| Safety Judgment and Hazard Recognition | Recognize hazards, make safe decisions, and stop work when conditions are unsafe or instructions are unclear. | Follow laboratory safety rules, written protocols, safety data sheets (SDS), labels, hazard pictograms, and instructor directions.Identify risks associated with corrosive acids and bases, toxic or irritating reagents, flammable materials, biological agents, sharps, hot surfaces, glassware, pressurized systems, electrical equipment, and moving machinery.Immediately stop a procedure and seek assistance when a spill, exposure, equipment malfunction, unusual result, broken container, or other unsafe condition occurs.Do not improvise, bypass guards or interlocks, alter instrument settings, mix materials, or continue a procedure beyond authorized instructions.Distinguish between routine variation and a condition requiring immediate intervention or notification. |
| Safe and Controlled Conduct | Maintain attention and control of actions in a shared laboratory where unsafe or unauthorized behavior can cause immediate harm. | Respond immediately to instructions to stop, step away, evacuate, lower a sash, extinguish a flame, or discontinue equipment use.Touch, operate, connect, disconnect, or adjust electrical outlets, power cords, gas valves, emergency controls, instruments, and laboratory utilities only as instructed.Keep foreign objects, liquids, hands, and tools away from electrical outlets and energized equipment unless the procedure specifically requires authorized contact.Avoid horseplay, intentional misuse of materials, unauthorized experimentation, and actions that distract or endanger others.Sustain attention long enough to complete hazardous steps safely and accept immediate correction or redirection without continuing the unsafe action.Progress toward completing routine procedures without continuous one-to-one prompting or physical intervention. |
| Communication and Emergency Reporting | Receive, understand, and communicate safety-critical information promptly and accurately. | Read and follow written protocols, instrument instructions, labels, signs, and emergency procedures.Understand and act on verbal directions, including urgent stop commands and changes to a procedure.Ask for clarification before proceeding when directions, calculations, labels, or safety requirements are not understood.Immediately report spills, splashes, cuts, burns, needlesticks, broken glass, dropped cultures, exposure to biological materials, equipment alarms, and near misses.Communicate clearly with laboratory partners so that shared steps, handoffs, timing, and hazard controls are coordinated.Label samples, reagents, waste, and work areas clearly enough to prevent mix-ups and unsafe handling. |
| Critical Thinking, Sequencing, and Calculation | Apply scientific information, mathematics, and procedural logic to complete laboratory work accurately and safely. | Perform multi-step protocols in the required sequence and maintain awareness of the current step and next step.Calculate concentrations, dilutions, volumes, percentages, unit conversions, cell counts, and other quantitative values used in biotechnology laboratories.Verify that calculations, units, instrument settings, sample identities, and reagent selections are reasonable before use.Prioritize tasks when procedures include timed incubations, multiple samples, contamination controls, or shared equipment.Interpret controls, standards, graphs, instrument outputs, and observations to determine whether results are acceptable or require investigation.Transfer knowledge from training and prior procedures to new but related laboratory situations. |
| Fine Motor Control and Manual Dexterity | Use hands and laboratory tools with sufficient precision and control to prevent spills, contamination, punctures, burns, or sample loss. | Adjust and operate micropipettes, serological pipettes, pipette aids, balances, pH meters, microscopes, timers, and common laboratory controls.Open, close, cap, uncap, label, hold, and transfer microtubes, test tubes, bottles, vials, cuvettes, culture plates, and other small containers without dropping or cross-contaminating them.Perform accurate liquid transfers, serial dilutions, gel or plate loading, sample spotting, colony selection, streaking, inoculation, and other precision procedures.Coordinate both hands during aseptic transfers, sterile connections, filtration, tubing manipulation, and work within a fume hood or biological safety cabinet.Handle glassware, razor blades, scalpels, needles, syringes, Pasteur pipettes, and other sharps safely and place them directly into the correct disposal container.Maintain controlled movements near open flames, hot surfaces, rotating equipment, and neighboring students. |
| Aseptic Technique and Biological Safety | Perform microbiological and cell-culture procedures while protecting the student, others, samples, and the laboratory environment. | Apply required biosafety practices when handling microorganisms, cultured cells, recombinant materials, human- or animal-derived materials, and other potentially infectious or biohazardous samples used in the curriculum.Disinfect work areas, wash hands, change gloves when contaminated, and avoid touching the face, personal items, door handles, or clean surfaces with contaminated gloves.Maintain sterile fields and distinguish clean, sterile, contaminated, and biohazardous items and work zones.Use inoculating tools, burners or micro-incinerators, biological safety cabinets, centrifuges, incubators, and culture equipment according to required containment practices.Prevent aerosols, splashes, uncontrolled culture opening, and cross-contamination during transfers and disposal.Decontaminate and dispose of cultures, contaminated disposables, sharps, and biological waste in the designated containers and report any loss of containment immediately. |
| Chemical, Fire, Heat, and Electrical Safety | Work safely with hazardous chemicals, ignition sources, hot equipment, and powered laboratory systems. | Measure, transfer, mix, transport, and dispose of acids, bases, stains, solvents, disinfectants, and other reagents using the required PPE and containment.Use a chemical fume hood correctly, including appropriate sash position, work placement, and avoidance of actions that disrupt airflow.Ignite, adjust, monitor, and extinguish a Bunsen burner or other approved flame source; secure loose hair and clothing and keep flammable materials away from ignition sources.Handle hot plates, water baths, autoclaved materials, heating blocks, and hot glassware using appropriate tools and precautions.Use electrophoresis power supplies and other electrical instruments without exposing energized components to hands, tools, or liquids; disconnect power as instructed before opening or adjusting equipment.Use centrifuges and other moving equipment only after proper balancing, closure, and inspection, and wait for motion to stop before opening.Locate and appropriately respond to eyewashes, safety showers, fire alarms, fire blankets, spill kits, exits, and other emergency equipment. |
| Visual, Auditory, and Other Sensory Information | Obtain and respond to the sensory information needed for accurate laboratory work and hazard detection, using effective accommodations when appropriate. | Read small labels, graduations, pipette displays, menisci, instrument screens, warning indicators, graphs, and printed or electronic protocols.Observe flame condition, liquid levels, spills, leaks, cracked glassware, sample clarity, turbidity, color changes, precipitates, colony growth, contamination, and microscopic structures.Distinguish samples, reagents, and waste containers through labels, coding systems, position, or other reliable methods.Detect and respond to timers, equipment alarms, changes in operating sound, emergency announcements, and verbal warnings through hearing or an effective alternative alerting method.Maintain awareness of nearby people, obstacles, open drawers, cords, stools, carts, and active procedures while moving or working at the bench. |
| Mobility, Positioning, and Physical Endurance | Move and position safely in laboratory spaces and sustain participation for the duration of scheduled laboratory activities. | Navigate between benches, sinks, hoods, safety equipment, storage areas, and instruments without contacting hazardous materials or interfering with another person’s procedure.Reach work surfaces and controls, bend or reposition as needed, and maintain a stable working position at benches, hoods, cabinets, and instruments.Perform periods of standing, sitting, repetitive hand use, and focused bench work required by laboratory procedures.Move laboratory supplies, racks, reagent bottles, small equipment, samples, and waste using safe methods, carts, team lifting, or approved accommodations as appropriate.Exit the laboratory promptly during an evacuation and move to emergency equipment or a safe location when directed. |
| Personal Protective Equipment and Environmental Conditions | Use required protective equipment and work safely in the environmental conditions typical of biotechnology laboratories. | Wear required PPE for the entire period in which it is needed, including laboratory coats or gowns, gloves, chemical splash goggles or safety glasses, long pants, closed-toe/closed-heel shoes, and additional protective equipment assigned for a procedure.Don and remove PPE without contaminating skin, clothing, personal items, or clean laboratory surfaces.Work in areas that may include chemical odors, disinfectant odors, biological materials, artificial lighting, equipment noise, cool or warm rooms, confined work zones, and crowded shared benches.Follow restrictions on food, drink, cosmetics, phones, earbuds, and personal belongings in laboratory areas.Use the College's accommodation or safety-planning process when an allergy, sensitivity, or medical condition affects safe participation. |
| Documentation, Technology, and Data Integrity | Create accurate, timely, and traceable laboratory records and use required technology responsibly. | Record procedures, observations, calculations, deviations, and results at the time work is performed in a laboratory notebook, worksheet, batch record, or approved electronic system.Write or enter information legibly and accurately enough for another trained person to understand what was done.Maintain sample identity and traceability through correct labeling, dates, initials, lot numbers, file names, and chain-of-custody or batch documentation when required.Use computers, keyboards, instrument software, the learning management system, email, and electronic documents needed for coursework and laboratory operation.Protect passwords and records; do not fabricate, omit, backdate, overwrite, or improperly alter laboratory data.Recognize and report documentation errors, instrument errors, out-of-range results, and procedural deviations according to course requirements. |
| Professional Responsibility and Teamwork | Demonstrate reliability, accountability, and cooperative behavior necessary for safe laboratory learning and industry practice. | Arrive prepared for laboratory work, complete required safety training, and follow dress and PPE requirements before beginning a procedure.Work independently after instruction while also coordinating effectively with partners and sharing equipment safely.Protect confidential or proprietary information encountered in laboratory exercises, internships, or industry settings.Accept responsibility for mistakes, disclose deviations or safety incidents promptly, and participate honestly in corrective actions.Receive feedback professionally and make required changes in technique or behavior before resuming work.Follow the Pitt Community College Student Code of Conduct and all Biotechnology program, course, laboratory, and internship policies. |