The Responsibility is YOURS! Lab Safety The Responsibility is YOURS!

General Rules: Horseplay will not be tolerated and may result in a loss of lab privileges. You may not participate in the lab if your pre-lab is not done, it is unsafe for you to be in the lab if you are unprepared! ASK QUESTIONS if you are not sure of what you are supposed to be doing. And, try to ask questions BEFORE the lab, not after you’ve made a mistake.

Safety Goggles: Safety Goggles MUST be worn at all times during lab experiments, especially those involving chemicals, glassware, and heat. Contact lenses should not be worn in the lab. Chemicals can get trapped under the contact lenses and cause more damage than normal.

Eye Wash Station The eyewash station should only be used if chemicals come in contact with your eyes. Contacts should not be worn during labs. If you are wearing them and are involved in an accident, they must be removed as soon as possible, to prevent further harm from chemicals trapped beneath them. Eyelids must be forcibly kept open and washed for a minimum of 20 minutes.

Danger! Long hair must be tied back. Long bangs must be clipped back. Try not to use hairspray on days that we will be using bunsen burners. Chemicals may get underneath rings and watches and cause irritation. Dangling jewellery is a potential hazard. You should not wear jewelry in the lab.

Unacceptable Lab Clothing Skirts Shorts Open-toed shoes Sandals Jackets Bulky shirts or sweaters Floppy or loose sleeves

Unacceptable Daily Lab Conduct No make-up No lip-gloss No hair-styling No hand lotion Remember, this is a laboratory. There could be chemicals or other hazards on your desks, chairs or in the air around you. Do you want to “apply” those chemicals to your face, hands or hair?

When Accidents Happen: REMAIN CALM! This sounds like common sense, but when accidents happen remaining calm is crucial! Report ALL accidents IMMEDIATELY, no matter how small.

Broken Glass If glassware is broken, STOP where you are and DON’T MOVE. Report breakage to your teacher, and remain where you are until you are told that you can move. YOUR TEACHER will clean up the glass. If anyone is cut, report it to your teacher immediately.

Any type of cut or scrape Even small cuts that do not bleed should be reported, as there is the possibility of infection or contamination by chemicals. Try not to come in contact with someone else’s blood. If you do come into contact with someone else’s blood – wash your hands with soap and water and then report it. If someone is bleeding, or there is blood at a station report it to the teacher, and the teacher will deal with it. Turn off Bunsen burners, move away from the station and remain seated in the classroom area until you are told it is safe to return.

Chemical Spills You should treat ALL Chemical spills or wet counter tops as DANGEROUS. Stop where you are and ask for direction from your teacher before approaching spills on benches or floors. In our classrooms, wash your hands immediately if you spill or splash chemicals on them, then inform your teacher. In the workplace, adding water to some chemicals can cause more harm than good. Make sure you know what you’re working with so you know how to clean up spills!

Chemical Spills ALWAYS treat corrosive acids and bases with care, they are the most potentially dangerous chemicals used in our lab even when they have been diluted. It is your teacher’s job, to clean up large spills. However, little drips or splashes that you get on your lab bench from your work should be cleaned up by you or your partner IMMEDIATELY.

Safety Shower The safety shower is used primarily when large amounts of chemicals have been splashed onto the skin or clothing. The safety shower may be used in the case of a body on fire, but a fire blanket should be used if possible. IF the safety shower should ever be used, the person affected will need to remove all clothing including shoes and jewellery. As such, all other persons should evacuate the room – to get help, and to allow for privacy.

FIRE Bunsen burners Paper Be aware when they’re in use, the flame can be very hard to see. Pay close attention and be extremely careful. Paper This type of fire is caused by carelessness and can easily be prevented. You should only have the lab procedure and data collection sheet at your station. If a paper fire occurs, push the paper into the sink and turn on the water.

FIRE Clothing and Hair fires are the most dangerous in a lab… Don’t Panic! If you are on fire - STAY where you are, “STOP DROP & ROLL!” If your partner is on fire – GET THE FIRE BLANKET, your teacher will be coming to help you! If the fire is not at your lab station – STAY AWAY!

Fire Blanket Should be used to extinguish clothing, or a person that is on fire, nothing else. NEVER wrap a standing student in a fire blanket. Doing so would create a “chimney effect” bringing the fire to the student’s head.

Fire Extinguisher Your teacher is the only person officially authorized to use a fire extinguisher. Fire extinguishers should NEVER be used on people unless as a last resort! Fire extinguishers are classified according to the type of fire they are designed to extinguish:

Fire Extinguishers P A S S To use a fire extinguisher, you must be 5-8 ft from the fire. P A S S P – PULL the pin A – Aim the hose at the base of the fire S – Squeeze the handle S – Sweep the hose back and forth

Lab Station Maintenance and Clean-Up BEFORE you start your lab, you should wash and dry your station counter-top. Keep your station clean and organized during your lab. You should label and know what is in every container! Know how and where to dispose chemicals and other lab materials, as directed by your teacher.

Lab Station Maintenance and Clean-Up NEVER put unused chemicals back in their original container. Wash and dry all glassware, and store it properly. Clean all hardware (balances, etc.), but DO NOT WASH it, and store it properly. If hardware gets wet, dry it immediately to prevent rusting. If it is defective, do NOT use it, report it to your teacher.

Lab Station Maintenance and Clean-Up Hot plates should be CAREFULLY moved to the center of your bench to cool. BEFORE YOU LEAVE your station, you must: Ensure that all equipment is put away. Wash and dry your station counter-top. Do NOT leave until you and your partners are ready to go. Never leave someone at a lab bench alone – even if the bell rings.

MSDS Material Safety Data Sheets These are data sheets that tell you the chemical and safety properties of the various chemicals we will use in the lab. You must look up MSDS information for the safety section of your Pre-Lab in order to: Know how to use the chemicals safely. Know what to do if there is a spill or accident. Be able to do the lab.

MSDS Diamond The MSDS information is put into a short-hand form for quick and easy reference on labels and posters. You also see MSDS Diamonds on transport vehicles and containers. Red: Flammability Yellow: Reactivity White: Specific Hazard Blue: Health Hazard

M S D S D I A M O N

MSDS Diamond Test your Knowledge by writing in your notes what you think this MSDS Diamond is telling you about a chemical:

MSDS Diamond Answers: Red: Flammability Yellow: Reactivity A 4 in the flammability diamond = VERY Flammable Yellow: Reactivity A 2 in the reactivity diamond = Reacts Violently with Water White: Specific Hazard No Water in specific hazard diamond = Don’t use water, this also corresponds with the Reactivity diamond Blue: Health Hazard A 1 in the health hazard diamond = slightly hazardous to your health

MSDS Diamond Test your Knowledge by writing in your notes what you think this MSDS Diamond is telling you about a chemical:

MSDS Diamond Answers: Red: Flammability Yellow: Reactivity A 2 in the flammability diamond = there is a moderate chance of the chemical catching fire Yellow: Reactivity A 0 in the reactivity diamond = The chemical is stable White: Specific Hazard OX in specific hazard diamond = the chemical is an oxidizer, which means that it can act as a fuel to cause reactions if mixed with other chemicals. Blue: Health Hazard A 1 in the health hazard diamond = slightly hazardous to your health