Introduction to the Laboratory and safety

Protocols

Iqra Hamid
Overview

• Lab safety rules in general

• House keeping
• PPE
• Hazards
• Safety equipment in labs
• Emergency response
Lab safety rules in general

• Perform only those experiments authorized by your teacher.

• Do not eat food, drink beverages, or chew gum in the laboratory.
• Keep equipment and work areas clean and organized.
• If an accident occurs, report it to your teacher promptly
Cont….

• Do not mix chemicals for fun.

• Avoid inhalation of chemicals.
• Learn the meaning of every symbol used in the lab
• Wash well before leaving the lab, even if it’s only for a short break.
• Use soap and water, not solvents (which may enhance absorption
of the chemical by the skin).
• Wash immediately whenever any chemical comes in contact with
your skin. Flush for at least 15 minutes.
8 steps of hand washing
Wash hands after removing gloves and before leaving the laboratory
Housekeeping
Good housekeeping in laboratories reduces risks, protects the integrity
of biological experiments and provides work areas free of significant
sources of contamination.
• Chemicals
• Obtain an amount sufficient to continue your work.
• Keep the lids on chemical containers.
• Always use labelled chemicals.
• Remove clutter
• Keep lab benches and hoods as uncluttered as possible.
• Keep containers and equipment away from the edge of benches.
Personal Protective Equipment(PPE)

• Wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts while working in a lab.

• Wear Lab coats while working with chemicals and biologicals.
• Use gloves appropriate for the material you are working with: heat
resistant, cryoprotective or chemical resistant.
• Use safety glasses
• When there is a chance of a small splash to the eyes, such as when
opening a bottle or tube.
• While using a highly caustic chemical, or using large volumes (1 L
or more) of a chemical.
 PPE (Cont…)
• Wearing contact lenses in the lab can be hazardous, safety glasses
must be used.
• NEVER wear sandals or open-toed shoes, jewellery and loose and
baggy clothes in the lab.
Hazards

Hazard is an agent that has potential to cause damage to a vulnerable

target.
General hazards present in lab are
• Chemical hazards
• Physical hazards
• Fire hazards
• Biological hazards
Chemical hazards

For the chemicals you are working with, you should be familiar with:
• the hazards associated with that chemical (MSDS)
• the personal protective equipment (PPE) required for using that
chemical
• storage requirements
• waste disposal procedures
• the procedures to be followed in the event of an emergency
Chemical hazards

Chemical hazards fall into 4 main categories

• Flammables
• Corrosives
• Reactive chemicals
• Health hazards
Flammables

Chemicals which catch fire and continue to burn if expose to a

source of ignition
• Ethyl ether, pentane, acetone, ethanol, methanol, isopropanol,
gasoline flash point <73 °F
• Butanol, xylene, turpentine flash point 73-100 °F
• Formaldehyde, kerosene flash point 100-140 °F
Storage
Must be stored with other flammables in a flammable cabinet,
away from sources of heat and/or ignition (sparks)
Flammables

Precautions

• Never use an open flame to heat flammable materials.

• Use hot water bath, oil bath, heating mantle, etc.
• Transfer from gallon containers to smaller containers in a fume
hood or approved flammable liquid storage room.
• Handle only in areas free of ignition sources.
Corrosives
Chemicals that can cause chemical burns upon contact with living tissue
(skin, eyes, lungs and stomach)
Include acids and bases
Precautions:
• Never pour water into acid. Always add the acid to the water
• Open bottles of acid slowly and carefully.
• Wear PPE (gloves, goggles/shield, apron) to protect against splashes.
• Conduct all work with concentrated acids and bases in a chemical fume hood.
• Check location of eyewash and shower prior to beginning work.
• Never use combustible organic materials (such as paper, sawdust, or rags) to
clean up spills.
Corrosives
Wastes
• Never mix acid wastes with solvents or metal-containing solutions.
• Never dispose of acids or bases down the drain unless they have
been neutralized.
• Non-contaminated (e.g. free of other hazardous chemicals) acid
wastes may neutralized and then disposed of down the drain (pH
must be between 5 and 10).
• Some exceptions apply. Corrosives that have other hazardous
properties should not be disposed of down the drain even after
neutralization (ex. hydrofluoric acid, fuming nitric acid, phenol,
perchloric acid, etc).
Reactives

Definition
Chemicals which will vigorously/violently react with water, air or other
chemicals
Reactions can result in generation of excessive heat, spontaneous ignition,
explosion or toxic gases.
Examples
• Sulfuric acid
• Alkali metals (Na, K etc), their hydrides and nitrides.
• perchloric, chromic and fuming nitric acid
• ammonium persulfate
• Metal and organic cyanides and sulfides
Reactives

Storage and handling

Store separate from combustible and flammable reagents.
• Store away from incompatible materials.
• Protect from exposure to conditions that would make the chemical
unstable (air, water, heat, shock, etc.).
Health hazards

Definition:
• Chemical that causes adverse health effects, whether short-term
(acute) or long-term (chronic)
• Includes toxins, carcinogens, teratogens, mutagens, poisons
Examples
• Mercury and other metal compounds, ethidium bromide,
formaldehyde
Storage
Health hazards should be segregated from other chemicals
Health hazards
Health hazards symbols

Acute Toxicity (fatal or toxic)

Irritant (skin and eye)
Carcinogen Skin Sensitizer
Mutagenicity Acute Toxicity (harmful)
Reproductive Toxicity Narcotic Effects
Target Organ Toxicity Respiratory Tract Irritant
Aspiration Toxicity Hazardous to Ozone Layer

Biohazard (infectious agents)

Health hazards

Precautions
• Always wear appropriate gloves and other suitable PPE when handling health hazards.
• To reduce the chance of breakage (and a contaminated oven), never use a mercury
thermometer in an oven or incubator.
• Never dispose mercury down the drain.
• Know the hazards presented by the chemical you are working with.
• Possible routes of exposure (vary with chemical and procedure) include: skin
absorption, inhalation, ingestion, injection.
• Symptoms of exposure may be acute and/or delayed (including chronic effects).
Read the SDS!
• Be aware of possible adverse reactions with other chemicals or conditions (e.g.
heat).
Biohazards

Biological substances that pose a threat to the health of living

organisms, primarily that of humans.

Can be caused in laboratories by

• Human specimens (blood, urine, stool, sputum, etc.)

• microbial cultures
• Contaminated syringes, needles and Lancets
Biohazards

Precautions
• Wear appropriate PPE while handing specimens, drawing blood,
microbial cultures, etc.
• Appropriately discard the specimen: in biohazard specific bags and
then incinerate
• Keep sharps disposal container close to the working area.
• Never place used syringes, needles and lancets in regular waste
containers.
• Seal the sharp disposal container when 3/4th filled.
Physical hazards

Physical hazards Includes

• Sharps and glassware

• Compressed gases
• Electrical equipment
• Thermal hazards
• Radiation
Physical hazards

Glassware
• Never use broken or chipped glassware.
• Broken glassware, microscope slides, Pasteur pipets, etc. must be
collected in a puncture resistant container and labeled with the words
“Broken glass disposal”.
• Dispose off used lancets and syringes in containers labeled with the
word “Sharps disposal”.
Physical hazards

Compressed gases
• Compressed gas cylinders must be restrained in an upright position in the lab.
• Caps must be in place when cylinder is not in use.
• Make sure regulator and supply lines are in good condition.
• Never use rigid plastic tubing, which can shatter if the pressure limits are
exceeded.
• When turning on the gas
• Ensure that the flow valve is open (so there will be
no pressure in the supply line). Adjust flow valve
only after you have opened the regulator.
Physical hazards

Electrical equipment
Always inspect electrical cords prior to use. Do not use if
they are cracked or have exposed wiring.
• Never use electrical appliances near water.
• Make sure hands are dry when unplugging a cord.
• Do not overload outlets.
Physical hazards

UV rays
• UV rays are damaging to eyes, skin and cause cancer.
• While using UV-lamps, wear face shields, gloves and full sleeves.
Safety equipments in lab

• MSDS
• Spill kit
• First Aid box
• Safety Showers
• Eye Washer
• Fire Safety apparatus
Spill kit components

Spill containment devices, absorbents and protective wear.

• PPE: Safety Goggles, Gloves and masks
• Waste Bags
• Broom & Pan
• Neutralizing agents
• Absorbents
Emergency response

Fire
If your clothing catches on fire, drop and roll to put out the flames.
Immediately notify your supervisor of the incident.
Chemical spill on clothing
• Get to the safety shower immediately and remain there for at least
15 minutes.
• Remove contaminated clothing while in the shower.
• Notify your supervisor of the incident.
Emergency response

Chemical splashes to the eye

• Immediately go to the sink and flush eyes with water for at least 15
minutes.
• Seek medical attention and notify your teacher of the incident
immediately.
Burns
• Immerse burned area under cold, running water as soon as possible.
• Seek medical attention and notify your supervisor of the incident
immediately.
Emergency response

Chemical spills involving hazardous materials

• Follow the instructions of emergency personnel

• Alert others to stay clear of the area
• Notify emergency personnel if you have been exposed or have
information regarding the release
Emergency response

Broken Mercury Thermometer

• Isolate the area and do not let people walk through the
contaminated zone.
• Avoid exposure and injury by wearing nitrile gloves (mercury is
absorbed through the skin), a lab coat, and safety glasses. 
• Use tongs or other tools to pick up broken glass. 
• Mercury droplets can be gently swept into a container.
• Place the spilled mercury and broken thermometer and any items
used to clean up the spill in a sealable plastic container.  Clearly
label container as Mercury Waste.