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Safety in the Chemistry Lab

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Safety in the Chemistry Lab Safety in the Chemistry Lab Working in the chemistry laboratory is an inter- 12. Never touch any substance in the lab un- esting and rewarding experience. During your less specifically instructed to do so by your labs, you will be actively involved from beginning teacher. to end—from setting some change in motion to 13. Never put your face near the mouth of a drawing some conclusion. In the laboratory, you container that is holding chemicals. will be working with equipment and materials that 14. Never smell any chemicals unless in- can cause injury if they are not handled properly. structed to do so by your teacher. When testing for However, the laboratory is a safe place to work if odors, use a wafting motion to direct the odors to you are careful. Accidents do not just happen, they your nose. are caused—by carelessness, haste, and disregard 15. Any activity involving poisonous vapors of safety rules and practices. Safety rules to be should be conducted in the fume hood. followed in the laboratory are listed below. Before 16. Dispose of waste materials as instructed beginning any lab work, read these rules, learn by your teacher. them, and follow them carefully. 17. Clean up all spills immediately. 18. Clean and wipe dry all work surfaces at General the end of class. Wash your hands thoroughly. 19. Know the location of emergency equip- 1. Be prepared to work when you arrive at ment (first aid kit, fire extinguisher, fire shower, the laboratory. Familiarize yourself with the lab fire blanket, etc.) and how to use them. procedures before beginning the lab. 20. Report all accidents to the teacher imme- 2. Perform only those lab activities assigned diately. by your teacher. Never do anything in the labora- tory that is not called for in the laboratory pro- cedure or by your teacher. Never work alone in Handling Chemicals the lab. Do not engage in any horseplay. 21. Read and double check labels on reagent 3. Work areas should be kept clean and tidy bottles before removing any reagent. Take only as at all times. Only lab manuals and notebooks much reagent as you need. should be brought to the work area. Other books, 22. Do not return unused reagent to stock purses, brief cases, etc. should be left at your desk bottles. or placed in a designated storage area. 23. When transferring chemical reagents 4. Clothing should be appropriate for work- from one container to another, hold the containers ing in the lab. Jackets, ties, and other loose gar- out away from your body. ments should be removed. Open shoes should not be worn. 24. When mixing an acid and water, always 5. Longhairshouldbetiedbackorcovered, add the acid to the water. especially in the vicinity of open flame. 25. Avoid touching chemicals with your 6. Jewelry that might present a safety haz- hands. If chemicals do come in contact with your ard, such as dangling necklaces, chains, medal- hands, wash them immediately. lions, or bracelets should not be worn in the lab. 26. Notify your teacher if you have any medi- 7. Follow all instructions, both written and cal problems that might relate to lab work, such as oral, carefully. allergies or asthma. 8. Safety goggles and lab aprons should be 27. If you will be working with chemicals in worn at all times. the lab, avoid wearing contact lenses. Change to 9. Set up apparatus as described in the lab glasses, if possible, or notify the teacher. manual or by your teacher. Never use makeshift arrangements. Handling Glassware 10. Always use the prescribed instrument (tongs, test tube holder, forceps, etc.) for handling 28. Glass tubing, especially long pieces, apparatus or equipment. should be carried in a vertical position to min- 11. Keep all combustible materials away imize the likelihood of breakage and to avoid stab- from open flames. bing anyone. COPYRIGHT by Prentice Hall, Inc.CHEMISTRY: The Study of Matter Reproduction of this master is restricted to duplication for classroom use only. Safety in the Chemistry Laboratory (continued) 29. Never handle broken glass with your bare Heating Substances hands. Use a brush and dustpan to clean up bro- 34. Exercise extreme caution when using a ken glass. Dispose of the glass as directed by your gas burner. Keep your head and clothing away teacher. from the flame. 30. Always lubricate glassware (tubing, thistle 35. Always turn the burner off when it is not tubes, thermometers, etc.) with water or glycerine before attempting to insert it into a rubber stopper. in use. 31. Never apply force when inserting or re- 36. Do not bring any substance into contact moving glassware from a stopper. Use a twisting with a flame unless instructed to do so. motion. If a piece of glassware becomes "frozen" 37. Never heat anything without being in- in a stopper, take it to your teacher. structed to do so. 32. Do not place hot glassware directly on the 38. Never look into a container that is being lab table. Always use an insulating pad of some heated. sort. 39. When heating a substance in a test tube, 33. Allow plenty of time for hot glass to cool make sure that the mouth of the tube is not before touching it. Hot glass can cause painful pointed at yourself or anyone else. burns. (Remember: Hot glass looks cool.) 40. Never leave unattended anything that is being heated or is visibly reacting. COPYRIGHT by Prentice Hall, Inc.CHEMISTRY: The Study of Matter Reproduction of this master is restricted to duplication for classroom use only. First Aid in the Chemistry Laboratory Accidents do not often happen in well-equipped ground and roll around to extinguish the flames. chemistry laboratories if students understand safe For hair fires, use a fire blanket to smother the laboratory procedures and are careful in following flames. Notify campus security immediately. them. When an occasional accident does occur, it is likely to be a minor one. 4. Bleeding from a Cut. Most cuts that oc- The instructor will assist in treating injuries cur in the chemistry laboratory are minor. For such as minor cuts and burns. However, for some minor cuts, apply pressure to the wound with a types of injuries, you must take action sterile gauze. Notify campus security of all immediately. The following information will be injuries in the lab. helpful to you if an accident occurs. If the victim is bleeding badly, raise the bleeding part, if possible, and apply pressure to the wound with a piece of sterile gauze. While first aid is First Aid being given, someone else should notify the one of the campus security officers. 1. Shock. People who are suffering from 5. Chemicals in the Mouth. Many chemicals any severe injury (for example, a bad burn or ma- are poisonous to varying degrees. Any chemical jor loss of blood) may be in a state of shock. A taken into the mouth should be spat out and the person in shock is usually pale and faint. The per- mouth rinsed thoroughly with water. Note the son may be sweating, with cold, moist skin and a name of the chemical and notify the campus office weak, rapid pulse. immediately. Shock is a serious medical condition. Do not If the victim swallows a chemical, note the allow a person in shock to walk anywhere—even name of the chemical and notify campus security to the campus security office. While emergency immediately. help is being summoned, place the victim face up If necessary, the campus security officer or in a horizontal position, with the feet raised about administrator will contact the Poison Control 30 centimeters. Loosen any tightly fitting clothing Center, a hospital emergency room, or a physician and keep him or her warm. for instructions. 2. Chemicals in the Eyes. Getting any 6. Acid or Base Spilled on the Skin. kind of a chemical into the eyes is undesirable, but Flush the skin with water for about 15 minutes. certain chemicals are especially harmful. They Take the victim to the campus office to report can destroy eyesight in a matter of seconds. Be- the injury. cause you will be wearing safety goggles at all 7. Breathing Smoke or Chemical Fumes. times in the lab, the likelihood of this kind of All experiments that give off smoke or noxious accident is remote. However, if it does happen, gases should be conducted in a well-ventilated flush your eyes with water immediately. Do NOT fume hood. This will make an accident of this kind attempt to go to the campus office before flushing unlikely. your eyes. It is important that flushing with water If smoke or chemical fumes are present in the be continued for a prolonged time—about 15 laboratory, all persons—even those who do not minutes. feel ill—should leave the laboratory immediately. 3. Clothing or Hair on Fire. A person Make certain that all doors to the laboratory are whose clothing or hair catches on fire will often closed after the last person has left. Since smoke run around hysterically in an unsuccessful effort rises, stay low while evacuating a smoke-filled to get away from the fire. This only provides room. Notify campus security immediately. thefire with more oxygen and makes it burn Thoroughly ventilate the room before going back faster. For clothing fires, throw yourself to the to work COPYRIGHT by Prentice Hall, Inc.CHEMISTRY: The Study of Matter Reproduction of this master is restricted to duplication for classroom use only. HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE SOUTHWEST COMMITMENT TO SAFETY IN THE LABORATORY As a student enrolled in Chemistry at Houston Community College, I agree to use good laboratory safety practices at all times.
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