Laboratory Safety Training

Chemistry

Laboratory Safety Training

• Safe lab environments are dependent upon both you and your colleagues.

• Everyone must work together to ensure lab safety.

Laboratory Safety Training• Because laboratories involve numerous

chemicals, procedures, and operations, they require extensive safety precautions.

Important Safety Content

• Emergency Plan

• Glassware

• Fire Prevention

• Personal Protective Equipment

• Fume Hoods

• Electrical & Physical Hazards

• Chemical Safety

• General Rules

Emergency Plan

• It is always good policy to know the emergency response procedures for your lab.

Emergency Plan• When you first walk into a lab you should always

take note of the location of the:

• Safety Showers • Safety Eye Washes • Emergency Exits • Fire Extinguishers • Emergency Electrical Switch• Gas Cutoff Switch • Fire Blanket

Emergency Plan

• Knowing the emergency action plan and the location of safety equipment could prevent a minor emergency from turning into a major emergency.

• Students must call for help

• Students must clear area to prevent injury

Glass Ware Safety

• Accidents involving glassware are the leading cause of laboratory injuries. 

• To reduce the chance of cuts or punctures, use common sense when working with glassware. 

Glassware

• General rules to follow when handling glassware:

• Prevent damage to glassware during handling and storage.

• Inspect glassware before and after each use.  Discard or repair any cracked, broken, or damaged glassware.

• Thoroughly clean glassware after each use. • Never use laboratory glassware to serve food

or drinks

GlasswareWhen inserting glass tubing into rubber stoppers, corks, or tubing, follow these guidelines: 

•Use adequate hand protection.•Lubricate the tubing.•Hold hands close together to minimize movement if the glass breaks.

Guidelines for disposing of broken glass:

• Do not pick up broken glass with bare or unprotected hands. 

• Use a brush and dust pan to clean up broken glass. 

• Remove broken glass in sinks by using tongs for large pieces and cotton held by tongs for small pieces and slivers.

• Place all the recovered broken glass into the broken glass container.

Fire Prevention• The best method of fire fighting is

taking precautions to prevent one from occurring in the first place and being prepared if a fire in the lab should occur.

• Have good housekeeping practices.

• Use the smallest amount of flammable solvents possible.

• Keep the flammable solvents away from ignition sources.

• Keep flammables under fume hood.

Fire Prevention• This is a photo of a lab fire that occurred due

to improperly stored chemicals

Fire Procedure• If and when a fire should occur don’t panic, just

simply:• Alert the people around you to evacuate the lab and

activate the fire alarm. • If the fire is large or you do not feel comfortable trying

to extinguish it, GET OUT, and let the professionals do their job.

• If it is a small controllable fire, either smother the fire with a lap apron or fire blanket or use the fire extinguisher.

• If trying to extinguish the fire always stay on the exit side of the fire.

• To use a fire extinguisher, remember PASS, Pull pin, Aim at base of fire, Squeeze handle, and Spray until extinguished.

Personal Protective Equipment• Personal Protective Equipment

(PPE) is not required just because it makes you look GOOFY. It is there to give you added protection against any accidents that may occur while working in the lab.

Carol did not follow lab safety rules!!!

•Chemical goggles can protect your eyes from flying debris. •They also keep vapors, dust, and splashed chemicals from getting into your eyes.•Goggles must be worn over prescription eyewear

PPE• There are several different types of PPE

but you should always wear what is appropriate for your lab.

• Safety Goggles

• Lab Apron

• Gloves

Fume Hoods• Fume Hoods are an essential component in the lab when it

comes to protecting yourself from potentially harmful fumes.

How does a fume hood work?A fume hood simply draws air from the room into the hood where it mixes and dilutes the potentially harmful fumes and then vents into the atmosphere

Fume Hoods, continued• Keep the front sash at or below the safe

sash-opening marker.

Electrical & Physical Hazards

• Electrical and Physical Hazards are present in every lab, but in order to control them it is good to know what they are and where they are located in a lab.

• Stay alert and always keep in mind where these hazards exist.

• Good housekeeping practices also play a role in preventing these hazards.

OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration)

• You have the legal right to know what chemicals you might be exposed to and what their dangers are.

• This is true of employees, customers, and students.

• These are usually presented in material safety data sheets (MSDS).

National Fire Protection Association• Rating placed on diamond-shaped signs so that fire

fighters know what hazards are present. • These signs are placed on transport vehicles, on

buildings containing chemicals, and on containers of chemicals.

• The numbers range from 0 to 4, with 4 meaning the most hazardous. – Dangers known at glance– For example, a diamond with 4,4,4 would tell

you this is something extremely toxic, extremely flammable, and could explode.

– Fire fighters would keep their distance.

Chemical Safety• Chemical safety procedures

are set to protect students, employees, and the environment from possible harm. Some of the procedures that help accomplish this are:

• Proper labeling

• Proper storage

• MSDS locations

Know Your Symbols!!

OXY

• Chemical can be a source of oxygen or have elements that will behave like oxygen.

• The chemicals don't burn themselves but speed up the burning of other chemicals.

ACID• Strong acids can dissolve metals and release

explosive hydrogen gas. • It can react with other chemicals to produce a lot of

heat that can start a fire. • It can react with chemicals that release toxic and non-

toxic gases. • Any release of gases can build up

pressure and explode. • Common strong acids:

– sulfuric acid (battery acid), – hydrochloric acid (pool acid), – and nitric acid.

ALK• Alkaline chemical which means the

opposite of acid but just as dangerous. • Strong alkaline chemicals are

especially corrosive to skin (it turns skin into soap).

• Alkaline chemicals neutralize acids but in the process can put out tremendous amounts of heat that can start fires and generate gases that can build up explosive pressures.

• Common alkaline chemicals are cleaning ammonia (ammonium hydroxide), sodium hydroxide (Drano drain opener, Easy Off oven cleaner).

• They are more dangerous mixed with acids. Never mix bleach and ammonia!!!

COR• Corrosive chemical capable of

burning, corroding, dissolving, or eating away.

• It might be corrosive because of it reacts violently with water and if exposed to the moisture in skin, damages skin.

• Picture is a leak from a truck carrying 12 tons of phosphorous trichloride.– The Specific Hazard is listed a Water Reactive. – Corrosive and irritating to living tissue. – Toxic level exposure to skin causes acid-like burns. – In contact with water it creates hydrochloric acid and

phosphoric acid.

COR• Some chemicals are corrosive because they react

(combine) with other materials aggressively. • For example, gases of the elements chlorine, fluorine,

and iodine react detrimentally with human tissue and other materials.

• Chlorine gas is often used in public swimming pools to disinfect the water.

• Several emergencies have been caused by leaks of chlorine gas.

Chemical Safety• Proper Labeling • Proper labeling ensures

that you receive the correct chemical and prevents you from getting harmed by one that is not labeled correctly.

MSDS's and/or primary container labels shall be available for chemical specific information when chemical transfer to secondary containers is performed.

Chemical Safety

• Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS’s) 

• Know the location of the MSDS’s.

• Before using any chemical, especially new chemicals, read the container label and the appropriate MSDS’s.

• Container labels and MSDS’s are good sources of information for chemical safety.

General Laboratory Rules

• No open toed shoes or flip-flops.

• No loose fitting clothes. • No loose long hair (must be pulled back into

ponytail). • Know about the chemicals and hazards

associated with your laboratory. • Know what to do in emergency situations. • Know how to read and interpret MSDS.

General Laboratory Rules• Wear personal protective equipment, as

appropriate. • Never work alone in the laboratory. • Do not eat, drink, or use tobacco products in

the laboratory. • Keep lab doors closed. • Hallways, corridors, and exit ways must be kept

clear. Do not leave (even temporarily) laboratory equipment or supplies in these areas.

What do I do if……….

• My lab partner gets hurt? (Chemical in the eye, cut with glass, burnt etc.)

• ---Yell “CODE ONE” to get the teachers attention immediately.

• ---Your lab partner is your responsibility.

What do I do if………..

• I break some glass?

• ---Report any broken glass to the instructor and let the instructor determine how to best clean the glass. All glass is to be disposed of in the broken glass container.

What do I do if…….

• I spill some chemicals?

• ---Notify the instructor and wait for proper clean up instructions. In most cases, washing the area with plenty of water will take care of the spill.

What do I do if……….

• There is a small fire?

• ---Yell “CODE ONE” to get the instructors attention and try to smother the fire with your lab apron.

What do I do if………….

• I catch on fire?

• ---STOP, DROP AND ROLL never run to the safety shower because you are adding more oxygen to the flame.

What do I do if………

• My lab partner catches on fire?

• --- Yell “CODE ONE” and get the fire blanket to smother the fire.

What do I do if………..

• I get chemicals or foreign matter in my eye?

• ---Have your lab partner walk you to the eye wash station.

What do I do if…………

• My lab partner gets chemicals or foreign substances in their eye?

• ---Yell “CODE ONE” and escort them to the eye wash station.

When Safety Goes Wrong

WARNING:

Graphic images of injuries due to not following safety procedures

Viewer Discretion is advised

Alkali burn to the eye. This person was not wearing their goggles as required.

An exploded crucible. Glass shards everywhere.

NEVER HEAT A CLOSED CONTAINER!!!!

This person’s eye has a metal shard in it.

They were not wearing their safety goggles.

Chemical burn. The chemical got trapped under the straps of the sandal.

Closed toed shoes would have protected from this injury.

This person picked up a hot piece of glassware without hand protection.

HOT GLASS LOOKS LIKE COLD GLASS!!!!

The test tube was pointed the wrong way.

The boiling chemical spewed out and burned this student’s arm.

NEVER POINT A TEST TUBE TOWARDS ANOTHER PERSON!!!

This man spilled sulfuric acid on his hand.

These are 2nd degree burns from the acid.

WASH A CHEMICAL SPILL IMMEDIATELY!!!

I didn’t show you these pictures to gross you out. I showed them to you to show what can happen to YOU.

When I tell you to wear you safety equipment, I am not being mean.

I ask you to wear your equipment because I care about you. I don’t want you to be hurt.

Safety Is Everyone’s Responsibility