LABORATORT SAFETY GUIDELINES

SAFETY is the main priority when engaging in different laboratory activities.

Therefore, each student must follow the different guidelines for before, during, and
after any laboratory activities.

LABORATORY APPAREL
Each Student must adhere to the following protocols especially on what to
wear when performing any laboratory experiments. Furthermore, each student
must strictly follow the laboratory apparel to be used/worn ensure low risks and
safety during laboratory hours.

1. GOGGLES Required to protect the eyes in case of

spills and splash from hazardous
chemicals such as organic solvents,
bases, and acids, just to name a few.

2. FACE MASK Required to protect students from

hazardous vapours that may cause lung
irritation.

3. HAIRNET Required to keep long hair during

laboratory activities/experiments.

4. LABORATORY Required to protect the skin in case of

GOWN spills and splash from hazardous
chemicals. Must be worn at all times
during laboratory hours.

5. GLOVES Required to protect the hands from

hazardous chemicals such as
carcinogenic solvents, acids, and bases,
just to name a few.

6. CLOSED FLAT Required to protect the feet in the event

SHOES of spills or splash from hazardous
chemicals. Also, to allow proper balance
when carrying different chemicals,
apparatus, and equipment.

7. DRESS CODE Long-pants/jeans and short-sleeve shirts

is a must to protect the skin in an event
of a spill. Wearing shorts, mini-skirts,
and loose long-sleeves are not allowed
because these may pose risks during any
chemical spill and chemical hazard.

8. ACCESSORIES Accessories such as earrings, necklace,

bracelet, watch, and ring finger must be
removed when performing laboratory
experiments.
SAFETY EQUIPMENT

Each student must be familiar with the following safety equipment to ensure
proper action in any case of accident, chemical spills, or contamination of any type
in order to address any unprecedented scenarios of hazard risks.

1. FIRE Must be visible in the laboratory and

EXTINGUISHER must be ready and accessible in case of
fire cause by explosion of any type.

2. FUME HOOD Must be in the laboratory or accessible

in the laboratory. This is used to
exhaust toxic and nontoxic vapours or
gases in the room.

3. FIRST AID KIT Must be available or accessible in the

laboratory. Used in an event of accident
of any type during laboratory hours.

4. SAW Must be available or accessible in the

DUST/SAND laboratory in any case of chemical spill.
Used to contain and prevent the spread
of spilled chemicals.
LABORATORT RULES

Each student must abide to the following laboratory rules in order to ensure
safety when performing different laboratory experiments.

1. Students are not allowed to stay in the laboratory premises without the
presence of an instructor/laboratory technician.

2. Students are not allowed to perform any laboratory experiment without the
instructor’s supervision.

3. Students must strictly follow the procedure indicated in the laboratory

manual. Altering the procedure of any experiment is prohibited.

4. Students are not allowed to bring any kind of food or drinks inside the
laboratory room during laboratory hours to avoid contamination. Students
can eat outside the laboratory.

5. Students must observe cleanliness before and after every laboratory

experiment/activity. Personal belongings must be placed in an area away
from the laboratory tables.

6. Students must be cautious/watchful while performing experiments especially

during a chemical reaction or heating to avoid any accident.

7. Students must immediately report to the instructor in case of an accident

such as explosion, fire, wrong mixing of chemicals, spills, and injuries.

8. Students are expected to perform laboratory experiments with minimal noise

in order to properly focus and avoid distractions during working hours.

9. Students are expected to observe proper decorum/behaviour specially when

performing laboratory experiments to avoid any accident caused by peculiar
behaviour.

10. Students must excuse themselves when feeling ill and have no confidence in
performing any kind of laboratory experiments to avoid accidents.

11. Students must be careful when handling chemicals such as concentrated

acids, bases, and hazardous chemicals.

12. Students must dispose waste chemicals in their proper storage as provided
by the laboratory technicians. Students are not allowed to mix chemical
wastes to avoid unwanted chemical reactions that may result to explosion or
production of toxic gases/compounds.

13. Student must wash the borrowed materials, glassware, and lab apparatus
after every experiment before returning to the stock room.
HANDLING CHEMICALS

1. Carefully check the label of the chemicals provided by the laboratory

technician to determine the risks and the proper handling of these types
of chemicals.

2. Do not EAT, TOUCH, or SMELL any chemicals unless supervised by the

instructor. When smelling chemicals, do not directly smell the container
but instead waft the vapour towards the nose.

3. Avoid chemical contact through skin, eyes, and mouth as much as

possible. In case of contact, directly wash the contaminated part of the
body with flowing water and directly seek medication if necessary.

4. DO NOT CONTAMINATE THE CHEMICALS. It is highly recommended

not to contaminate the chemicals and its containers.
- For solids, use a spatula for every solid and avoid swapping of
spatula.
- For liquids, always obtain a small portion of the liquid from the
stock solution and use specific dispensers such as droppers,
graduated cylinders, and pipettes when dispensing liquids and
avoid swapping of dispensers.
- NEVER return unused chemicals to their respective stock solution
containers. These may contaminate the stock solution.

5. Do not waste chemicals. Obtain an amount sufficient enough for the

whole experiment and always consider microscale preparation of
chemicals.

6. Handle corrosive chemicals with CAUTION! Proper laboratory apparel

(goggles, gloves, mask, laboratory gown, hairnet) is a must.
- When preparing solutions of acid, always remember to slowly add
ACID TO WATER to avoid release of immense heat upon mixing.

7. Keep highly flammable and combustible substances/materials away

from heat source such as flames, ignition, and water to avoid explosion
that may cause hazard.

8. When dealing with chemicals containing toxic fumes, always use the
fume hood to avoid smelling toxic gases.

9. When washing used glassware, always do a final rinsing using distilled

or deionized water at least 3 times to ensure washing of left-over
chemicals.

When weighing solids, always use a small beaker or a weighing paper

10. on a balance. Clean the balance after weighing to avoid contamination
and corrosion of the balance.
HANDLING CHEMICAL WASTES

Each student must have basic knowledge on the possible hazardous waste
generated in every laboratory experiment. Thus, the following classification of
hazardous waste will be considered in every experiment to avoid disposal of these
wastes into the environment.

1. Always consider wearing proper laboratory apparel (goggles, face mask,

gloves, laboratory gown) when handling chemical wastes.

2. Contain generated waste into a specific container provided by the laboratory

technician.

3. DO NOT MIX CHEMICAL WASTES to avoid unwanted reactions that may

cause hazard such as explosion, harsh chemical reaction, and production of
toxic gases/wastes.

4. Know the contents of the chemical waste generated in every experiment.

Each chemical waste may pose possible hazard thus proper disposal of these
waste must be of high consideration.

5. In an event of unwanted mixing of chemical wastes, report immediately to the

instructor or the lab technician for proper handling and disposal.

6. Avoid EATING, TOUCHING, or SMELLING chemical wastes. These may

contain hazardous compounds that may cause irritation, corrosion, or the
worse poisoning.

7. Each procedure contains caution or warnings on what possible wastes maybe

generated in each experiment. Follow the warnings to avoid hazard.

8. In an event of chemical waste spill, use saw dust to cover the area of the spill
and immediately report to the instructor or laboratory technician for proper
cleaning and handling.

9. After every experiment, make sure to tightly seal the waste containers to
avoid spillage before returning these wastes to the stock room for proper
storage.
CHEMICAL HAZARD CLASSIFICATION AND LABELS
Each student must familiarize the different labels of each chemical
indicating their hazardous capabilities to human health.

CHEMICAL HAZARD
LABEL
CLASSIFICATION
1. Class 1 – Explosives

- Mass Explosion Possible

- Projection but not Mass

Explosion

- Fire, Minor Blast

- Minor Explosion Hazard

- Blasting Agent, very insensitive

- Explosives, extremely insensitive,

no mass explosion

2. Class 2 - Gases

- Flammable Gas

- Non-Flammable Non-Toxic Gas

Poison Gas

3. Class 3 – Flammable
Liquids and
Combustible Liquids
4. Class 4 – Flammable
Solids; Spontaneously
Combustible
Materials; Dangerous - Desensitized Explosives, Self-
When Wet Materials reactive Materials, Generic Types,
Readily Combustible Solids

- Pyrophoric Materials, Self-

Heating Materials

- Pure Alkali Metals

5. Class 5 – Oxidizers
and Organic
Peroxides - Oxidizer

- Organic Peroxide

6. Class 6 – Poisons

- Poisonous Materials

- Infectious Substance

7. Class 7 - Radioactive
Materials - Metal Isotopes (Ni-isotope)

8. Class 8 - Corrosive
Materials
- Acids and Bases

9. Class 9 –
Miscellaneous
Dangerous Goods - Examples (Anesthetics)
MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET (MSDS)

Each student must be oriented with the Material Safety Data Sheet or
MSDS. MSDS contains the specific details as to the nature of the chemical
compound, Composition and importantly its Hazard classification, Handling,
and First Aid and Accidental Release Measures. Each student (specially for
Science Majors) must read the MSDS before performing any experiment or
must be oriented with the proper measures on how to handle chemicals based
on the MSDS. Shown below is some of the important parts of a Material Safety
Data Sheet.

1. Section 1. Chemical Product and Company Identification – shows the

general information of the chemical compound.

2. Section 2. Composition and Information of Ingredients – shows the %

composition of the chemical compound and its 50% lethal concentration
(LC50) and 50% lethal dosage (LD50).

3. Section 3. Hazard Identification – Shows the hazard classification, and

possible risks to human health when in contact.
4. Section 4. First Aid measures - Shows proper preliminary medical care
in case of any bodily contact.

5. Section 5. Fire and Explosion Data – Shows data on the compounds

flammability and its extent.
6. Section 6. Accidental Release measures – Shows proper measures in any
case of accidental spills.

7. Section 7. Handling and Storage – Shows the proper handling and

storage of chemical compound based on its characteristics.

8. Section 8. Exposure Controls/Personal Protection – Shows the proper

control and apparel used for controlling the hazard of the chemical
compound.

9. Section 9. Physical and Chemical Properties

WHAT TO DO INCASE OF ACCIDENTS/EMERGENCY

Possible
Accidents/ Preliminary Solutions
Emergency
Most of the fire outbreak in handling Bunsen burner
came from leaking rubber tubing and flame on the
barrel. For both accidents follow these steps.

1. Calm down and immediately assess the situation.

2. Directly Turn off the gas valve tank in case of any
fire outbreak.
3. Vacate the laboratory room after the fire has been
Bunsen Burner
extinguish.
Fire Outbreak
4. Stay outside the laboratory room for about 10
minutes to assure proper ventilation of possible
poisonous gas produced such as carbon
monoxide.
5. Replace/repair any damaged materials to avoid
another flame outbreak caused by faulty
materials.

Chemical fire outbreak is mostly caused by exothermic

reactions (reactions producing extreme amount of heat)
such as combustion reactions and flammable
compounds. For possible chemical fire outbreak follow
these steps.

1. Calm down and directly grab the fire extinguisher.

2. Remove the ring of the fire extinguisher, position
at around 10 feet away from the fire and aim the
nozzle at the base of the fire.

Chemical Fire
Outbreak

3. Squeeze the lever to release the contents of the

fire extinguisher and sweep the nozzle side to side
until the flame is quenched.
4. Do not point the nozzle in any direction when
squeezing the lever to avoid spreading the
contents of the fire extinguisher.
5. Once the flame is extinguished. Vacate the
laboratory room to avoid inhalation of the flame
extinguisher’s contents for it may cause lung
irritation.
6. Report to the laboratory technician once the flame
was put out.
 Most of the contaminations from chemical laboratories
are caused by chemical spills coming from cracked or
broken containers. Such spills can be contained by
following these steps.

1. Keep Calm and avoid contact from the

contaminated area.
Chemical Spills
2. Obtain saw dust and block the surrounding of the
(Hazardous
spill to stop the spread of the chemicals.
Chemical
3. Cover the whole area of the chemical spill with
Liquids)
saw dust.
4. Wait for about 10-15 minutes for the spill to sip
into the saw dust.
5. Vacate the laboratory room.
6. Report to the laboratory technician for the proper
cleaning of the spill.

Skin burns are caused by a number of possible reasons

such as acid contacts or contact through flame. When
caught into such possible accidents, follow these steps.

For 1st and 2nd degree burns

1. Soak the area of the body in a cool water for
about 10-15 minutes or longer.
2. Directly contact the clinic to ask for pain reliever
medicine.
3. Apply an anesthetic gel or cream to soothe
burning skin.
Skin Burns 4. Apply antibiotic ointment to the affected area and
wrap the area with loose gauze for protection.
5. Administer the patient into the clinic for proper
treatment.

For 3rd degree burns

1. Immediately inform the clinic for fast action.
2. Call for emergency hotlines for fast response on
the matter.
3. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SELF-TREAT in these
types of situation.

Skin and eye are the frequent areas of the body to be

contaminated during any laboratory experiments. Most of
the contaminations are cause by chemical liquids and
acids. In any type of contamination or contact, follow
these steps.

1. Direct the contaminated area in to a source of

flowing water such as the eye-wash area or
Eye and Skin
faucet.
Contact with
2. Let the contaminated area of the body be soaked
Chemicals (acids
with running water for about 15 minutes or more
and solvents)
to remove the chemicals.
3. For eye contact, direct the eyes into a flowing
water for 30 minutes or more. Make sure to
instruct the patient not to blink to allow the
flushing of the chemicals from the patient’s eyes.
4. Directly seek medical attention for proper
treatment.
 Every experiment requires the use of necessary
glassware, most of which are common (e.g. Test tubes,
graduated cylinders, pipettes) and some are rare (e.g.
round bottom flasks, connectors, rotaflasks) which are
expensive. Despite the necessity, these materials are
prone to damage and breakage. Thus, there must be
proper cleaning and keeping of these damaged materials.
In case of glassware breakage, follow these steps.
Broken
Glassware 1. Stay away from broken glassware.
2. Avoid touching the glassware by bare hands,
always wear nitrile gloves in picking broken
pieces.
3. For tiny pieces, use brush and dustpan to sweep
the tiny debris.
4. Collect all debris of the broken glassware and
deliver to the stockroom for keeping.