Lab Safety

YOU HAVE RIGHTS!!!• As per the Occuptional Health & Safety

Act (OHSA), you have 3 rights as a worker:

– 1. The right to know

– 2. The right to participate

– 3. The right to refuse unsafe work

General Safety Procedures• Follow all instructions carefully• Do only experiments assigned by the

teacher. Never use chemicals in an unauthorized manor.

• Never work alone in the laboratory, and never work without the teacher’s supervision.

• Never eat, drink, chew gum or apply cosmetics in the laboratory. Do not store food in the lab area.

General Safety Procedures • Approach laboratory work with

maturity. Never act out in the lab.• Keep your work area clean and

uncluttered. Store books on the desks in the middle of the room and never on the lab benches.

• Dispose of used chemicals and their solutions only as directed by the teacher.

Turn off all electrical equipment, water and gas when not in use, especially at the end of the lab period.

General Safety Procedures• Know the location and how to operate

all safety equipment in the classroom, including fire extinguisher, fire blankets, sand, safety showers, eyewash fountains, and first aid kit.

• The sink is not a garbage can. Do not use the sink to discard matches, filter paper, or other solid or slightly soluble materials.

Laboratory Apparel Precautions• Do not wear loose fitting sleeves,

bulky outerwear, clothes that bare the midriff, or open toe shoes. Make sure that legs are covered completely.

• Tie back long hair.• Wear safety goggles when using

chemicals, hot liquids, lab burners or hot plates.

• Wear nitrile gloves when working with poisonous, corrosive, or irritating chemicals.

Accident Procedures• Report all accidents or injuries and all breakage or spills

to the teacher immediately, no matter how minor.

• If a chemical spills on your skin, wash it off immediately for a minimum of 15 minutes with plenty of cool water and notify the teacher.

• If a chemical gets into your eyes, wash immediately at the eyewash fountain with plenty of water. Wash for a minimum of 15 minutes and notify the teacher.

• If a chemical spills on your clothing, remove the contaminated clothing and flush the affected area of skin immediately for a minimum of 15 minutes with plenty of cool water and notify the teacher.

Accident ProceduresBroken glass:• Notify the teacher & keep others away from the area• Use a dustpan and a brush to sweep up broken glass • Dispose of the broken glass in the broken glass bin• Wipe the area with a wet paper towel to pick up any remaining

shards of glass.

Chemical Spill of an aqueous solution:• Notify the teacher & keep others away from the area• Use pH paper to identify the nature of the chemical (A, B, N)• If N, proceed to next step; if A or B, neutralize the spill with

baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)• Use paper towel to soak up the slurry• Rinse off the paper towel in the sink with plenty of water• Squeeze water out of the paper towel & dispose in garbage can

Accident ProceduresSmelling a solution in the lab:

• Never smell anything in the lab, unless specifically directed to do so by a teacher.

• Use the wafting procedure for smelling chemicals.

*Put the solution about 30. cm away in front of your nose and gently fan your hand over the top of the container to direct the vapor towards your nose. Inhale lightly, to get a faint trace of the odor.

• NEVER put your face directly over the chemical and inhale.

Lab TourCan you find the following safety equipment?• Fire Blanket• Fire Extinguisher• Broken Glass Container• Broom and Dustpan• Shower• Eye Wash Station• First Aid Kit• Goggles• Lab Coats• Gloves• Sand• MSDS binders• Sinks• Fume hood

Fire Safety

Classes of FiresCLASS A • Fires of ordinary combustibles that

leave coal or ashes• Examples are wood, paper, cloth• Use water or dry chemical

extinguishers

Classes of FiresCLASS B• Fires of flammable liquids• Examples are gasoline or solvents• Use CO2 or dry chemical extinguishers• DO NOT use water – water is not

effective because it just spreads the liquid around.

• Gas pump safety video

Classes of FiresCLASS C• Fires involving live electrical

equipment• Examples are appliances, copiers,

computers• Use CO2 or dry chemical extinguishers• DO NOT use water –could result in a

severe shock

Classes of FiresCLASS D• Fires that involve burning metals• Examples are Na, K, Li, Mg• Use sand or salt to put these out• DO NOT use water – can cause a

violent reaction

Classes of FiresCLASS E• Radioactive materials• Examples are uranium and plutonium• Special consideration is given at each

site

Extinguishing FiresFires can be extinguished by:

• Smothering the flames with a fire blanket or clothing. This removes the oxygen that the fire needs to continue burning.

• Using a fire extinguisher. This removes the heat from the fire and cuts off the oxygen supply to the fire.

Extinguishing Fires

• You need the correct type of fire extinguisher for the type of fire you are trying to control.

• **LHHS uses the Type ABC fire extinguisher.

Extinguishing FiresTo use a fire extinguisher properly:

• First check to ensure you have the correct class of fire extinguisher for the fire you are dealing with; then,

• PULL the pin (twist & break tab at the same time)• AIM the nozzle at the base of the fire• SQUEEZE the lever • SWEEP the nozzle back and forth across the base

of the fire.

Three times you should never try to fight a fire….. Just get out!

1. If the fire is too large

2. If you do not have the correct class of fire extinguisher

3. If the fire has the potential to block your only route of exit

Types of Hazardous Waste• Flammable Substances

– e.g. Antifreeze, propane, gasoline– Put in a flammable waste container

• Heavy Metal Solutions – e.g. Cadmium, lead, barium– Put in a heavy metal waste container

• Deep well burial• Precipitate the metal from solution

Types of Hazardous Waste

• Toxic Solutions– e.g. Chloroform, benzene, toluene– Place in a specially-labeled container (toxic

waste)

• Corrosive Solutions– e.g. bleach, acid, drain cleaner– To dispose of a corrosive solution first dilute the

substance with water then pour the diluted solution down the drain with plenty of water

Question & AnswerQ. Which is the ONLY type of solution

that may be poured down the sink drain with plenty of water?

A. Corrosive solutions may be poured down the sink ,as long as plenty of water is used to flush them down the drain.