General Laboratory

Safety
Summary of the Main Factors
Why does it matter?
 Safe working
protects:
 You
 Other lab workers
 Cleaners
 Visitors
 Your work
What does the law say? (1)
 Health Safety at Work etc Act
1974
 You must work safely
 You must not endanger others
 You must not misuse safety
equipment

 Penalty – up to 2 year in
prison &/or an unlimited fine
What does the law say? (2)
 The Management of
Health and Safety at
Work Regs 1999
 Control of Substances
Hazardous to Health
Regs 2004
 You must perform
RISK
ASSESSMENTS
How to do a Risk Assessment?

 Determine hazards and evaluate

risks
 Use all relevant available data
 Determine controls needed to
minimise those risks
 Document the assessment
 Agree it with your supervisor
 Use those control measures

You should receive specific training on how to do this

 Hazard and Risks
Hazard is potentially dangerous condition.
Any circumstance or condition which poses the risk of
an accident or injury.
Existing condition or possible situation that has the
potential to generate a disaster.

Risk is hazard that is associated with a severity and a

probability of occurrence.
The probability that a particular threat will exploit a
particular vulnerability.
 General hazards in a laboratories?
 Fire
 Burns
 Electrical shock
 Machinery hazardous
 Spillages
 Trips and falls
 Pressure equipment & gas cylinders,
 Explosion
 Chemical hazards
 Biological hazards
 Radiation
 Noise
 Breakage of glassware
 Extremes of heat & cold
 Flying sparks
Control Measures (in order of preference)

1. Use a less risky

substance
2. Use a safer form of
that substance (eg
solution instead of
powder)
Control Measures (in order of preference)
3. Totally enclose the
process (eg a glove-
box)
4. Partially enclose the
process (eg with a
fume cupboard)
5. Ensure good general
ventilation
Control Measures (in order of preference)
6. Safe systems of work
7. Reduce exposure
times, increase
distance, reduce
volumes
8. Personal protective
equipment (as a last
resort for primary protection)
Protecting yourself
 Wear the clothing and
protective wear identified
in your risk assessment
 Laboratory coats must be
kept fastened
 Don’t wear sandals or
open shoes
 Long hair must be tied
back
Protecting yourself - gloves
 There are many different types
of protective glove
 Use the correct ones for the
job you will be doing
 Remember that you need to
select chemical protection
gloves according to the
materials and/or substances
with which you will be working
 Remove your gloves before
using instruments, telephone,
and leaving the laboratory
Laboratory hygiene
 Never eat, drink or smoke
in a laboratory
 Never apply cosmetics
 Never touch your face,
mouth or eyes
 Never suck pens or chew
pencils
 Always wash your hands
before you leave and
especially before eating
Avoiding Fires
 Flammable substances
 Use minimum quantity
 Store in special storage
cabinet
 Use temperature-
controlled heating
sources
(eg water-bath rather than
hot-plate or Bunsen
burner)
Minimise fire damage

 Make sure corridor

fire doors and
laboratory doors are
kept shut at all times
Fire Safety
 Make sure that you know
what to do:
 If you have a fire
 If you hear a fire alarm

 If you are a member of

staff you must attend fire
training annually. Post
graduates should also
seriously consider doing
so.
Glassware
 Use correct techniques for the
insertion of tubing onto glassware
 Never use glassware under
pressure or vacuum unless it is
designed for the job and suitably
shielded
 Dispose of chipped or broken
glassware – it is a risk to you and
others
 Always dispose of broken glass in
a glass bin or sharps bin and not in
a general waste bin
Spillages
 Clear up spillage promptly
 You will already have
determined how to do this
as part of your risk
assessment
 Dispose of any hazardous
material as toxic waste
Messy workers are usually
poor workers!!
Gas cylinders
 Never use without formal training
 Minimise the number in a laboratory
 Store externally whenever possible
 Cylinders are heavy and can do serious
damage to you if they fall
 Ensure that they are chained when in use
 Move only with a cylinder trolley
 Use regulators & control equipment
suitable for the gas concerned
 Consider the consequences if your
cylinder leaks
Cryogenics
 Liquid gasses are extremely
cold and can cause burns
 Liquid gases evaporate and
many can cause asphyxiation
 If you need to take cryogens
in a lift, there are special
procedures to follow – speak
to your supervisor or a senior
member of technical staff
 You must have special
training to use them
Electrical Equipment
 Always do a visual check
on electrical equipment
before use, looking for
obvious wear or defects
 All portable electrical
equipment must have a
current “PAT test” sticker
 NEVER use defective
equipment
General Tidiness
 Keep your workplace tidy
 Clear up waste, deal with
washing up and put
things away as you finish

X
with them
 Make sure everything is
safe before you leave
things unattended
 A tidy laboratory avoids
accidents to everyone
Laboratory Equipment
 Never use any
laboratory equipment
unless you are trained
& have been
authorised to do so
 As well as injuring
yourself you may
cause very costly
damage
Laboratory Equipment
 Check all equipment and
components prior to use
 Make sure that all gas
apparatus is installed
properly, and is in good
working conditions
 Always leave gas
cylinders outside the
confined space
Laboratory Equipment
 Never ventilate with
oxygen
 Use continuous
mechanical ventilation
Laboratory Equipment

 Frequent Inspection
First Aid
 All laboratory workers
should undergo simple first
aid training
 For ALL chemical splashes,
wash with plenty of water for
10 minutes
 Control bleeding with direct
pressure, avoiding any foreign
bodies such as glass

 Report all accidents to your

supervisor or departmental
safety officer
Protecting your health
 If you have an allergy
to lab materials or
suffer from a medical
condition which may
affect you in the
laboratory (eg
diabetes or epilepsy),
ensure that your
supervisor knows
Waste Materials
 Part of your risk assessment
will be to determine how to
dispose of waste lab materials
safely
 Solvents and oils must be
segregated into the correct
waste bottle or drum
 Your department will help you
determine what to do with
chemical or biological materials
 Do not put materials down the
drain or in with normal waste
unless authorised to do so
Working outside normal hours and
at weekends
 You will need to attend
training courses and have
permission from your
Head of Department
before working outside
normal hours
 Most experimental work
is not permitted
 Your supervisor will
explain the requirements
in more detail
 Working at normal
hours and at weekends

NEVER WORK
ALONE
When in doubt – ASK!!!
 Do not carry out a
new or unfamiliar
procedure until you
have been fully
trained & understand
the precautions
necessary for safe
working
 DO NOT GUESS!!!!
General Safety
 Personal Protective Equipment
 Electrical Safety
 Refrigerators
 Machine Guarding
 Fume Hoods
 Gas Cylinders
 Respirators
Personal Protective Equipment
 The department or unit is responsible for
deciding what PPE is required

 Has the lab completed an assessment of

the hazards in their work area and
determined the appropriate PPE?
Personal Protective Equipment
 Is the appropriate PPE available and in
good condition?

 Is the appropriate PPE being worn?

 Have the lab workers been trained on

proper use of the PPE?

 Has this information been included in the

lab’s Standard Operating Procedures?
Electrical Safety
 Maintain plugs, cords, and equipment in
good condition
 Get repaired immediately if needed
 Look for cracked cords, bare insulation
 Electrical tape is not acceptable

 Extension cords are for temporary use

only
 Use power strips if necessary
 Do not cascade power strips and
extension cords
Electrical Safety
 Do not block electric power panels
 Need to maintain clearance and have ready
access to breakers

 Ensure all missing breakers are reported to

building coordinator
 Missing breakers need breaker caps installed

 Emergency cut off switches and breakers

must be labeled
 Contact building coordinator for assistance
Electrical Safety
 Do not store oxidizers or flammables around
power panels or other ignition sources

 Be aware when using electrical devices

around sinks and other sources of water
 Use a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI)
around wet areas
Electrical Safety
 Do not alter or repair fixed wiring in
buildings
 Contact building coordinator for assistance

 All electrical devices or equipment must

be third party tested
 Underwriters Laboratories – UL listed
Refrigerators
 Do not store food in chemical refrigerators
 Chemical refrigerators should be labeled as
“Chemicals Only, No Food”
 For sample storage, include an
identification key on outside of refrigerator
 Should store liquid chemicals in secondary
containers such as trays
 Practice good housekeeping
 Clean up all spills
Refrigerators
 Clean refrigerators on a regular basis

 Defrost freezers on a regular basis

 Only special rated flammable storage

refrigerators may be used for storage of
flammable liquids
Cold Rooms
 Same principles of refrigerator storage
apply
 No storage of food
 Should not store flammable liquids and
cryogenic gases in cold rooms
 Flammability and explosion hazard
 Asphyxiation hazard
Refrigerators
 All refrigerators should have an ECO
disposal registration sticker
 Check with your DSR or Building Coordinator
OR
 Contact Facility Coordinator or Anne Wildman
at ECO at AW72@cornell.edu
Machine Guarding
 All moving parts need to be properly
guarded

 Includes belts, pinch points, and blades

 Vacuum pumps, hydraulic presses, cutting
devices, grinders, rotating shafts
Gas Cylinders
 Must be secured upright at all times
 Includes half size cylinders
 Use of chains is preferred

 Label with a Full/In Use/Empty tag

 Replace cap when not in use

Gas Cylinders
 Keep away from ignition sources

 Separate Oxygen and fuel cylinders

 At least by 20 feet or a half hour fire wall

 Only order what you need – do not

stockpile on loading docks

 Just-In-Time delivery
 Next day service
 Gases that are heavier than air or lighter
than air can be extremely dangerous in
confined spaces or closed tanks.
 Argon and carbon dioxide are examples of
heavier than air gases.
 Helium is an example of lighter than air gas.
 Chloride is extremely poisonous
 These gases are colorless and odorless and
will displace the oxygen in a closed space.
 To minimize the risk of asphyxiation, close
spaces must be well ventilated when heavier
than air or lighter than air gases are used.
 Frequent Inspection
Fume Hoods
 Hoods are not storage cabinets
 Temporary storage for experiments is
acceptable
 Excess storage interferes with air flow
 Any equipment stored in hoods should be
elevated to allow air to flow properly under
equipment
 Keep sash as low as possible
 Safetymeasure during use
 Energy conservation measure when not in use
Fume Hoods
 Hoods are not disposal devices
 Illegal to evaporate hazardous waste

 Do not use heated Perchloric acid in

standard fume hoods
 Vapors can form shock-sensitive compounds
that can explode
 Requires a Perchloric acid fume hood with a
special wash down function
Chemical Safety
 Proper Labeling
 Chemical Segregation
 Chemical Storage
 Peroxide Formers
Hazardous Waste Issues
 All hazardous waste containers must be
labeled with the words “Hazardous
Waste” and with words identifying the
contents

 All hazardous waste containers must be

kept closed

 Containers must be in good condition

 EPA and “Inherently waste-like”
Hazardous Waste Issues
 Do not store chemicals in or around sinks
without secondary containment

 Waste should be stored in secondary

containment
 Trays,buckets, etc
 Segregate by hazard class
Hazardous Waste Issues
 Leave some airspace in waste containers

 Do not accumulate excessive amounts of

waste

 Accumulate waste in the smallest size

container needed for the experiment

 Date containers when you are ready to

submit a waste tag to EH&S
Other Wastes
 Check with building manager first to see
what program they have for other
wastes

 Universal wastes

 Used oil

 Solutions containing Silver

Universal Wastes
 Includes used batteries and light bulbs

 Needs to be labeled with the words

“Universal Waste _______”

 Universal waste needs to have an

accumulation start date

 Dispose of within one year

 Recommend disposal within 9 months
Used Oil
 Must label container with the words “Used
Oil”

 Must store used oil in a proper container

in good condition

 Keep containers closed to minimize spills

 Should store in secondary containers such as
trays
Used Oil
 Do not mix other waste with used oil
 Doing so can result in hazardous waste

 Contact your building manager for the

location of used oil drum in the building