Formalin handeling and storage

[lhawkins]

Anyone have a protocol for handling specimens.

Our current practice is the scrub tech places tissue in spec cup and hands it to the nurse circulator. The nurse labels the container, carries it to the dirty utility and pumps about 15mls of formalin into the spec cup. Proper PPE is worn during the process.

Do we need a fume hood for the formalin? Any special storage precautions for Formalin or can we just keep the jug on our counter?

[Frozen08]

If the jug has an airtight lid and there is sufficient ventilation in the utility room...your ppm in the air should PROBABLY be within limits.

The information you want is found on MSDS files that your clinic/hospital should have available to all employees. Contact your lab director or pathologist to determine if your current storage strategy is sufficient.

http://www.hvchemical.com/msds/form10.htm

[I<3H2O, BSN, RN]

At my facility, those who use Formalin are given cups with Formalin in it. If for some reason, they have to use a different specimen cup and pour the formalin over the specimen then they are required to go into the pharmacy and use the hood area for that.

[klone, MSN, RN]

Interesting. We don't use hoods or protective clothing or anything. We just pour it right from a bottle (kept in dirty utility) into the specimen container.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

We have pre-filled specimen jars/buckets of varying sizes, from about 1 inch diameter by 1.5 inch tall to a 5 gallon bucket size.

[bulletproofbarb]

I work with formlin daily in a lab. We dont use PPE except for when we make it up to a 1 in 20 solution, it sits on the bench, however our bench has a fume extractor underneath. We add formlin to fresh specimens all the time at a 1:20 ratio. Once it is made up, it's not as bad as the neat stuff. We always wear gloves. You should have a spill kit though

We dont use the fume hood to do it but as i said we have the extractor under the bench.

Specimens are not added to neat formlin, you would be using a solution watered down.

you can find out more by searching for MSDS Formaldehyde

Australian one:

http://www.kendon.com.au/Catalogue/MSDS/Industrial/Formaldehyde.htm

[bulletproofbarb]

We have pre-filled specimen jars/buckets of varying sizes, from about 1 inch diameter by 1.5 inch tall to a 5 gallon bucket size.

if you look at the label on the prefilled ones it will give you a percentage...so if it says 20% is 1:20..you are using diluted formalin in these jars.