Chapter 1

Your Responsibility for

Accident Prevention
 Chapter Outline
 Introduction
 Personal Protection
 Eye Protection
 Clothing
 Gloves

 Laboratory Protocol
 Laboratory Visitors
 Comportment in the Laboratory
 Housekeeping
 Cleaning Glassware
 Chapter Outline

 Inhaling Harmful Chemicals

 Distillations
 Extractions
 Refrigerators
 Disposal of chemicals
 General Disposal Guidelines
 Unattended Operation of Equipment
 INTRODUCTION

 Working with chemicals has been

historically viewed as a very risky task
 Introduction

 Experience shows that following safety

regulations reduces the probability of
accidents, including toxic exposures, to
negligible levels
 Introduction

 How to work safely

 practice the habit of accident prevention;
 use personal protective equipment (e.g., goggles,
lab apron, safety goggles) at all times in the
laboratory;
 use the smallest quantity of material necessary to
accomplish the goal of the experiment;
 Introduction

 when possible, substitute a less hazardous

chemical for a more hazardous one; and
 anticipate the possible consequences of the work
you do in the laboratory
 Introduction

Before you begin an experiment in

the lab, ask yourself, “What would
happen if .. ?”
 Introduction

 Answers to this question require

 an understanding of the hazards associated with
the chemicals and equipment involved
 The reactivity, flammability, corrosivity, and
toxicity of the chemicals you use will dictate the
precautions you take
 Introduction

 An accident-prevention program for safe

working environment for students and
other laboratory workers must include
 regular safety inspections (~3 months for certain
types of equipment, e.g., safety showers and
eyewash fountains);
 regular monitoring of the performance of
equipment and ventilation systems;
 Introduction

 formal and regular training on the proper use of

emergency equipment and procedures; and
 procedures that ensure proper disposal of
hazardous waste
Doing things
safely is not
merely the
right way to
work
—it is the only
way
Your Responsibility
for Accident
Prevention
 Accident Prevention

 Accident prevention is a collective

responsibility that requires the full
cooperation of everyone in the laboratory

especially you......
 Accident Prevention

 Accidents often result from

 an indifferent attitude (‫)المبااله‬,
 failure to use common sense (‫)تفكير سليم‬, and
 failure to follow instructions, making a mistake.

 You can be a victim of a mistake you or your

lab mate have made
 Accident Prevention

 A safe laboratory is also your instructor’s

responsibility;

report all unsafe acts to him

 Accident Prevention

 You must be involved and participate in the

practice of preventing accidents
 Follow all safety instructions carefully.
 Never play tricks in a chemical laboratory.
 Become acquainted with the location and use of
safety equipment and facilities such as exits,
safety showers, and eyewash fountains.
 Accident Prevention

 Become familiar with the hazards of the

apparatus and the operations involved.
 Learn what to do and what to avoid doing.
 Accident Prevention

 Before undertaking any laboratory work, become

familiar with the hazards of the chemicals
involved.
 Be sure you know and follow the safety
precautions that protect you and others from
those hazards.
Personal Protection
Equipment (PPE)
 Personal Protection
Equipment (PPE)
 Eye Protection
 Everyone in the laboratory, including visitors,
must wear chemical splash goggles (not safety
glasses or spectacles) at all times, even when not
performing a chemical operation
 Personal Protection
Equipment (PPE)
 Eye Protection
 Normal prescription eyeglasses do not provide
appropriate laboratory eye protection
 Contact lenses cannot provide adequate
protection in any environment in which an
accidental chemical splash can reasonably be
expected
 Personal Protection
Equipment (PPE)
 Face Protection
 When some potential exists for splashing, use
appropriate laboratory bench shields and face
shields wide enough and long enough to protect
your neck and ears.
 Personal Protection
Equipment (PPE)
 Clothing
 Clothing worn in labs should
• offer protection from splashes and spills;
• be easily removable in case of accident;
• be at least fire resistant
 Non flammable, and nonporous lab aprons are
better than lab coats
 Personal Protection
Equipment (PPE)
 Clothing
 If a lab coat is used instead of an apron, it should
have snap fasteners rather than buttons so it can
be easily removed
 Personal Protection
Equipment (PPE)
 Clothing
 wear shoes with uppers made of leather or
polymeric leather substitute.
 Do not go barefoot or wear sandals.
 Do not wear shoes that have high heels or open
toes, uppers made of cloth, woven leather strips,
or other woven material.
 Personal Protection
Equipment (PPE)
 Clothing
 Shorts, cutoffs, and miniskirts unnecessarily
expose your skin to potential corrosives and are
not safe.
 Constrain long hair and loose clothing.
 Personal Protection
Equipment (PPE)
 Clothing
 Constrain long hair and loose clothing.
 Personal Protection
Equipment (PPE)
 Clothing
 Do not wear jewellery (e.g. rings, bracelets, and
wristwatches )
 jewellery can be damaged by chemical fumes and
spills
 Chemical seepage in between the jewellery and
skin can put corrosives in intimate contact with
your skin
 Personal Protection
Equipment (PPE)
 Clothing
 Wearing jewellery increases the risk of harmful
electrical shocks if it comes in contact with
electrical sources.
 jewellery also can catch on equipment, causing
accidents.
 Personal Protection
Equipment (PPE)
 Gloves
 Gloves are very important in labs
 Gloves come in different types and materials (e.g.
latex, neoprene, butyl rubber)
 Use gloves correctly
 Always check your gloves before each use to
ensure the absence of cracks and small holes
 Personal Protection
Equipment (PPE)
 Gloves
 To avoid unintentionally spreading chemicals,
remove your gloves before
• leaving the work area
• handling such things as telephones, doorknobs, writing
instruments, laboratory notebooks, and textbooks
 Personal Protection
Equipment (PPE)
 Gloves
 Be aware that no glove material can provide
permanent protection
 If a chemical diffuses through a glove, it is then
held against your skin and you could receive
more exposure than if you hadn’t worn a glove at
all
 Personal Protection
Equipment (PPE)
 Gloves
 Do not reuse gloves (such gloves should be
treated as hazardous waste)
 Laboratory Protocol

 The chemistry laboratory is a place for

serious learning and working
 Horseplay cannot be tolerated
 Laboratory Protocol

 Variations in procedures, including changes

in the chemicals to be used or in the
amounts that will be used, is not allowed
 Only your instructor can make changes
 Laboratory Protocol

 Alterations may be made only with the

knowledge and approval of your instructor
 Laboratory Protocol

 Laboratory Visitors
 All laboratory visitors should wear eye protection
 Obtain your laboratory instructor’s approval
before bringing visitors into the laboratory
 Laboratory Protocol

 Conduct in the Laboratory

 Your duty is to learn and to prevent accidents

The following additional instructions

help you fulfil this duty
 Laboratory Protocol

 Always wear eye protection

 Know beforehand the hazardous characteristics
of the chemicals with which you plan to work
 Wear chemically resistant lab coats or aprons
 Do not wear shorts or miniskirts
 Do not wear high-heeled shoes, open-toed shoes,
sandals, or shoes made of woven material.
 Confine long hair and loose clothing
 Laboratory Protocol

 Always wash your hands and arms with soap and

water before leaving the lab even if you wore
gloves
 Wash lab coats on which chemicals have been
spilled separately from personal laundry
 Never work alone in the laboratory
 Do not prepare or store (even temporarily) food
or beverages in a chemical lab
 Laboratory Protocol

 Never consume any food or beverage when you

are in lab
 Do not chew gum or tobacco, and do not smoke
or apply cosmetics in the lab (absorb chemical
vapors)
 Never wear or bring lab aprons or lab coats or
jackets into areas where food is consumed
 Laboratory Protocol

 Never pipet by mouth. Always use a pipet aid or

suction bulb
 Do not handle contact lenses in the laboratory
except to remove them when an emergency
requires the use of the eyewash fountain or
safety shower
 Never perform unauthorized experiments
 Laboratory Protocol

 When moving about in the laboratory, anticipate

sudden backing up or changes in direction by
others
 Never remove chemicals from the laboratory
without proper authorization
 Keep chemicals and apparatus well away from
the edges of your laboratory bench or other
workspace
 Laboratory Protocol

 Never engage in horseplay, joking, or other acts

of mischief in the laboratory
 Report violations of your laboratory’s safety rules
to your instructor—you could save their lives and
your own
Laboratory Protocol-
Housekeeping
Laboratory Protocol-
Housekeeping
 Laboratory Protocol

 Housekeeping
 Keeping things clean and neat leads to a safer
working environemnt
 Avoid unnecessary hazards by keeping drawers
and cabinets closed while working
 Never store materials, especially chemicals, on
the floor, even temporarily
 Laboratory Protocol

 Housekeeping
 Keep workspaces and storage areas clear of
broken glassware, leftover chemicals, and scraps
of paper
 Keep aisles free of obstructions such as chairs,
boxes, and waste receptacles
 Laboratory Protocol

 Housekeeping
 Avoid slipping hazards by keeping the floor clear
of spilled liquids, ice, stoppers, glass beads or
rods, and other such small items
 Follow your laboratory’s required procedure for
the disposal of chemical wastes
 Laboratory Protocol

 Cleaning Glassware
 Clean your glassware after use
 Use only environmentally acceptable cleaning
agents, for example, soap or detergent
 Wear appropriate gloves
 Use suitable brushes
 Avoid accumulating too many articles in the
clean-up area
 Laboratory Protocol

 Do not pile up dirty or cleaned glassware in

workspace around sinks
 Turbid water in a sink may hide sharp or broken
glassware, in this case the sink should be drained
first, then use cut-resistant gloves to remove
broken glass
 Laboratory Protocol

 Only use strong cleaning agents such as nitric

acid, chromic acid, sulfuric acid, or other strong
oxidizers when necessary, and wear proper
protective equipment
 Do not use flammable solvents as cleaning agents
unless your instructor specifically requires their
use
 Laboratory Protocol

 Inhaling Harmful Chemicals

 Chemicals that have smell or no smell may harm
you
 some chemicals can paralyze the sense of smell
 So never inhale the vapors, dust, or mist of
chemicals unless otherwise stated
 Only work with harmful substances in a
laboratory hood (not on a laboratory bench)
Fume Hood
 Laboratory Protocol

 Distillations
 Distillation is a common
method of separation
and purification used in
laboratory and industrial
operations
 Laboratory Protocol

 Distillations
 Potential dangers arise from pressure buildup,
the use of flammable materials, initiation of an
exothermic chain reaction, and the necessity to
use heat to vaporize the chemicals involved
 Laboratory Protocol

 Distillations
 Distillation can be done at atmospheric pressure,
under inert atmospheres, at reduced pressure
(vacuum distillation), or by the addition of steam
to the distillation mixture (steam distillation).
 avoid leaks that can lead to fires or
contamination of the work area
 Laboratory Protocol

 Distillations
 Ensure smooth boiling during a distillation and try
avoid bumping, which can knock the distillation
apparatus apart or cause other damage
 Stirring the distillation mixture (e.g., with a
magnetic stirrer) or using boiling stones are two
ways to prevent bumping
 Laboratory Protocol

 Do not add boiling stones or any other solid

material to a liquid that is near or at its boiling
point, because the addition is likely to cause the
hot liquid to suddenly erupt and boil over
 Laboratory Protocol

 The source of heat in distillation can cause

accidents
 It is necessary to use a safe heating source such
as hot water, nonflammable liquid bath, electric
heating mantle, hot oil baths, and hotplates
 Before using any heating source, you must
inspect it for faults or defects
 Laboratory Protocol

 When distilling a flammable liquid, make sure

that you use a spark-proof heating source (e.g.
hot plate or heating mantle)
Laboratory Protocol

 An additional
thermometer can be
used to indicate the
heating temperature
and help prevent
overheating (or
exothermic reactions)
and possible accidents
 Laboratory Protocol

 Never distill or evaporate organic compounds to

dryness unless they are known to be free of
peroxides
• Most ethers form dangerously explosive peroxides on
exposure to air and light
• Many alcohols, unsaturated hydrocarbons, and other
reagents also can form peroxides
 Laboratory Protocol

 Extractions
 Extractions can present a hazard because of the
potential buildup of pressure from a volatile
solvent and an immiscible aqueous phase
 Glass separatory funnels used in extraction are
particularly susceptible to problems because
their stoppers can be forced out, spilling the
liquid or burst the vessel
 Laboratory Protocol

 Use a separatory funnel correctly;

• if it is equipped with a glass stopcock, make
sure that it is lubricated before using it
• when using a warm or hot extractant, wait
until the extractant has cooled before
continuing
Laboratory Protocol

• When using a volatile solvent,

you should first swirl the funnel
to allow some solvent to vaporize
and expel air
• Close the funnel, invert it with
the stopper held firmly in place,
and immediately open the stop
cock to release air and vapor
Laboratory Protocol

• Do not vent the separatory funnel near a

flame, other ignition source, or direct the
vapors to yourself and other people
• Close the stopcock, and with the separatory
funnel inverted, shake with a swirl and open
the stopcock to vent the air and vapor
• Repeat as necessary, following the same
venting procedure
Remove lid
 Laboratory Protocol

 Refrigerators
 Refrigerators are usually used for low-
temperature storage of laboratory chemicals
 They should be labeled for such use and must be
explosion-proof
 Never use household refrigerators for chemical
storage or vice versa
Laboratory Protocol

 Place laboratory chemicals in a suitable tray

inside refrigerators to prevent spills inside
refrigerators
 Always seal and, if possible, double-package all
chemicals to be stored in refrigerators
 Label each chemical with name, date placed in
refrigerator, and name of the person who stored
the material
 Laboratory Protocol

 Dispose of old chemicals after a specified storage

period
 Store radioactive materials only in a designated
refrigerator that can be locked and is properly
labeled for such storage.
 Laboratory Protocol

 Never under any circumstances store food or

beverages in a refrigerator used for laboratory
chemicals or radioactive materials.
 Laboratory Protocol

 Disposal of Chemicals
 Properly handling reaction by-products, surplus,
waste chemicals, and contaminated materials is a
major element of accident prevention
 Every student is responsible for
• minimizing waste
• proper handling of wastes
• Prevent/reduce environmental contamination
 Laboratory Protocol

 Reaction by-products and surplus chemicals can

be neutralized or deactivated before disposed off
 Use designated, labelled waste containers
• different containers are used for different classes of
chemicals
 Handle your waste materials in the specific ways
designated by your instructor
 Laboratory Protocol

 General Disposal Guidelines

 Each class of waste chemical should be placed in
its specifically labelled disposal container.
 Never put chemicals into a sink or down the drain
unless allowed by your instructor
• For example, water and dilute aqueous solutions of
sodium chloride, sugar, and soap from a chemistry
laboratory may be disposed off in the sink.
 Laboratory Protocol

 General Disposal Guidelines

 Put ordinary waste paper in a wastepaper basket
separate from chemical wastes.
 Laboratory Protocol

 General Disposal Guidelines

 If a piece of paper is contaminated with a
chemical, it should be placed in the contaminated
paper container. Such paper must be treated as a
chemical waste.
 Laboratory Protocol

 Broken glass should be places in sharps container

 Broken thermometers may contain mercury in
the fragments; they belong in their own labeled
container.
 Laboratory Protocol

 Unattended Operation of Equipment

 Reactions that are left to run unattended
overnight or at other times are sources for fires,
spills, and explosions.
 Do not let equipment such as power stirrers, hot
plates, heating mantles, and water condensers
run overnight without fail-safe provisions and
your instructor’s consent.
 Laboratory Protocol

 Unattended Operation of Equipment

 Check unattended reactions periodically.
 Always leave a note plainly posted with a phone
number where you and the instructor can be
reached in case of emergency.
 Remember that in the middle of the night,
emergency personnel are entirely dependent on
accurate instructions and information.