#3 - Lab Safety and Risk Management

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary related to lab safety and risk assessment in chemistry.

PPE

Personal Protective Equipment, designed to protect the wearer from hazards in the lab.

Hazard

A source of potential harm; for chemicals, hazards are intrinsic to the substance.

Risk

A product of the severity of a hazard and the likelihood of occurrence.

Risk Equation

An equation representing risk, often visualized as Risk = Severity \times Likelihood.

RAMP

A risk management process: Recognize hazards, Assess risks, Minimize risks, and Prepare for emergencies.

Exothermic Reaction

A chemical reaction that releases heat, such as adding concentrated acid to water (\Delta H < 0).

LD50

Lethal Dose 50\%, the amount of a substance required to kill 50\% of a test population.

PEL (Permissible Exposure Limit)

The maximum concentration of a substance that a worker can be exposed to, usually based on an 8-hour time-weighted average.

Flash Point

The lowest temperature at which a liquid produces enough vapor to ignite in the presence of an ignition source.

Corrosive

A substance that causes visible destruction of, or irreversible alterations in, living tissue or metal.

Flammable

A substance that can easily catch fire; typically defined by a flash point below 37.8^{\circ}C (100^{\circ}F).

Risk Matrix

A tool used to evaluate hazards by plotting the severity of an event against its probability.

SDS (Safety Data Sheet)

A document providing detailed information about a chemical, including hazards, handling, storage, and emergency procedures.

Globally Harmonized System (GHS)

An international system for the classification and labeling of chemicals using standardized pictograms and signal words.

Hierarchy of Controls

A system used to minimize exposure, ordered from most to least effective: Elimination, Substitution, Engineering Controls, Administrative Controls, and PPE.

Engineering Controls

Physical changes to the environment to reduce hazards, such as using a chemical fume hood or localized ventilation.

Administrative Controls

Policies and procedures designed to reduce risk, such as mandatory safety training or limiting work hours with a chemical.

NFPA 704 Diamond

A symbol indicating health (blue), flammability (red), instability (yellow), and special hazards (white) on a scale of 0 to 4.

Acute vs. Chronic Toxicity

Acute toxicity refers to adverse effects from a single exposure; chronic toxicity refers to effects from repeated, long-term exposure.

Routes of Entry

The pathways by which chemicals enter the body: inhalation, ingestion, absorption (skin/eyes), and injection.