CHEM181 (Lab) - Safety in the Laboratory

R A M P

Recognize hazards

R A M P

Assess the risk of hazards

R A M P

Minimize the risk off hazard

R A M P

Prepare for emergencies

I. Your Role in the Laboratory

The primary responsible party is you – the one executing the experiment – as you hold the most direct influence in preventing incidents and ensuring lab safety.

Laboratory accidents often result from:

• a careless attitude towards safety

• an incapability to recognize hazards and dangerous situations

• inattentiveness to one's environment

• neglecting to read and follow instructions or precautions designed to minimize risks

Observe appropriate conduct.

a. Refrain from conducting unauthorized experiments.
b. Avoid eating, drinking, or smoking within the laboratory.
c. Avoid engaging in pranks or playful behavior within the laboratory.

Follow the Suitable Laboratory Dress Code.

a. Use your PPE (Personal Protective Equipment): laboratory gown, safety goggles, mask, closed-toe shoes, gloves (when needed).
b. Secure and confine long hair.
c. Remove jewelry and accessories.

Safe handling of chemicals

a. Read the procedure before coming to the laboratory and listen to your instructor’s directions.
b. Never sniff a chemical directly. Smell vapors by wafting.
c. Never return reagents to their original containers.

Proper housekeeping

a. Put your bags in the designated area. Make sure to free aisles and counters from unnecessary stuff.
b. Keep chemicals away from edges of the counters to prevent spilling.
c. Clean your workstation before leaving the laboratory.

Proper hygiene

a. Refrain from touching your face or mouth with your hands or pen while working in the laboratory.
b. Remember to thoroughly wash your hands and arms with soap and water before leaving the laboratory.

Readiness for Emergencies

Familiarize yourself completely with the location and operation of safety equipment and facilities

Evacuation route

this route provides a means to exit the building in case of emergencies like fire or earthquake. In an emergency, the main evacuation route is through the front door. The detail of this route is put near elevators, stairways and in main hallways so guests know how to get out in an emergency.

Safety shower

this equipment is designed to wash a person’s head and body which has come into contact with hazardous chemicals. This can also be used in putting out fires or rinsing off contaminants from clothing.

Eyewash fountain

this apparatus is employed to rinse the eyes with water in the event that dust, irritants, or chemicals come into contact with the eyes.

II. Guide to Chemical Hazards

Even though chemicals are classified as hazards, they won’t pose a risk if we become skilled at recognizing them and mitigating their potential dangers.

Hazard

a potential source of danger or harm

Physical Hazards: explosive

Physical Hazards: flammable

Physical Hazards: oxidizing

Physical Hazards: compress gas

Physical Hazards: corrosive

Health Hazards: toxic

Health Hazards: skin irritant/corrosive

Health Hazards: acute toxicity

Health Hazards: respiratory sensitization

Environmental Hazard: environment and aquatic hazard

Toxicity

A chemical that can inflict harm upon a living organism. Numerous factors influence how a living organism responds to a chemical upon entering the body. Some of these factors include route of entry, dose, duration, and the physical state of toxic substance.

Route of entry: Inhalation

occurs when the chemical is breathed through the respiratory tract during breathing.

Route of entry: Ingestion

this is the case when a chemical enters the digestive tract via the mouth.

Route of entry: Absorption

this takes place when a chemical makes contact with the skin, potentially leading to the absorption of the chemical through the skin.

Route of entry: Injection

this happens when a chemical infiltrates the body through a cut created in the skin by a contaminated sharp object.

Dose

described as the amount of a toxic substance received on a single occasion.

Duration

The health effects of the toxic substance can be described in terms of exposure and the start of the effect.

Duration: Acute exposure

is defined by the immediate engagement of the toxic substance in one or more doses within 24 hours.

Duration: Chronic exposure

is defined by recurrent exposures, often of minimal doses, extending across months or years.

Physical state of toxic substance

whether it is a gas, liquid or solid, affects the gravity of the harm it does to the body.

Flammability

It is the ease with which a material is ignited, the intensity with which it burns and releases heat once ignited, its property to spread fire, and the rate at which it generates smoke.

Corrosivity

The gradual deterioration caused by a chemical’s interaction with metal or living tissue. Corrosive substances include strong acids, strong bases, certain weak acids and bases, and a few moderately soluble bases. Even a brief encounter with a corrosive chemical can cause permanent damage to living tissue, with the eyes being especially susceptible.

Reactivity

This refers to the capability of chemicals to interact with other substances and undergo a transformation into new compounds.