What Happened?
A student was extracting bone marrow from an infected mouse when the bone marrow splashed into one of his eyes. The student had inserted the tip of a needle into the narrow end of one bone and attempted to flush the marrow into a centrifuge tube. He used too much force and splashed infected bone marrow directly into his eye. At the time of the accident the student was wearing gloves and a lab coat but no eye protection. He immediately stopped the procedure and flushed his eyes for 5 minutes at the eyewash station. The incident was reported to the lab manager who instructed the student to visit the Occupational Health and Safety Facility for further evaluation.
What Was The Cause?
The student used too much force when flushing out the bone marrow and was not wearing eye protection.
What Corrective Actions Were Taken?
- Review PPE and discuss its importance
How Can Incidents Like This Be Prevented?
- Always wear eye protection
Resources
QUICK ACTION TIPS
When any infectious agent splashes into your eyes:
- Immediately flush eyes at the nearest eyewash station for at least 15 minutes
- Seek medical attention immediately
- Report the incident to your supervisor
