General Laboratory Safety

Office of Laboratory safety and Environmental Health (OLSEH)

www.olseh.iisc.ac.in
Goal
Recognize the hazards

Assess the risks

Minimize the risks

Prepare for emergency

09-06-2023 2
 Contents
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Safe working practices
• Chemical safety
• Hazardous waste
• Gas safety
• Fire safety
• Electrical safety
• Laser safety
• Radiation Safety
• Identify hazards

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A. Personal
Protective
Equipment
(PPE)
Mandatory in laboratory ALL
THE TIME

6/9/2023 4
 PPE: Eye Protection
Safety Glasses Chemical Splash Goggles Face Shields

• Needed for impact • Needed for liquid • Needed for handling

hazards hazards large volumes
• Must be worn in all • Mandatory for labs • Mandatory for
other labs with any with chemicals fuming or extremely
hazard • Wear even if you are dangerous chemicals:
• Don’t use for personally not HF, liq. N2, etc.
chemicals working with • Worn OVER splash
chemicals goggles

09-06-2023 5
 PPE: Advantage of Splash Goggles
Safety glasses and Splash goggles
Anti-fogging Wear over
splash goggles are needed for
goggles available spectacles
different handling liquids

Before splash After splash

Eyes are not

Safety Glasses
protected

Splash Goggles Eyes are

protected

09-06-2023 From AirClean Systems 6

PPE: Tie Your Hair

No dangling hair Tie-up hair or use hairnets Yale student Michele

Dufault died on April
2011
Her hair got stuck in a
drill.
09-06-2023 7
PPE: No Lose Clothing
No dangling necklaces, earrings, dupattas

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PPE: Gloves
Don’t use asbestos or latex gloves
Thin nitrile Thick nitrile Heat-resistant silicone Cryogen gloves

• < 2 mil thick • 2-4 mil thick • Ovens • Liquid N2, He,
• General • Corrosive • Furnaces etc.
purpose chemicals • Hot surfaces
• Solvents • Acids & bases
• Biological • Toxins
samples

09-06-2023 9
PPE: Gloves – Do and Don’ts

Do
• Check gloves for holes or tears
• Replace a torn glove
• Dispose gloves in lab solid
waste before leaving lab
• Wash hands after using gloves

Don’t
• Re-use disposable gloves
– Increased risk for
contamination
• Continue using a torn glove

09-06-2023 10
PPE: Wash You Hands!
Even if wearing gloves, always
wash hands with soap after leaving the lab

09-06-2023 11
 • No flip-flops, sandals, crocs, or chappals.
• Only closed toe shoes
PPE: • Common violations
• Several labs have a "take shoes off" policy.
Footwear • Some labs use chappals inside lab.
• “It is too hot to wear shoes.”
• “I was not planning to do lab work today!”

09-06-2023 12
 PPE: Summary
Bare minimum Big hazards
Face shield

Long sleeved
thick gloves

Apron
From ehs.virginia.edu

From indiaMART.com
Chemical resistant
shoes

09-06-2023 13
PPE: Cryogens
For filling liquid N2, Ar,
and He tanks

09-06-2023 14
B. Safe
Working
Practices
Common sense rules that must
be followed

6/9/2023 15
SWP: No Food in Lab
• Don’t eat/drink in lab • Don’t store food in lab fridge
• No chai, coffee • Not even when packed
• No lunchboxes
Juice + lunch
• No eating

Lab samples
09-06-2023 16
 SWP: Never Work
Alone
Buddy System
• Buddy == another person in lab
• Friend back in hostel is not a “buddy”

Alertness
• Don't work when tired or sleepy

Citizenship
• If you see something unsafe, point it out
• Be professional, don’t take it personally

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C. Chemical
Safety (CS)
Most common type of hazard
and the most preventable one

6/9/2023 18
CS: Hazard
Labels
• KNow Standard
Hazard Symbols

6/9/2023 19
SWP: Material
Safety
Datasheet
(MSDS)

• Read MSDS before

using a chemical
• Note safe handling
practices & first aid
• Keep a hardcopy in
the lab

09-06-2023 20
CS: Chemicals Handling

www.tarleton.edu

All chemical processing Keep the sash as low

in fume hoods as possible

09-06-2023 21
CS: Fume Hoods

From Dow Corning Safety Presentation From Univ. of Waterloo

Don’t put face or head inside Hood is not for storage

09-06-2023 22
CS:
Transporting
Chemicals
• Don’t carry chemicals with hands.
• Hazard to you and other
• Use bottle carriers, carts with trays,
buckets, etc
• Avoid glass bottles

09-06-2023 23
CS: Always Add Acid
to Water
• Dilution of concentrated acid releases a lot of
heat
• Adding water to conc. acid releases this heat
violently
• Acid can splash out of the container and onto
your face
• Always add conc. acid to water

Acid may splash out explosively

6/9/2023 24
CS: Storage
• Segregate chemical during storage
• Acid + solvents are explosive
• Acid + base is exothermic
• Oxidizers aid combustion
• If segregation is not possible, use Secondary
secondary containment containment Exhaust
• Chemicals stored in rated
Acids Solvents & Bases
cupboards.
• Not wooden shelves
• Large volumes need exhaust Oxidizers Toxins

Segregated chemical storage

6/9/2023 25
D. Hazardous
Waste (HW)
Don’t cook unknown soups

6/9/2023 26
HW: Waste Handling Process

No chemical in drain Segregate Glass in solid waste

pH < 4 or pH > 10 e.g. solvents & acids Not in trash

Sharps in hard box Pick-up

Not in trash Organized regularly

6/9/2023 27
HW: Segregation
Innocuous Organic
Acids Toxins Solid waste Waste oil
aqueous waste solvents

Hea vy metals,
Chl ori nated, e.g. Gl oves, tissues,
4 < pH < 10 pH < 4 l i ke Pb, Cr, Sb, Bi, e.g. pump oil
chl orobenzene fi l ter paper
Hg, Cd, a nd As

Ha rmless soluble Non-chlorinated,

Oxi di zing a cids Fl uorides Broken glass
s a lts e.g. tol uene

Hypochl orite
Ba s es (pH >10) Cya ni des Sha rps
s ol ution

Bi ocides Si l ica-based

Down the
drain
Empty bottl es

Store each sub-category must have separate container

6/9/2023 28
Label Your
Chemical Waste

Wikipedia.org
6/9/2023 29
 No
label
Cardboard?

No cover

Poor
09-06-2023 30
upkeep
HW: Spill Response
Neutralizing kits Large spill kits Emergency evacuation

• 10-50 ml of spill • For large spills, • For significant

• Experienced 0.1 to 50 litres toxic, explosive
student or staff • Trained staff or fire hazards
• Area must be only • Trip fire alarm
barricaded • Lab must be • Evacuate
evacuated

6/9/2023 31
E. Gas Safety
(GS)
Chemical hazard combined with
high-pressure hazards

6/9/2023 32
 GS: Hazards
Hazard Gasses

Compressed inert gas N2, Ar, He, CO2

Compressed
Flammable gasses H2, CH4, C2H6, C2H2, LPG gasses
Oxidizers O2, N2O

Toxic CO, H2S, BCl3, B2H6, Si2Cl2, GeH4, NH3 Hazardous

Pyrophoric SiH4, PH3, gases
(instantly catches fire in air)
additional
Gas detectors

Gas
cabinets

Orbital welded fittings

09-06-2023 33
 GS: Cylinders
must be
Cylinder transported
on carts.
Handling
Not “rolled”

2/3

1/3

Cylinders must be tagged

09-06-2023 34
SWP: Cylinder Storage Segregate cylinders

Full
Empty

09-06-2023 35
 SWP: Cylinder at Point-of-Use

5m Electrical
box

1m 1m
Door window

2m Open
Regulator and valve guard drain

All cylinders must be used Cylinder must be placed in lab with

with correct regulator and enough exclusion zone around it.
valve guard
09-06-2023 36
GS: Cryogens
Very cold chemicals that
cause severe burns
Need Cryo-
rated PPE

Dewars only Don’t bypass safety devices

09-06-2023 37
A Tale of Liquid Nitrogen Tank that
Exploded
Safety Report:

“The cylinder was standing at one end of a ~20' x 40' laboratory on the second floor of the
chemistry building. It was on a tile covered 4-6" thick concrete floor, directly over a
reinforced concrete beam. The explosion blew all the tile off the floor for a 5' radius around
the tank turning the tile into quarter sized pieces of shrapnel that embedded themselves in
the walls and doors of the lab. The blast cracked the floor but due to the presence of the
supporting beam, which shattered, the floor held. Since the floor held the force of the
explosion was directed upward and propelled the cylinder, sans bottom, through the
concrete ceiling of the lab into the mechanical room above. It struck two 3 inch water mains
and drove them and the electrical wiring above them into the concrete roof of the building,
cracking it. The cylinder came to rest on the third floor leaving a neat 20" diameter hole in its
wake. The entrance door and wall of the lab were blown out into the hallway, all of the
remaining walls of the lab were blown 4-8" off of their foundations. All of the windows, save
one that was open, were blown out into the courtyard.”

-- University of Texas at Austin Blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline

09-06-2023 38
 No
tags

No
restraint

No
segregation

09-06-2023 39
F: Fire Safety
(FS)
Interaction of HEAT + FUEL +
OXYGEN. Remove any one and
fire cannot spread

6/9/2023 40
FS:
Stages
of Fire

6/9/2023 41
FS: First
Extinguishers

• All labs must have

them in clearly
marked places
• One for each class
of hazards (see
next slide)
• They expire. Make
sure to refill/service
them, typically need
service every 3 years.

09-06-2023 42
FS: Type of Extinguisher

09-06-2023 43
FS: Fire Response

1. Raise the alarm 2. Evacuate 3. Report to

assembly point

Follow emergency
response plan

6/9/2023 44
 Shout, “Fire,
Fire, Fire”

1. Raise Alarm

Press fire alarm

button
6/9/2023 45
 No lifts Use stairs

2. Evacuate
Know nearest
exit

6/9/2023 46
 Go to Assembly Don’t return, Wait for "All-
Point until instructed clear"

3. Assembly Point

6/9/2023 47
G. Electrical
Safety (ES)
Load matching & earthing

6/9/2023 48
 Trip hazard “Jugaad”

ES:
Common
Hazards Power strips Water

Wet hands High earthing

resistance

6/9/2023 49
ES: Safe Practices

Replace Use 3-pin Maintain & use

damaged wires connectors earthing

Proper outlets No pulling of Turn-off

with fuse wires equipment
6/9/2023 50
H. Laser
Safety (LS)
You only have two eyes

6/9/2023 51
LS: Hazard from Laser
Exposure to laser can irreversibly damage skin and eyes

Injury can be from direct, specular (reflected) of diffuse radiation

Direct

09-06-2023 52
Laser Class
• Laser hazard is often expressed in Class
• Class 1 is safe, Class 4 is very dangerous
• Need special precautions with Class 3 and above
• PPE mandatory for all in the lab, irrespective of activity
• Safe handling rules apply
• Warning light outside the door

09-06-2023 53
 ANSI Z136 standard
OD Transmittance
0.0 100%
Laser safety 1.0 10%
glasses 3.0 0.1%

6.0 0.0001%
• Use appropriate safety
eyewear 9.0 0.0000001%
• Decide based on power &
wavelength of laser
• Discuss with your
supervisor/manager
• Optical density (OD)
represents the opacity
1
• 𝑂𝐷 = log10
𝑇
• Where, T =
Transmittance

09-06-2023 54
LS: Safe Practices
• Laser beam should be contained
• Post warning signs or labels outside rooms.
• Lenses may reflect a portion of the incident
beam from the front or rear surface.
• Don’t wear jewelry, watches, etc. in a lab with
laser

09-06-2023 55
I: Radiation
Safety (RS)
X-rays, Magnetic fields,
Radioactivity, etc.

6/9/2023 56
 Time Distance Shielding
Reduce time spent with Stay as far as possible Reduce radiation to < milli
radiation. Track daily Don’t loiter Roentgens per hr.
exposure

RS: As Low As Reasonably

Achievable (ALARA)
6/9/2023 57
 RS: X-Ray Sources

X-ray sources may need Users may need

AERB registration radiation dosimeters

09-06-2023 58
 RS: Magnetic-Field

Strong People with Fasten metallic No compressed

magnetic fields pacemakers objects within gas cylinders
extend beyond beware the 100 G line within the
strong 100G line
magnets.
Demarcate 100 Consult a doctor for Careful with
Gauss levels on the limits screwdrivers,
floor. wrenches & other
No credit & ATM hand tools
cards within the
100 G line.

09-06-2023 59
RS: Radioactive Materials
• Need special training
• Regulated by AERB
• Waste disposal is separate

09-06-2023 60
J: Identify
Hazards
Can you spot the issues?

6/9/2023 61
09-06-2023 62
 Accumulated
junk

No
tags

No
restraint

Blocked
Chemicals
door
near gas
cylinder

09-06-2023 63
 Not
accessible

Not
accessible

Electrical
wires
around
tank

09-06-2023 64
 Electrical
boxes near
tank

Exposed
electrical
panel
09-06-2023 65
 Personal bag
stored with
labware

rage
ard

Poor waste
management

Accumulated
Accumulated
junk
09-06-2023
junk 66