Medical scientists are constantly at risk of exposure to infectious agents in the course of their work especially in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic where laboratory test results underscore efficient pandemic response. Laboratory safety requires an awareness of exposure risks, compliance to safe laboratory practices, adherence to standard operating procedures and use of containment equipment in the laboratory. Studies have shown that when laboratory staff are aware and adhere to the recommended safety precautions, the risk for laboratory-acquired infections becomes lower [6].
However, awareness and biosafety are big issues in laboratory settings in developing countries as standard operating procedures (SOPs) are lacking and less efficient [7].
With Nigeria coping with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring a safe testing environment is the core of laboratory diagnosis and management of COVID-19 cases.
This study was designed to determine the awareness of laboratory safety measures, assess personal efforts of medical scientists in creating a safe environment for testing, and examine the laboratory safety-enabling factors.
Most of the study participants (60.3%) were found to possess high-level of awareness of laboratory safety measures and the level of awareness of laboratory safety measures was significantly associated with their level of education (χ2 = 6.143; p = 0.046). Respondents displayed in-depth awareness of the importance of laboratory safety practice; understanding and following instructions in the laboratory safety manual as well as standard operating procedures; local ventilation; proper maintenance of laboratory equipment, access to chemical/biological spill kits and fully stocked first-aid kits.
In addition, study participants had a good orientation about good housekeeping practices and the importance of access to appropriate Biological Safety Cabinets (BSCs) in the containment of SARS-CoV-2. These findings are incongruent with the results of the study conducted among laboratory staff of two public health facilities in Nigeria. According to this study, many respondents (41.5%) were found to be unaware of laboratory safety practices and 25.4% of respondents do not observe safety practice in the laboratory [8]. The difference in the level of awareness in these two studies may be due to the increased laboratory safety education, training and campaigns especially in this era of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The study found that the majority of the respondents (63%) showed good personal effort in creating a safe laboratory testing environment by regularly participating in laboratory safety and PPE training, by prompt reporting of accidents, incidents or near-misses in the laboratory and adequate decontamination of bench surfaces, all generated wastes and other materials in the laboratory. Most of the respondents also carried out proper labeling of containers with their contents and regular hand washing. Most respondents attested to regular use of personal protective equipment (PPE) when working in the laboratory and not eating, drinking, applying cosmetics or handling contact lenses in the laboratory. These personal efforts from medical scientists reinforce a safe environment in the laboratory, which enhances the provision of quality, efficient and effective laboratory services which are essential in productive COVID-19 pandemic response. The study conducted among personnel who worked in various laboratories and hospitals in Denizli, Turkey yielded similar results where study participants displayed good personal efforts in enhancing optimum laboratory safety [9].
It was also revealed in this study, that safety awareness has a positive impact on safety practice as awareness of laboratory safety measures had a significant influence on personal efforts of medical scientists in creating a safe laboratory-testing environment. This is in agreement with the result of a study in Pakistan in which the participating healthcare workers showed good knowledge/awareness of COVID-19 disease and displayed good safety practices [10].
Even though most of the medical scientists in this study demonstrated good personal efforts in creating a safe laboratory-testing environment, there were, however, inadequate supply of appropriate PPEs as well as poor training in their use, inadequate provisions for rest and other welfare packages, poor access to appropriate Biological Safety Cabinets (BSCs) and other essential equipment. This discovery is an aberration to the recommended WHO laboratory biosafety standard and may jeopardize the safety of medical scientists, reduce the chance of obtaining timely, accurate and reliable laboratory results which are important for effective and efficient COVID-19 pandemic responses such as diagnosing, managing, determining treatment and prognostic outcomes, as well as the overall patient safety. This is consistent with previous findings in some research facilities in Nigeria in which study participants attested to poor availability of PPE and no access to biosafety level (BSL)-1–4 facilities [11].
Interestingly, a strong association existed between the personal efforts of respondents in creating a safe laboratory testing environment and laboratory safety enabling factors. This further substantiates the importance of availability and accessibility of safety equipment, tools, supplies and materials in the laboratory.