Safety in the Chemistry Lab

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Safety in the Chemistry Lab
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Safety is your responsibility!

• You will have many lab experiences this year.
  None of which will be working with household
  chemicals or food color and water.
• The key to not poisoning/ burning/
  injuring/electrocuting yourself or someone else
  is to THINK about what you are doing.

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In Case of Accident or Injury

• Always tell the teacher!!!! Even if it is
  embarrassing.
• Follow instructions from teacher.
• Eye injuries or chemical exposure to your eyes
  will always result in a trip to the emergency
  room and a phone call to your parents (to meet
  you at the hospital).

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Safety Sense(better known as common sense)

• Always wear goggles correctly!
• Follow all written and oral instructions.
• Read all chemical labels and equipment
  instructions before proceeding.
• NO horseplay
• No food or drink in lab
• Never touch or taste chemicals
• Smell chemicals by wafting only

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• Dress code
• No loose or bulky clothing
• Long hair must be tied back
• No loose jewelry No open footwear (NO sandals)
• Wear a lab apron (school is not responsible for
  damaged clothing/jewelry items

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• Wash hands before leaving the lab
• Never look down into a test tube, especially when
  hot.
• Allow hot glass to cool before handling.
• Never pipette by mouth.
• Notify teacher first of fire or smoke, then
  follow teacher instructions.

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Know the locations of

• Fire extinguisher
• Eyewash
• Safety shower
• Fire alarm
• Exists
• Disposal containers

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AAA rule

• Always add Acid to Water.
• Acid dilutions are almost always made by the
  teacher but in certain labs you will be working
  with concentrated acids capable of eye damage.
• Do not add water to acids, very, very bad!!!!
  People only make this mistake once, but that one
  time may be painful.

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Chemical spills/chemical disposal

• Few chemicals may be safely disposed of in the
  city sewer. Containers will be provided to
  correctly disposal of chemicals.
• Many chemical spills on hard surfaces can be
  wiped up with paper towels.
• Exceptions include Acids, Bases, and Flammables.

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• Acid spills on hard surfaces must be neutralized
  with a weak base before further clean up. You
  will have baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) to
  use.
• Base spills on hard surfaces must be neutralized
  with a weak acid before further clean up. You
  will have vinegar (acetic acid) to use.

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• Flammable spills need to be cleaned up
  immediately. Wipe up with paper towels and
  place wet towels in the container provided. This
  container will have a secure lid.

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Personal Safety

• Goggles, Goggles, Goggles
• Do not work in lab unsupervised
• If face is splattered, do not remove goggles.
  Teacher will give instructions
• For chemical exposure to eyes, 15 minutes of eye
  wash time is required before emergency room
  visit.

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Chemical spills on you

• Spills on skin or clothing, rinse with plenty of
  running water.
• Do not use other chemicals.
• Teacher may use sink or safety shower

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• Report headaches to teacher, slight possibility
  of over exposure to chemicals.
• Tell teacher if you have known chemical/antibiotic
  allergies.
• Contact lens wears must have a C written on the
  side of their goggles.
• Without proper footwear, can not work in lab.

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Glassware Safety

• Allow hot glass to cool before touching.
• Never force glass tubing into rubber stoppers,
  use glycerine or other light oil to lubricate
  glass.
• Use a towel for protection and twist tubing and
  stopper carefully.

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Fire Safety

• Always depend on teacher to make decisions about
  fires.
• Use fire blanket on people. Stop Drop and
  Roll
• Do not use Alcohols around heat or open flames.

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Fire extinguishers

• Know location of extinguishers
• Know how to operate if instructed to do so.
• Teacher will use extinguisher unless a student is
  designated.

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Electrical Safety

• Before plugging in electrical devices make
  certain your hands are dry and there is no
  standing water in the vicinity.

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Community Safety

• Do not sit on lab counters. Not responsible for
  damaged clothing
• Clean up your own messes
• Do not return chemicals to containers. This
  prevents contamination
• Do not perform unauthorized experiments or
  procedures. Ask first, if safe, teacher will
  give you the OK.

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A safe lab is a happy lab