The Importance Of Laboratory Safety And Laboratory Safety

Laboratory Safety:

Laboratory safety is a disciplinary way to prevent accidents, injuries and other harmful incidents to have a healthy environment to work in a laboratory for the research and academic communities which includes scientists, teachers, students and other laboratory staffs and non-laboratory staffs.

General laboratory safety rules:

• Eating, drinking, or smoking while working in the laboratory is strictly prohibited.

• Proper training is required to use any equipment in the laboratory

• When working with hazardous materials and/or equipment, it is necessary to wear safety glasses, gloves, laboratory coats, proper shoes. Shorts and sandals should be avoided in the lab.

• Long hair should be tied back.

• Work area must be clear

Proper training and knowledge is required. Some of basic rules to follow while working in the chemical laboratories are given below:

• Have a good knowledge to identify and work with the potential chemical hazards associated with an experiment before start working. Refer to MSDS for any chemical before working with it.

• Use laboratory safety equipment such as fume hoods and other local ventilation to prevent exposure to airborne chemicals. Wear gloves and other personal safety clothing to avoid skin contact with all laboratory chemicals to minimize the exposure to them.

• Place chemical or solvent bottles in proper cabinets and don’t keep them on the floor to avoid any unnecessary spillage. Use plastic or plastic-coated glass bottles for storing 4L solvents or acids.

• Be careful when transporting solvent and acid bottles. Use rubber carriers.

• Flammable material cabinets should be used for flammable chemicals to avoid fire incidents.

• Label all wash bottles, base baths, solvent bottles, and chemicals clearly with all the important details including opening date. Label research samples with chemical names and/or chemical structures and/or the relevant laboratory notebook number and page