Lecture
Lab Automation as a Catalyst for Safer Laboratory Operations in minerals, chemical industry and biotech.
- at -
- B1.537
- Type: Lecture
Lecture description
Many laboratory activities involve low to moderate occupational health risks that can be effectively managed through training, standard operating procedures, and appropriate personal protective equipment. However, routine operations in industrial quality control laboratories often require handling toxic chemicals, corrosive reagents, or hazardous gases. Similarly, biotech research laboratories may involve exposure to highly biohazardous agents and pathogens that demand stringent risk control. This presentation outlines how laboratory automation, when designed with safety as a core principle, substantially reduces operator exposure during routine sample preparation workflows. In sectors such as metals, minerals, and mining, automated handling of strong acids and aggressive chemicals minimizes direct human contact and enables safer, more sustainable working conditions for QC laboratory staff. These same principles readily extend to petrochemical and environmental testing laboratories, where continuous, around-the-clock quality monitoring places persistent demands on occupational health management. At first sight, the flexibility required in biotech R&D, particularly for rapidly evolving assays and living cell culture systems, may appear incompatible with automation. In practice, experience has shown otherwise. An automated biosafety level 3 laboratory, commissioned well before 2020, demonstrated its value during the unexpected SARS-CoV-2 outbreak by enabling rapid, 24/7 screening for viral inhibitors while maintaining robust protection for laboratory personnel. Well-engineered, reliable automation focused on risk mitigation enables routine laboratory processes involving hazardous agents to be executed safely, supporting both operational resilience and a healthy working environment.
