Laboratory Safety

1
Laboratory Safety

• Take good notes you will have a quiz on lab
  safety during your NEXT class!!!

2
General Safety Rules

• Always read your procedure BEFORE going into the
  lab.
• The procedure will note particular hazards in the
  experiment you wont be surprised.
• Ask questions about concerns you have before
  performing the experiment.

3
General Rules - continued

• Do not block the aisles in the lab with backpacks
  or other items.
• Do not sit on the bench tops there may be
  residue that can contaminate your clothing.
• Clean up your lab station and put all equipment
  back where it belongs.
• Always wash and dry your hands after each
  experiment.

4
General Rules - continued

• In case of an emergency, know where to evacuate
  and how to get there.
• I will go over our evacuation route.
• Know the location of all lab safety equipment.
• You will be given a sketch of our lab.
• We will go into the lab and you will label the
  location of all safety equipment.

5
Behavior in the lab

• Do not do anything that may harm yourself or your
  classmates. (No horseplay EVER.)
• No eating, drinking, chewing gum in the lab the
  chemicals could be ingested.
• Do not apply any cosmetics in the lab not even
  Chapstick. You could be putting chemicals on
  yourself.

6
Dressing for the lab

• Safety goggles must be worn while performing any
  experiment. Contact lenses are not recommended.
• A lab apron must be worn over your clothing. Be
  sure the length of the apron is adequate to cover
  you.
• Sandals and open-toed shoes are not to be worn in
  the lab. Closed-toed leather or leather-like
  shoes will not absorb spilled chemicals and
  protect your feet from shattering or broken glass.

7
Dressing for the lab - continued

• Tie up long hair to prevent it from coming into
  contact with chemicals or open flames.
• Roll up loose sleeves for the same reason.
• Dangling jewelry should be removed.
• Your personal clothing should at least cover your
  knees.

8
Chemical Safety

• Pour liquids from large containers (bottles and
  jugs) into wide-mouthed beakers, not into
  graduated cylinders.
• Never mix chemicals together unless you are told
  to do so (and then only in the manner specified).
• When diluting an acid, always add the acid to the
  water.
• Do not return unused chemicals to their original
  container.

9
Chemical Safety - continued

• If you need to smell a chemical, use your hand to
  fan the fumes toward your nose. (This is called
  wafting.) NEVER put your nose over the
  container and inhale the fumes.

10
Glassware Safety

• Before using, check your glassware for stars or
  cracks.
• If you see chipped or cracked glassware, notify
  Mrs. Platt. DO NOT use it!
• If glassware gets broken, notify Mrs. Platt. DO
  NOT attempt to pick it up with your hands.
• Place glassware on a gauze pad to heat it.
• Handle hot glassware with beaker tongs, crucible
  tongs or safety mitts. Remember Hot glassware
  looks JUST LIKE cold glassware!

11
Thermometer Safety

• Our lab thermometers are glass and filled with
  colored alcohol.
• Never heat the tip of the thermometer over the
  flame of the burner. It will burst.
• It is not necessary to shake down the
  thermometer.
• Lay the thermometer on a piece of paper towel or
  wire gauze to keep it from rolling off the
  counter.

12
Burner Safety

• Check the hose of your burner for damage before
  you connect it to the gas outlet.
• Keep the burner away from anything that will
  catch fire.
• Light the burner by standing back and holding the
  striker over the top of the burner.
• Turn off the gas immediately if the burner
  sputters or goes out.
• If you smell gas, turn off your burner and notify
  Mrs. Platt.
• Do not reach over the burner while it is lit.
• Never leave a lighted burner unattended.

13
Heating with a lab burner

• When heating test tubes, use a test tube holder
  and angle the test tube over the flame with the
  opening pointed AWAY from you and anyone else.
• Gently move the test tube back and forth over the
  flame to heat it evenly.
• You will be instructed on how to set up the ring
  stand to heat larger items, such as beakers, over
  the burner.

14
Accidents DO happen

• Dont panic.
• Alert Mrs. Platt of any accident no matter how
  minor.
• Rinse off splashed chemicals with LOTS of water.
  THEN use soap and water.
• Use cool water to ease the pain of minor burns.
• If someone else is hurt HELP THEM.

15
In case of

• A small fire
• If the fire is in a beaker, cover it with a watch
  glass to smother it.
• A clothing fire
• Remember Stop, drop and roll
• OR
• Get to the safety shower
• OR
• Wrap the victim in the fire blanket

16
In case of

• A chemical spill
• Alert the teacher and let him/her clean it up
• Chemicals in the eye
• Get to the eyewash station and flush your eyes
  for at least 15 minutes.
• Notify the teacher
• A cut
• Gently wash the cut in the sink while alerting
  the teacher.
• Use a clean paper towel as a compress to stop the
  bleeding. NEVER touch someone elses blood
  without gloves.