○ Call 911

LAB SAFETY
● Lab environment is hazardous by nature EYEWASH STATION
● Risk is determined by you and your peers ● Rinse open eyes for 10 minutes that is exposed
to hazardous chemicals
PROPER DRESS
● First consideration to safety hazard FIRST AID KIT
● Help prevent serious injuries if they come into ● Bandages and antiseptic for minor injuries
contact with skin
○ Wear clothes that cover your entire body CHEMICAL FUME HOOD
● Wear long pants and closed-toed shoes ● Ventilated, enclosed work area to protect you
● Remove jewelries and tie back your hair from toxic vapors
● Leave all personal items to avoid contamination ● Exhaust fan must be turned on and the hood is
venting properly
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT ● Sash - the window covering the opening
● Remove PPE and wash hands before leaving ○ Can be raised to 8 or 16 in. and lowered
and entering public areas ● Never store chemicals under the hood
○ Might spread chemical or biological ● Always clean and remove materials after
contaminants when touching things working
● Dressing will minimize the risk of harm, but
they’re not enough to keep you safe EVACUATION ROUTES
● Must be near the exits
FOR GENERAL LAB WORK ● Know multiple routes in case one is blocked
● A lab coat, safety goggles/glasses, and gloves
are required FIRE EXTINGUISHER
● Button your coat and keep the cuffs tucked into ● Water will make matters worse
the gloves ○ May cause fire to spread and can even
electrocute yourself
WHEN WORKING WITH SPLASH HAZARDS ● Dry chemical extinguishers are effective against
● Wear a chemical apron and chemical-resistant classes A, B, and C
safety goggles ○ Must be installed close to exits
○ Safety glasses protect you only from ● If a large fire occurs, evacuate and call 911
flying debris ● Don’t attempt unless you have been trained
● Use gloves that are resistant to chemicals you’ll ● Fire Blanket
be handling ○ Can be used to extinguish small fire
○ Usually non-absorptive ● Never wrap a person while they’re standing to
● Change gloves and wash hands frequently avoid the flame towards their head and neck
○ Lie down the floor, wrap with the fire
FOR HANDLING EXTREMELY HOT OR COLD blanket, and help them roll
MATERIALS
● Use thermal and puncture-resistant gloves TYPES OF FIRES
○ Autoclaving, handling dry ice and sharps 1. Class A fire
● Use a respirator if chemicals produce dangerous ● Combustibles (wood, cloth, paper, coal,
vapors straw)
○ Needs complete respiratory training first ○ Solids that can easily be burned
● Can be extinguished by water or general
SAFETY EQUIPMENT purpose extinguishers
● Helps save a life when an accident occurs 2. Class B fire
○ Inevitable and unforseen ● Organic solvents and flammable liquids
● Must test them regularly ○ Ethanol, acetone, ether,
● Always look around and identify its location gasoline, paint
● Must be smothered with chemical foam
SAFETY SHOWER extinguishers
● Must be tested weekly to ensure it is working 3. Class C fire
properly and the water is clean ● Electrical equipment
● When chemical exposure occured, yell for help ● Must be smothered with chemical foam
and go to nearest safety shower extinguishers
○ Remove clothing and drench your skin 4. Class D fire
under the shower
 ● Combustible metals which are not very ● Chemical’s name, description, and the
common in the laboratory manufacturer’s contact information
○ Metallic substances 2. Hazard identification
5. Class K fire ● Lists signal words, warnings, and safety
● Grease or cooking fires symbols
● Can spread quickly, and is difficult to 3. Composition
manage ● List of ingredients
4. First aid measures
BEHAVIOR ● Required treatments when exposed
● Ensures that the lab is a safe environment for all 5. Fire fighting measures
● Respect the lab and your colleagues 6. Accidental release measures
● Instructions for containment and
THINGS TO CONSIDER cleanup of spills/leaks
● Follow the written Standard Operating 7. Handling and storage requirements
Procedures (SOPs) step by step 8. Exposure controls and personal protection
● Never eat, drink, chew gum, or apply makeup ● Decribes OSHA’s exposure limits and
○ Could contaminate experiments and ruin recommendations for PPE
the results 9. Physical and chemical properties
● Never work alone ● Appearance, odor, pH, flash point,
● Practice good housekeeping solubility, and evaporation rate
○ Store away unneeded items 10. Stability and reactivity
○ Never place chemical bottles on the ● How to avoid hazardous reactions
floor 11. Toxicological information
○ Don’t place materials near the edge of ● Likely routes of exposures, symptoms,
the workbench and the short and long-term effects
● Clean spills 12. Ecological
○ Check the safety data sheet for 13. Disposal
appropriate response 14. Transport
○ For routine spill, place “wet sign” 15. Regulatory considerations
● Properly dispose broken glasses and trashes 16. For any pertinent information
○ Never pick them up with bare hands ● The date when it was prepared and the
○ A cut may introduce a hazardous last known revision
chemical directly into your bloodstream NOTE: sections 12-16 are not mandatory
● Wash and dry glassware
○ Return reagents to the storage area CHEMICAL LABELS
○ Clean the workbench with ethanol or
isopropyl alcohol
● Report unsafe conditions immediately

CHEMICAL HAZARDS
● Chemical hazards are potentially dangerous,
especially under high heat, pressure, or when
mixed with other chemicals
● 2 data tools to identify hazards: SDS and
chemical labels

SAFETY DATA SHEET

● A technical document of every chemical
provided by the manufacturer GLOBALLY HARMONIZED SYSTEM (GHS) OF
● Former Material Safety Data Sheet CLASSIFICATION AND LABELING OF CHEMICALS
● Includes chemical’s properties, hazards, and ● Provides international standard format for safety
safety precautions data sheets
● Provides information on how to use a chemical ● Requires each chemical to be labeled with the
○ Must review them before working with following:
the chemical ○ Product name
● Must be organized into 16 sections ○ Signal word (danger or caution)
○ Physical, health, and environmental
16 SECTIONS hazard statements
1. Identification ○ Precautionary statements
 ○ Pictograms 4. Use a full-length chemical-resistant lab apron
○ First aid instructions when working with splash hazards
○ Supplier’s contact information 5. Use full-length rubber gloves when using
corrosive chemicals instead of nitrile
PICTOGRAMS 6. Never smell chemicals and work with toxic
● Oxidizers - initiates combustion through the chemicals under the fume hood
release of oxygen 7. Keep containers closed tightly when not in use
8. Evacuate, seal off the lab, and notify authorities
if a chemical spill occurs
● Large spill can produce excessive
vapors and must be cleaned by qualified
personnel
● Don’t re-enter until all clear

HANDLING FLAMMABLE CHEMICALS

1. Know the flammability and explosive potential of
each chemical
2. Keep flammables away from ignition sources
3. Store in a dedicated & grounded storage cabinet
4. Dispose chemicals and wastes according to
federal, state, local, & institutional requirements
5. Use chemical-resistant plastic or metal
containers for waste disposal
6. Solvents should never be evaporated under a
fume hood as a means of disposal
7. Any materials for cleaning spills are considered
hazardous wastes

OTHER GENERAL HAZARDS

ELECTRIC SHOCK
● Keep water and liquids away from instruments
● Routinely inspect, but don’t repair nor open any
cover while the instrument is plugged in
● Check for frayed electrical cords
○ Use approved extension cables
SAFE CHEMICAL HANDLING
● Ben Franklin: “By failing to prepare, you are BURNS
preparing to fail.” ● Use heat-resistant gloves in hot materials
● Before you begin, determine the possible risks, ● When using the GC-MS, lowe the temperature
wear the right PPE, and be aware of any set points before opening the cover
protective measures and emergency responses ● Extremely low temperature can also damage
● Preparation is the key to handling chemicals unprotected skin
○ Know what you are working, how to ● Wear insulated gloves in cold materials
handle, and what to do
SLIPS, TRIPS, AND FALLS
THINGS TO REMEMBER ● Can cause serious injuries
1. When diluting, add the acid or base to the
solvent (water) KEEP FLOORS AND ROUTES IN THE LAB CLEAR
● May cause a violent reaction OF OBSTRUCTIONS
2. Never remove chemicals from the lab ● Never place any materials on the floor
● Use a break-resistant secondary ● Clean up spills immediately and use wet floor
container to transport chemicals sign
3. Splash goggles are more effective with the code
Z 87.1 BE AWARE OF THE SURROUNDINGS
● American National Standard Institute ● Look out for shelves or any structures that could
● Wear safety goggles or full face shield cause head injury
over prescription glasses
COMPRESSED GAS CYLINDERS ARE UNDER
EXTREME PRESSURE
● If damaged, it may be propelled at dangerous
speeds
● Some are extremely flammable
● Secure with a heavy-duty clamp and strap
● Its head should be sealed with a threaded
protective cap when not in use