Good Laboratory Safety Practices
Buddy System
Be Safe! Don’t be alone when working with hazardous materials or in dangerous work conditions. Your life can depend on it!!
Buddy System
When performing potentially hazardous/dangerous operations always: – Make sure someone is in the
laboratory with you – Notify someone that you are in the
lab and what time you will check with them when you complete your work.
– Check-in with that person if you exceed your time estimate or if you leave.
A Clean Lab is a Happy Lab
A Cluttered Lab is a Dangerous Lab!
Keep your lab clean!
Housekeeping The Results of Poor housekeeping: Accidents
– Cluttered counter tops are a good source of spills.
– Poorly maintained equipment or apparatus can break spilling its contents, damage other equipment or flying debris can cause injury.
– Containers and equipment on the floor are a trip and spill hazard.
Housekeeping The Results of Poor
housekeeping: Costs you money
– Overstocking or reordering of chemicals due to uncontrolled or unmanaged inventory.
– Replacing spilled chemicals or damaged equipment.
Housekeeping The Results of Poor housekeeping: Contaminates your research
– Poorly washed containers or equipment can lead to
cross contamination. – Poorly labeled storage containers can lead to the use of a wrong reagent.
Housekeeping Poor housekeeping: Causes accidents: Costs you money Contaminates your
research Sets up bad habits for
students entering a more regulated industrial setting.
Gets more attention from inspectors.
Don’t Block Access to Electrical Panels, Safety Showers and Eye Wash Stations
Don’t block doors or Fire Extinguishers
Unattended Bunsen burner causes bench fire.
Never leave lit Bunsen burners unattended or use flammable solvents near them.
Old Equipment Can Be Dangerous
Rusty water-bath with exposed wires
Maintain your Equipment!
Improper Chemical Storage Ether was stored in
this domestic style refrigerator. Either the thermostat or the interior light was the ignition source that caused the explosion.
Flammables have to be stored in a Flammables or Explosion proof fridge.
Read labels before pouring containers
Or this … …turns into this.
Lack of Attention to Details
Heater/stir plate being used to stir only accidentally was also turned on as hot plate also!
Incomplete reaction placed in refrigerator – BANG!
See the glass imbedded In the door?
Reaction container was placed into the refrigerator before the reaction had been completely quenched. The bottle over pressurized and exploded.
Do Not Store Consumables with Chemicals!
Proper Equipment Usage There needs to be a written Standard Operating
Procedure for all equipment. Everyone should be properly trained before
using any equipment. Improperly used or maintained equipment can
be dangerous to your health or can result in expensive damages.
Fires are common result with inappropriate equipment usage.
Centrifuges- An Example of Improper Usage and Maintenance
Hazards
Mechanical failure of rotating parts (often violent).
Contact with rotating parts. Sample leaks causing aerosols, stress corrosion,
contamination. Sample imbalance causing machine movement /
walking (or stress failure of component parts). Fire or explosion. Health (contact with contaminated components /
vapors). Ergonomics/lifting
Rotor Failure
Rotor Failure
Rotor Failure
Contained Rotor Failure
Dancing Centrifuge
This can be caused by an improperly balanced rotor.
Remember Good Practices
Never work alone. Commit to good housekeeping Do not block access to doors, electrical or
emergency equipment Store chemicals and wastes properly Maintain equipment
The End
12/2/14
