Chemical Safety and

Laboratory Rules

Injuries and accidents rarely occur in a well-supervised laboratory. The

laboratory is a safe place in which to work if appropriate precautions are taken
and sound judgment and common sense are exercised.

The following sections present some general guidelines. Students are

expected to know and adhere to these safety practices in the laboratory.

LABORATORY APPAREL
1. Laboratory gowns and safety goggles are required in the laboratory at all
times.
2. Sandals, open-toed shoes, high heels, shorts or skirts cut above the knee
are not allowed in the lab.
3. Contact lenses are not permitted in the lab due to fumes that might cause
them to dry.
4. Long hair should be kept in place.
5. Careful consideration should be given before wearing any jewelry in the
lab.
6. Radios, tape players, CD players, iPods, mp3 players or any other
electronic entertainment devices are not allowed to be played in the lab.

SAFETY EQUIPMENT
1. Be familiar with the locations of laboratory safety equipments, like fire
extinguisher, emergency eyewash station, safety shower and the first-aid
toolbox.
2. Check all safety equipment if they are still working properly and loaded
or charged.

LABORATORY DECORUM
1. Place your coats, books, backpacks and other personal item in the
designated place in the lab. Bring only the materials you are going to use
for the day’s experiment in the bench assigned to your group.
2. Eating, drinking, smoking and horse playing are strictly prohibited in the
lab.
3. Always read the upcoming experiments thoroughly to help you perform
the experiment correctly and quickly.
 4. Wash your hands frequently during experiment and certainly, at the end of
the lab period.
5. Report any accidents or injuries to your
instructor for immediate remedy.
6. Perform experiment under the supervision of
your instructor. Any modifications in the
procedure, hazards and safety precautions of the
day’s experiment will also be explained by your
instructor. Never make unauthorized
Figure 1. Some Precautionary
substitutions
Symbols in Chemical Labels
7. In the event of broken glasswares, never pick
up the chips with your bare hands, regardless of the size of the pieces. Use a
brush and a dustpan.
8. Prevent common accidents by being aware of their causes. Most hand injuries
involve cuts, thermal burns and chemical burns. Clean all broken glass and
spilled chemicals immediately.
9. Never smell gases or vapors directly. Turn off the gas outlet immediately
when not in use. Use the fume hood whenever heating involves large evolution
of irritating and hazardous fumes.
10. Always read the labels of the reagents you are going to use twice and never
take more of the reagent than you need. Excess liquid chemicals should be
disposed properly.
11. Report all chemical spills immediately to your instructor. Spills on bech or
floor must be cleaned up instantaneously.
12. Maintain cleanliness in the laboratory especially your working area.
Matchsticks, pieces of papers and solid substances should be thrown in
garbage cans.
13. Inform your instructor if you have medical conditions that can affect your
performance in the lab. Epilepsy, pregnancy, dyslexia and other conditions
can be hazardous in the lab.
14. Be cautious in using the gas burner when volatile organic solvents are
involved in the experiment.

FIRE
1. In the event of fire, don’t panic.
2. If large portion of your clothes catches fire (a) drop to the ground and roll, (b)
use the safety shower or (c) use the fire blanket.
3. Never use a fire extinguisher on a person.
4. If a fire occur in a beaker or some other container, cover it with a watch glass
or other flame-retardant items.
5. Never move any burning object or use water to extinguish the chemical fire.
 6. Be familiar with the proper utilization of the fire extinguisher especially if the
fire is large enough to warrant its use.

FIRST-AID & EMERGENCY MEASURES

THERMAL BURNS

Hold the burnt area under the cold water or in contact with ice for several
minutes. Do not apply ointment or bandage. If the burn is large or severe, call a
physician at once.

ACIDS ON THE SKIN

Pat the affected areas immediately with cloth then wash with plenty of water,
then with saturated bicarbonate solution and again with water.

SOLID ORGANIC SUBSTANCE ON THE SKIN

Wash affected area with rubbing alcohol. Then clean well with soap and water.

CUTS
For minor cuts, allow them to bleed for a few seconds. Remove bits or
fragments of substances from the wounded area, and apply an antiseptic and
bandage. For serious cuts, send for the doctor at once. Meanwhile, try to stop the
bleeding by applying pressure with a sterile pad over the wound.

EYE ACCIDENTS

Immediately flush the eyes with a stream of water for at least 10 minutes. Do
not attempt any chemical neutralization in the eyes for deeper burns that might result
to the heat of reaction. In all cases, take the patient to the student clinic.

POISONING BY SWALLOWING

Dilute the poison as fast as possible by drinking plenty of water. Then

neutralize the poison, for acids, induce vomiting by freely giving lukewarm water with
2 tablespoons of salt per glass until the expelled liquid is clear.

ELECTRIC SHOCK

Remove the source of shock as soon as possible. Use a dry towel when
removing live wires or equipment. If the victim is not breathing, administer artificial
respiration. CALL A CERTIFIED FIRST AIDER OR A PHYSICIAN AT ONCE.