastic apron if splashing of blood or other body fluids is likely to occur. Any inoculation incidents (needlesticks or contamination of conjunctiva, mucous membranes or broken skin, with blood or body fluids), must be reported as soon as possible, within 2 hours to your occupational health service so that any required action can be instituted promptly.
This procedure must be followed whether or not the patient is perceived to be high risk.