ABSTRACT
Assessment of risks in hospital laboratories is particularly diffi cult when one considers the range of possible hazards: fi res; explosions; inhalation of toxic gases, aerosols, and vapors; splashes of corrosive chemicals on the skin or in the eyes; thermal burns; cryogenic burns; and accidental injections, falls, and cuts. Of these, the most diffi cult to assess are exposures to chemicals, radiation, or infectious agents. Exposures in the laboratory are typically short in duration, intermittent, and involve small quantities (relative to an industrial setting) of mixtures of agents. Little is known about the health eff ects of such an exposure profi le.
