Friday, August 9, 2013
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In a chemistry laboratory rules and regulations concerning safety must be taught to every student that will perform experiments.
1. Introduction to Laboratory Safety
1.1 Preparing for laboratory work
Before starting to work in a laboratory, familiarize yourself with the following:
- the agents, processes and equipment in the laboratory. If you are unsure of any aspect of a procedure, check with your supervisor before proceeding.
- emergency spill response procedures for the materials you will handle
- emergency reporting procedures and telephone numbers
- designated and alternate escape routes
1.2 During laboratory work
- Restrict laboratory access to authorized persons only. Children are not permitted in labs.
- Smoking; eating; drinking; storing food, beverages or tobacco; applying cosmetics or lip balm and handling contact lenses are not permitted in laboratories.
- Keep work places clean and free of unwanted chemicals, biological specimens, radios, and idle equipment. Avoid leaving reagent bottles, empty or full, on the floor.
- Work only with materials once you know their flammability, reactivity, toxicity, safe handling and storage and emergency procedures.
- Prepare and maintain a chemical inventory for the lab.
- Walk, do not run, in the lab.
- Keep exits and passageways clear at all times.
- Ensure that access to emergency equipment (eyewashes, safety showers and fire extinguishers) is not blocked.
- Report accidents and dangerous incidents ("near-misses") promptly to your supervisor
- Wash your hands thoroughly before leaving the laboratory.
- Perform procedures that liberate infectious bioaerosols in a biological safety cabinet
- Handle all human blood and body fluids as if potentially infectious
1.3 Cleaning up before leaving
Perform a safety check at the end of each experiment and before leaving the lab. Make sure to:
- Turn off gas, water, electricity, vacuum and compression lines and heating apparatus
- Return unused materials, equipment and apparatus to their proper storage locations
- Label, package and dispose of all waste material properly
- · Remove defective or damaged equipment immediately, and arrange to have it repaired or replaced
- Decontaminate any equipment or work areas that may have been in contact with hazardous materials.
- Leave behind protective clothing (lab coats, gloves, etc.) when leaving the laboratory
- Close and lock the door to the laboratory if you are the last one to leave
1.4 Evaluating laboratory hazards, an ongoing process
There are many categories of hazards that might be encountered in a laboratory setting, and situations can change frequently. Even after you have identified and controlled all current risks, it is critical that you remain open to the possibility that new unexpected dangers can arise. Periodically verify that the Laboratory Information Card (LIC) and other hazard warnings are current; advise Environmental Health and Safety whenever changes to the LIC are required.
Carry out weekly inspections on the condition of:
- fire extinguishers
- emergency wash devices such as eyewashes and drench hoses (run these for several minutes and update inspection tags
- first aid kit contents
- fume hood and other ventilation devices
- tubing for circulating water, vacuum, gases
- chemical storage compartments
Also, ensure that fire extinguishers and emergency showers are inspected, tested and tagged annually.
Among potential laboratory hazards, be alert for the following:
- Chemical products
- flammable
- toxic
- oxidizing
- reactive
- corrosive
- Microbiological disease-producing agents and their toxins
- viruses
- bacteria
- parasites
- rickettsiae
- fungi
- Physical or mechanical hazards
- ionizing and non-ionizing radiation
- electrical
- poor equipment design or work organization (ergonomic hazards)
- tripping hazards
- excessive noise or heat
1.5 Working alone policy
Working alone is an unsafe practice at any time. However, if the nature of your work makes it unavoidable, take measures to ensure that others are aware of your location and have someone check in with you from time to time, either in person or by telephone.
Before conducting any work alone in a laboratory go through this checklist to determine if it is appropriate to proceed:
· Is your supervisor aware of your plans?
· Are there any hazardous experiments involved?
Examples:
- High temperature
- High vacuum
- Extremely flammable materials (low flash point)
- Poisonous materials
- Have you reviewed your procedure with your supervisor?
- Do you have a written operating procedure?
- Are your apparatus and equipment in good working condition?
- Are you trained to carry out the work?
- Does your door have a viewing window or other means of indicating someone is inside?
- Are you aware of the emergency evacuations procedure?
- Do you have access to a telephone in case of an emergency?
- Do you have access to a first aid kit?
- Do you have access to a spill kit?
Here are the additional rules that are NOT made to be broken. That is true of the rules used in a chemistry lab and these rules have no exceptions. They are really, truly for your safety and not your humiliation.
- Do Not Pipette By Mouth - Ever
You say, "But it's only water." Even if it is, how clean do you think that glassware really is? Using disposable pipettes? I know lots of people who rinse them and put them back! Learn to use the pipette bulb or automated pipetter. Don't pipette by mouth at home either. Gasoline and kerosene should be obvious, but people get hospitalized or die every year, right? I know someone who used his mouth to start the suction on a waterbed to drain it. Do you know what they put in some waterbed additives? Carbon-14. Mmmm...radiation. He couldn't retch fast enough! The lesson is that even seemingly harmless substances may be dangerous!
- Read the Chemical Safety Information
A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) should be available for every chemical you use in lab. Read these and follow the recommendations for safe use and disposal of the material.
- Dress Appropriately (for chemistry lab, not fashion or the weather)
No sandals, no clothes you love more than life, no contact lenses, and long pants are preferable to shorts or short skirts. Tie long hair back. Wear safety goggles and a lab coat. Even if you aren't clumsy, someone else in the lab probably is. If you take even a few chemistry courses you will probably see people set themselves on fire, spill acid on themselves, others, or notes, splash themselves in the eye, etc. Don't be the bad example to others, remembered for all time for something stupid!
- Identify the Safety Equipment
And know how to use it! Given that some people (possibly you) will need them, know the locations of the fire blanket, extinguishers, eyewash, and shower. Ask for demonstrations! If the eyewash hasn't been used in a while the discoloration of the water is usually sufficient to inspire use of safety glasses.
- Don't Taste or Sniff Chemicals
For many chemicals, if you can smell them then you are exposing yourself to a dose that can harm you! If the safety information says that a chemical should only be used inside a fume hood, then don't use it anywhere else. This isn't cooking class - don't taste your experiments!
- Don't Casually Dispose of Chemicals Down the Drain
Some chemicals can be washed down the drain, while others require a different method of disposal. If a chemical can go in the sink, be sure to wash it away rather than risk an unexpected reaction between chemical 'leftovers' later.
- Don't Eat or Drink in Lab
It's tempting, but oh so dangerous... just don't do it!
- Don't Play Mad Scientist
Don't haphazardly mix chemicals! Pay attention to the order in which chemicals are to be added to each other and do not deviate from the instructions. Even chemicals that mix to produce seemingly safe products should be handled carefully. For example, hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide will give you salt water, but the reaction could break your glassware or splash the reactants onto you if you aren't careful!
- Take Data During Lab
Not after lab, on the assumption that it will be neater. Put data directly in your lab book rather than transcribing from another source (e.g., notebook or lab partner). There are lots of reasons for this, but the practical one is that it is much harder for the data to get lost in your lab book. For some experiments, it may be helpful to take data beforelab. No, I'm not telling you to dry-lab or cheat, but being able to project likely data will help you catch bad lab procedure before you are three hours or so into a project. Know what to expect. You should always read the experiment in advance.
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