Chemical Safety, Handling, and Storage Notes

Safe Handling and Personal Protection

• Always wear appropriate PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) and address any specific precautions for the chemicals used.
• Do not remove chemicals from the laboratory space.
• Pour small amounts of chemicals into a beaker for further transfer into delicate glassware, such as a burette, to avoid breaking large reagent bottles.
• Never pour reagents or solutions above head level.

Preventing Contamination

• Never return chemicals to reagent bottles after removing them to prevent contamination and unsafe situations.
• Clean lab implements, such as spatulas, between uses in different reagent bottles.
• Close bottles immediately after use and return them to the proper storage location.

The NFPA Diamond and Hazard Identification

• Use the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) diamond to quickly assess hazards:     * Blue: Health hazards.     * Red: Fire hazards.     * Yellow: Reactivity hazards.     * White: Special hazards (e.g., acid).
• Hazard ratings range from $0$ (stable) to $4$ (most hazardous).
• Refer to the SDS (Safety Data Sheet) for detailed chemical information.

Storage and Maintenance

• Store chemicals in cool, dry, and dark designated storage cabinets.
• Keep cabinet doors closed to contain potential spills or explosions.
• Label cabinets by chemical type to ensure incompatible substances are not stored together.
• Do not use a fume hood for long-term chemical storage.
• Write the date of opening on every new reagent bottle to track its usage life.