Safety in The Laboratory 1698139703

SAFETY IN THE
LABORATORY
Objectives
 To emphasize on the safety guidelines in the

laboratory;
 To know the proper waste disposal in a university
setting.
UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023

Hazards
 Health Hazards  Physical Hazards

 Biohazards  Combustible
 Irritants  Flammables
 Corrosive chemicals  Explosive Oxidizers
 Sensitizers
 Carcinogens
 Toxic materials

Biohazards
 Anything that can
cause disease in
humans regardless if
its source.

Irritants
 Cause reversible
inflammatory effects at
the site of contact with
living tissue esp. the skin,
eyes, and respiratory
passages.

Corrosive Chemicals
 Cause destruction or
irreversible alterations
when exposed to living
tissue, or destroy certain
inanimate surfaces;
 Corrosive to tissue but
not to steel, few are to
both.

Carcinogens
 Induce tumors
 Chloroform, chromic
acid, formaldehyde,
nickel chloride, and
potassium dichromate
 Carcinogenic dyes :
auramine, basic fuschsin,
benzidine dyes

Toxic Materials
 Capable of causing
death by ingestion, skin
contact or inhalation at
certain specified
cocentrations.
 Methanol, chromic acid,
osmium tetroxide, uranyl
nitrate

Combustibles
 Substance that ignite at

or above a certain
temperature at which
vapors will ignite in the
presence of an ignition
source
 Flash point: 100deg F
(OSHA) and 141 deg F
(DOT)
Flammables
 Have flash points below

the combustibles
 Ignite even with
electrical devices that
spark

Explosive
 Picric acid
 Should never be stored
after use because it
explodes upon aging

Oxidizer
 Harmless but may

initiate or promote
combustion and may
cause serious fire
 Sodium iodate, mercuric
oxide, chromic acid

Personal Safety
1. Wear suitable clothing
preferably made of
chemically inert
materials.
2. Wear goggles, face
shields when the
experiment involves
corrosive materials.
3. Tie your long hair at
the back or wear a hair
net.
Personal Safety
4. Follow good
housekeeping practices.
5. Have a first aid kit
always ready for use.
6. Before performing the
experiment, study and
understand the objectives
of the experiment.
7. Familiarize yourself with
the location and proper
use of safety equipment.

Personal Safety
8. Follow all safety

instructions carefully.
9. Do not wear contact
lenses even under safety
glasses.
10. Do not perform
unauthorized experiments.
11. Do not indulge in
horseplay or practical jokes
Personal Safety
12. Do not work while under
the influence of drugs or
alcohols.
13. Do not work alone.
14. Do not wear jewelry to
prevent accidents or
contacts with chemicals.
15. Do not eat, drink, and
smoke in the lab.

Personal Safety
16. While performing the 18. Follow the procedure

experiment: of the experiment
a. do not hurry correctly;
unnecessarily;
b. do not 19. “Dry run” procedures
compromise on safety; before actually using the
c. take time to do dangerous materials.
things properly. 20. Know what to do
17. Be aware of what your before leaving the lab…
neighbors are doing.

Before leaving the lab…
 Wash hands, face, arms;

 Turn off all services;
 Check the cleanliness of the lab;
 Leave a note if someone is expected to take over
the lab;
 Lock the door.

Special Safety Practices
1. Do not use frayed 5. Do not try to repair

cords of switches of equipment yourself.
electrical equipment. 6. Ask your superior before
2. Keep all equipment using equipment designed
and hands dry while for pressure.
handling. 7. Each lab should be
3. Use grounded outlets equipped with an
only. appropriate fire
4. Do not use electrical extinguisher with at least
equipment near one fire blanket.
flammable chemicals.
Special Safety Practices
8. Each floor level of the

lab bldg should have self-
contained breathing mask
for emergency rescue
operations.
9. Maintenance check of
the apparatus and
equipment.

Handling of Chemicals (General)
1. Read carefully the labels before using the content

of the bottle.
2. Use carrying device for chemicals in transit.
3. Avoid prolonged contact with chemicals. You may
do the transferring in a fume hood.
4. If possible, substitute a non-toxic substance for a
dangerous chemical.
5. Close the containers after used and should be
returned to the storage.
6. Wipe or rinse the residual material from the external

surface of the container.
7. Use aspirator, not your mouth, in suctioning liquids
using pipette.
8. Use clean, dry spatulas for solid reagents.
9. Do not interchange the spatulas of different
reagents.
10. Stoppers should be positioned upside down to
avoid contamination.
11. Do not taste chemicals and even inhale organic

vapors.
12. Do not work with flammable reagents such as
methanol.

Handling of Acids and Bases
1. Acids should always be diluted by stirring slowly

and carefully the concentrated acid into the water.
If water is added into the acid, the heat
generated might cause the mixture to splatter.
2. When using either strong acids or strong base,
prepare suitable neutralizing agents for use in
event of spills.

Handling of Acids and Bases
3. Do not inhale fumes of acids/bases. Keep the

containers covered.
4. When opening reagent bottles which may be under
pressure, cover the reagent bottle with a towel to
divert any chemical spray.

Water
Acid

Handling of Other Reagents
1. All work involving ethers must be done behind

safety shields.
2. Do not stopper glass flasks containing hot,
condensable vapors.
3. All efforts to prevent mercury spills should be
made and such spills should be promptly cleaned
up.

Handling of Other Reagents
5. Mercury should never be heated in an open vessel.

6. Never hold solid reagents with bare hands.
(arsenic oxide, sodium metal)

Handling of Glassware
1. Hold long tubing vertically when walking through the

lab room.
2. If you stumble or fall while carrying glassware or
chemicals, do your best to project them away from
yourself and others.
3. Use a sharp triangular file when cutting glass tubings.
4. Protect your hands from possible cuts and burns by
using a piece of towel/cloth when holding
manipulating glassware.
5. Check the condition of the glassware. Do not catch
falling glassware. Do not pick up broken glass with
bare hands.
Chemical Storage
1. Shelves should be steady enough to bear the

weight of the containers and contents;
2. Should be high enough that it would be unlikely
for the materials to be knocked off during the
normal course of activities in the lab room;
3. Not be overcrowded;
4. Should not be low enough but not too high to be
reached.

Table of Incompatibilities
COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2
Acids Base
Alkali and alkaline earth metals Water
(carbides, hydrides, hydroxides, Halogenated organic compounds
oxides, peroxides) Oxidizing agents (chromates,
dichromates)
Halogens
Halogenating agents
H2O2 and peroxides
Nitric acid, nitrates
Perchlorates and chlorates
Permanganates
persulfates
Inorganic azides Heavy metals and their salts

Table of Incompatibilities
COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2
Inorganic cyanides Acid, strong bases
Inorganic nitrates Acids, nitrites, metals, sulfur
Inorganic sulfides Acids
Organic compounds Oxidizing agents
Organic acyl halides Bases
Organic anhydrides Organic hydroxyl compounds
Organic halogen compounds Aluminum metal
Organic nitro compounds Strong bases
Powdered metals Acids, oxidizing agents
Labeling of chemicals
 Name of the chemical

 chemical formula
 A signal word indicating the severity of hazard
 Statement of hazards with most serious first
 Precautionary measures to be taken to avoid injury
or damage from hazard stated
 Instruction in case of contact or exposure if results
are severe and immediate action maybe necessary.

Chemical Signal indicating hazards
 C = Corrosive
 E = Explosive
 F+ = Extremely flammable
 F = highly flammable
 XH = Harmful
 XI = Irritating
 N = Dangerous for the Environment
 O = Oxidizing
 T = Toxic
 T+ = Very Toxic
Hazardous Waste
 Any waste that directly or
indirectly represents a threat to
human health or to the
environment by introducing one or
more of the following risks:
 Explosion or fire
 Infections, pathogens, parasites
or their vectors
 Chemical instability, reactions
or corrosion
 Acute or chronic toxicity
 Cancer, mutations or birth
defects
 Toxicity or damage to the
ecosystems or natural
resources
 Accumulation in the biological
food chain, persistence in the
Hazardous Waste
 Responsibility of anyone discarding
any items to ensure that it:
 It is stored and disposed
of responsibly;
 It is only handled or dealt
with by authorised /
registered individuals or
businesses; and
 A record is kept of all
waste received or
transferred through a
system

Types of Waste
 General waste
 Recyclable waste
 Sharps/broken glass
 Biological/medical waste
 Chemical waste
 Radioactive material waste
 Electronic and computer waste

Biological Waste
 Biological, but… no legal definition so:
 Clinical
 Animal By-Product
 Special Waste
 So, what exactly is Biological Waste?

 Biological waste is often used to encompass clinical (or
Healthcare) waste, animal by-product waste and other
wastes arising from biological laboratories;

Biological Waste
 The term Animal By-Product is used to define

waste that is specifically composed of animal by-
products ‘not intended for human consumption’.

Clinical Waste
 Clinical Waste is…
 “any waste which consists
wholly or partly of:
 human or animal tissue;
 blood / body fluids,
excretions;
 drugs or other
pharmaceutical
products;
 swabs or dressings;
 syringes, needles or
other sharp instruments;
…which, unless rendered safe, may
prove
UNTALAN: Health andhazardous…;
Safety Committee 4/24/2023
Clinical Waste
 Waste arising from medical, nursing, dental,

veterinary, pharmaceutical or similar practice,
investigation, treatment, care, teaching or research
or the collection of blood for transfusion, which
may cause infection to any person coming into
contact with it is also defined as Clinical.

Special Waste
 Special Waste
 Controlled waste that, because of its properties,
requires special treatment and control
 Includes:
 Infectious or potentially infectious material
 Cytotoxic and cytostatic drugs (and clinical material
treated with them)
 Many drugs / chemicals, otherwise hazardous

Special Waste
 Infectious is defined in the Hazardous Waste

Directive as: “Substances containing viable micro-
organisms or their toxins which are known or
reliably believed to cause disease in man or other
living organisms”.
 Normal practice should always be to ensure that
waste leaving the laboratory or practice has been
rendered NON-INFECTIOUS. If you cannot do this
for some reason, then it must be classified as
Special Waste.
SEGREGATION OF BIOLOGICAL
WASTE IN THE LABORATORY
 Any waste that could produce laceration or puncture

injuries must be disposed of as "SHARPS".
 Sharps must be segregated from other waste.
 Metal sharps and broken glass may be commingled
with each other, but not with non-sharp waste.
 Waste that is to be incinerated should not be
commingled with glass or plastics.
 Biological waste must not be commingled with
chemical waste or other laboratory trash.
 Hazardous biological waste should be segregated
from other biological waste.
CONTAINERS
 Containers must: be appropriate for the contents;

not leak; be properly labeled; and maintain their
integrity if chemical or thermal treatment is used.
 Containers of biohazardous material should be
kept closed.

METAL SHARPS
 Place in a rigid, puncture resistant container (heavy

walled plastic is recommended). Label the
container "ENCAPSULATED SHARPS".
 Container and encapsulated contents must
withstand an applied pressure of 40 psi without
rupture.
 Never attempt to retrieve items from a sharps
container.
 Do not place sharps in plastic bags or other thin-
walled containers.
BROKEN GLASSWARE
 Place in a rigid, puncture resistant container

(plastic, heavy cardboard or metal), seal securely
and clearly label "BROKEN GLASS".

SOLID BIOHAZARDOUS WASTE
 Use heavy duty plasti
c "BIOHAZARD BAGS"
(autoclave bags) or
containers for solid
biohazardous waste
(including contaminated
disposable plastic labware,
paper, bedding, etc [NOT
SHARPS].

NONHAZARDOUS BIOLOGICAL
WASTE
 Heavy duty plastic bags or other appropriate

container without a Biohazard label are preferred.

LIQUIDS
 should be placed in leak-proof containers
able to withstand thermal or chemical
treatment. DO NOT USE PLASTIC BAGS TO
CONTAIN LIQUIDS.

DISPOSAL METHODS
 ANIMAL CARCASSES AND BODY PARTS must be

incinerated or sent to a commercial rendering
plant for disposal. The Landfill should not accept
carcasses or recognizable body parts.
DISPOSAL METHODS
 SOLID ANIMAL WASTE: All animal waste,

including bedding, that is infectious or
harmful to animals, humans or the
environment, should be appropriately
treated prior to disposal, regardless of the
origin of contamination. The following
disposal methods are acceptable:
 1. Preferred Method: incineration followed by deposition of
the residual ash in the Landfill.
 2. Thermal or chemical disinfection followed by deposition
in the Landfill.
DISPOSAL METHODS
 LIQUID WASTE including bulk blood and blood

products, cultures and stocks of etiologic agents
and viruses, cell culture material and products of
recombinant DNA technology should be
disinfected by thermal or chemical treatment then
discharged into the Sewer System.

METAL SHARPS
 Discarded sharps (contaminated or not) that may

cause puncture or cuts, MUST be contained,
encapsulated and disposed of in a manner that
prevents injury to laboratory, custodial and Landfill
workers. Needles, blades, etc., are considered
BIOHAZARDOUS even if they are sterile, capped
and in the original container.

MICROBIOLOGICAL WASTE
1. SOLID: Place in a properly labeled, leak proof

container; disinfect by thermal or chemical
treatment;
2. LIQUID waste should be disinfected by thermal or
chemical treatment then discharged into the
Sewer System.

HUMAN PATHOLOGICAL WASTE
 1. Human cadavers, recognizable body parts: must

be cremated or buried
 2. Other pathological waste from human and higher
primates must be incinerated

 Adapted from:
- Laboratory Management and Waste
Disposal Manual by Mallari, 2008
- Histopathological Techniques by
Gregorios 2006
- Lecture notes in Microtechniques by Untalan

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SAFETY IN THE

 To emphasize on the safety guidelines in the

UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023

 Health Hazards  Physical Hazards

UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023

UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023

UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023

UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023

UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023

UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023

 Substance that ignite at

 Have ﬂash points below

UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023

UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023

 Harmless but may

UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023

UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023

8. Follow all safety

UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023

16. While performing the 18. Follow the procedure

UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023

 Wash hands, face, arms;

UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023

1. Do not use frayed 5. Do not try to repair

8. Each ﬂoor level of the

UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023

1. Read carefully the labels before using the content

6. Wipe or rinse the residual material from the external

11. Do not taste chemicals and even inhale organic

UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023

1. Acids should always be diluted by stirring slowly

UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023

3. Do not inhale fumes of acids/bases. Keep the

UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023

UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023

1. All work involving ethers must be done behind

UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023

5. Mercury should never be heated in an open vessel.

UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023

1. Hold long tubing vertically when walking through the

1. Shelves should be steady enough to bear the

UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023

UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023

 Name of the chemical

UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023

UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023

UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023

 So, what exactly is Biological Waste?

UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023

 The term Animal By-Product is used to deﬁne

UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023

 Waste arising from medical, nursing, dental,

UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023

UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023

 Infectious is deﬁned in the Hazardous Waste

 Any waste that could produce laceration or puncture

 Containers must: be appropriate for the contents;

UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023

 Place in a rigid, puncture resistant container (heavy

 Place in a rigid, puncture resistant container

UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023

UNTALAN: Health and Safety Committee 4/24/2023