Hand Hygiene in Laboratory Workflows
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Hand Hygiene in Laboratory Workflows
Hand hygiene is a basic but important contamination-control practice in laboratory workflows. Properly cleaning hands helps reduce the transfer of microorganisms and other contaminants between personnel, laboratory surfaces, equipment and materials. Effective hand hygiene should therefore be considered part of a broader laboratory contamination-control strategy, not as a substitute for aseptic technique or other laboratory controls.
Why Is Hand Hygiene Important in Laboratory Workflows?
Hand hygiene helps reduce the transfer of microorganisms and contaminants from laboratory personnel to work surfaces, equipment and materials. In laboratory workflows, it should be performed at appropriate points such as after glove removal, after contamination, after completing work and before leaving the laboratory. Hand hygiene is one component of contamination control and should be used together with appropriate gloves, aseptic practices, workspace controls and laboratory procedures.
What Is Hand Hygiene?
Hand hygiene is the general practice of cleaning the hands to remove or reduce microorganisms and other contaminants. Depending on the situation, this can involve washing the hands with soap and water or using an appropriate alcohol-based handrub.
The World Health Organization defines hand hygiene broadly as an action of hand cleansing. Handwashing involves cleaning the hands with soap and water, while alcohol-based handrubbing uses an alcohol-containing preparation to reduce or inhibit microorganisms on the hands.
In a laboratory environment, the purpose is not simply personal cleanliness. Hand hygiene also helps control the movement of contaminants between people, materials, equipment and laboratory areas.
Why Is Hand Hygiene Important in Laboratory Workflows?
Hand hygiene is important because laboratory personnel interact with multiple potential contamination sources during routine work. Hands may contact specimens, containers, instruments, keyboards, benches, door handles and other frequently touched surfaces.
The CDC identifies handwashing as an important laboratory safety practice and notes that contamination can occur during specimen manipulation and contact with work surfaces, telephones and equipment.
From a laboratory-quality perspective, this creates two related concerns:
- protecting personnel from unnecessary exposure to biological material; and
- reducing the potential transfer of contaminants into laboratory workflows.
When Should Laboratory Personnel Perform Hand Hygiene?
Hand hygiene should be performed at points where contamination may have occurred or where transfer to another person, material or environment could occur.
Laboratory-specific procedures should determine the exact requirements for a particular facility and workflow. General laboratory guidance identifies several important situations.
| Situation | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| After removing gloves | Glove removal can result in hand contact with the external glove surface or contaminants transferred during the procedure. |
| After obvious contamination | Visible or known contamination should be addressed promptly according to the applicable laboratory procedure. |
| After completing laboratory work | Cleaning hands at the end of work helps reduce transfer of contaminants beyond the immediate laboratory workflow. |
| Before leaving the laboratory | Hand hygiene helps reduce the possibility of carrying laboratory contamination into other areas. |
| When required by the laboratory SOP | Facility-specific workflows may establish additional hand hygiene requirements based on the materials and procedures being handled. |
Do Gloves Replace Hand Hygiene?
No. Gloves are an additional protective and contamination-control measure; they do not eliminate the need for appropriate hand hygiene.
Gloves can become contaminated during laboratory work. Their external surfaces may contact specimens, equipment, work surfaces or other materials. During glove removal, the hands can also come into contact with contaminated surfaces if the procedure is not performed appropriately.
CDC laboratory guidance specifically identifies handwashing immediately after glove removal as an important practice.
Gloves and Hand Hygiene Serve Different Functions
Gloves provide a physical barrier between the hands and materials being handled. Hand hygiene addresses contamination that may remain on the hands or be transferred during or after glove use. Neither measure should automatically be considered a replacement for the other.
How Can Hands Contribute to Laboratory Contamination?
Hands can act as a transfer pathway when microorganisms or other contaminants are moved from one surface or material to another.
A laboratory workflow may involve repeated contact with multiple objects. For example, personnel may move between a workstation, instrument controls, containers, documentation, computer equipment and other surfaces. Without appropriate contamination-control practices, these contacts can create opportunities for unintended transfer.
The risk depends on the laboratory activity, material being handled, facility design, workflow, personnel practices and applicable biosafety requirements. Therefore, hand hygiene should be integrated into the laboratory's overall risk assessment rather than treated as an isolated activity.
| Potential Contact Point | Potential Contamination Concern | Relevant Control |
|---|---|---|
| Laboratory bench | Transfer between hands and work surfaces | Workspace cleaning and appropriate hand hygiene |
| Equipment controls | Repeated contact can create shared touch points | Cleaning procedures and controlled workflow |
| Specimen or material handling | Potential transfer of biological or material contaminants | Appropriate PPE, gloves and aseptic practices |
| Glove removal | Hands may contact contaminated glove surfaces | Proper glove removal followed by hand hygiene |
| Door handles and shared surfaces | Potential movement of contaminants outside the immediate workspace | Hand hygiene and facility cleaning procedures |
How Does Hand Hygiene Fit Into a Laboratory Workflow?
Hand hygiene is most effective as part of a sequence of complementary contamination-control measures. A laboratory workflow should establish clear points at which personnel clean their hands and clear boundaries between cleaner and potentially contaminated activities.
Before beginning work
Personnel should follow the laboratory's applicable entry, PPE and hand hygiene requirements before starting work. The exact requirements depend on the nature of the laboratory activity.
During laboratory work
Personnel should follow the applicable SOPs for glove use, material handling, contamination control and changes between workflow stages. Additional hand hygiene may be required when moving between activities or after contamination.
After glove removal
Hand hygiene is particularly important after removing gloves because the hands may have contacted contaminated glove surfaces during removal.
At the end of the workflow
After laboratory work is completed, personnel should follow the facility's requirements for hand hygiene, workspace decontamination, waste handling and laboratory exit procedures.
Common Hand Hygiene Mistakes in Laboratory Workflows
Assuming gloves make hand hygiene unnecessary
Gloves can become contaminated and may transfer contamination during removal. Hand hygiene remains necessary at appropriate points.
Cleaning hands only at the end of the day
Effective contamination control requires attention throughout the workflow rather than relying exclusively on end-of-day cleaning.
Moving between activities without considering contamination boundaries
Laboratory workflows often contain different contamination risks. Personnel should follow established procedures when moving between activities or areas.
Using hand hygiene as a substitute for cleaning laboratory surfaces
Hands and work surfaces represent different contamination-control points. Cleaning hands does not decontaminate benches, instruments, containers or other surfaces.
Ignoring facility-specific procedures
A general hand hygiene recommendation cannot replace a laboratory's approved SOPs, biosafety requirements or risk assessment.
Hand Hygiene and Laboratory Quality Systems
Hand hygiene can also be viewed as part of a laboratory's broader quality and contamination control system. A well-designed workflow identifies potential contamination pathways and establishes controls at appropriate points.
Depending on the laboratory, relevant quality documentation may include SOPs, training records, cleaning procedures, contamination-control procedures, equipment maintenance records and incident documentation.
The purpose of documentation is not simply to demonstrate that a procedure exists. It helps establish a consistent workflow that personnel can understand, follow and evaluate.
| Quality Element | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Standard Operating Procedure | Defines the laboratory's approved workflow and responsibilities. |
| Training | Helps personnel understand required contamination-control practices. |
| Cleaning records | Provide documentation of applicable workspace cleaning activities. |
| Incident documentation | Helps laboratories identify and investigate contamination-control deviations. |
| Material traceability | Helps connect laboratory materials to appropriate identification and documentation. |
Good Laboratory Work Starts With Contamination Control
Hand hygiene is one part of a broader laboratory quality system that can include aseptic technique, workspace preparation, contamination prevention, material identification and appropriate documentation.
Explore Laboratory Aseptic TechniqueHand Hygiene, Aseptic Technique and Contamination Prevention
Hand hygiene should not be considered independently from other laboratory practices. Aseptic technique, workspace preparation and contamination prevention address different parts of the same overall problem.
For example, hand hygiene addresses personnel-associated contamination, while workspace preparation addresses environmental surfaces. Aseptic technique focuses on controlling contamination during specific laboratory manipulations and transfers.
These practices become more meaningful when they are integrated into a clearly defined workflow with appropriate controls and documentation.
Researchers can also review BACScience resources on sources of laboratory contamination and clean laboratory workspace preparation for related contamination-control concepts.
What Should Researchers Remember About Hand Hygiene?
The most important point is that hand hygiene is a contamination-control measure rather than a standalone guarantee of laboratory sterility or material quality.
- Hands can transfer microorganisms and contaminants between laboratory surfaces and materials.
- Gloves provide a barrier but do not eliminate the need for appropriate hand hygiene.
- Hand hygiene should occur at defined points throughout the workflow.
- Laboratory SOPs should establish requirements appropriate to the specific activity.
- Hand hygiene works together with aseptic technique, workspace cleaning and other controls.
- Documentation and training help make contamination-control practices consistent.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hand Hygiene in Laboratory Workflows
Why is hand hygiene important in a laboratory?
Hand hygiene helps reduce the transfer of microorganisms and other contaminants between laboratory personnel, work surfaces, equipment and materials. Because hands can become contaminated during specimen handling and contact with laboratory surfaces, cleaning the hands at appropriate points is an important part of laboratory contamination control.
Should laboratory personnel wash their hands after removing gloves?
Yes. Laboratory safety guidance identifies hand hygiene after glove removal as an important practice. Gloves can become contaminated during laboratory work, and the hands can come into contact with contaminated glove surfaces during removal.
Do gloves replace hand hygiene?
No. Gloves and hand hygiene serve different functions. Gloves provide a physical barrier, while hand hygiene helps reduce contamination on the hands. Gloves can also become contaminated and may result in hand contamination during removal, so appropriate hand hygiene remains necessary.
Can hand hygiene prevent all laboratory contamination?
No. Hand hygiene is only one component of contamination control. Laboratory contamination can also originate from surfaces, equipment, materials, air, containers and workflow practices. Effective control therefore requires a combination of appropriate procedures, cleaning, aseptic technique, PPE and facility-specific controls.
When should laboratory personnel perform hand hygiene?
The exact timing depends on the laboratory workflow and applicable SOPs. Commonly important points include after glove removal, after obvious contamination, after completing work and before leaving the laboratory. Higher-risk activities may require additional hand hygiene points.
Is hand sanitizer appropriate for laboratory hand hygiene?
The appropriate hand hygiene method depends on the situation and applicable laboratory procedures. Alcohol-based handrubs are widely used for hand hygiene when appropriate, while soap and water are used in situations where washing is required. Laboratory personnel should follow their facility's approved procedures and safety requirements.
Does hand hygiene make a laboratory workflow sterile?
No. Hand hygiene reduces contamination on the hands but does not establish sterility of a laboratory environment, material or workflow. Sterility and contamination control involve multiple independent controls, including validated processes and appropriate testing where applicable.
How does hand hygiene relate to aseptic technique?
Hand hygiene and aseptic technique are complementary. Hand hygiene addresses contamination associated with personnel, while aseptic technique controls contamination during specific laboratory manipulations. Both can form part of a broader laboratory contamination-control strategy.
Related Research
- Laboratory Aseptic Technique — Understand how aseptic practices help control contamination during laboratory workflows.
- Sources of Laboratory Contamination — Explore common pathways through which contamination can enter laboratory workflows.
- Clean Laboratory Workspace Preparation — Learn how workspace preparation fits into a broader contamination-control strategy.
- Bacteriostatic Water Storage — Review laboratory considerations related to storage and material handling.
- Bacteriostatic Water Quality Factors — Examine the broader characteristics used when evaluating bacteriostatic water.
- Why Is Benzyl Alcohol Used in Bacteriostatic Water? — Explore the role of benzyl alcohol as a preservative in bacteriostatic water.
Research Starts With Good Laboratory Practices
Reliable laboratory workflows depend on appropriate contamination control, material identification, documentation and consistent handling practices. Explore the BACScience Research Library for additional educational resources covering bacteriostatic water, laboratory materials and quality considerations.
Explore the Research LibraryScientific References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Guidelines for Safe Work Practices in Human and Animal Medical Diagnostic Laboratories. Laboratory handwashing guidance addressing contamination after glove removal, after contamination, after work and before leaving the laboratory.
- World Health Organization (WHO). WHO Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care. Guidance defining hand hygiene, handwashing and alcohol-based handrubbing.
- World Health Organization (WHO). How to Handrub? Educational guidance on alcohol-based hand hygiene.