Common Laboratory Accidents Freshman Biotechnology Shop

1. Cuts Nature/Causes: Small cuts caused by ____________(e.g. test tubes, or glass tubing), tools (e.g. dissecting instruments, cork borer or cutter) or sharp edges. Notify the instructor of any cuts and know the location of the __________and __________!!

Avoiding Cuts Safety Precautions: Be sure to handle sharp instruments (e.g. razor blades, scalpels) with care and ____________________. Unwanted razor blades and mounting needles should be _______________before disposal. Glassware showing signs of __________or those with broken edges should _______________for experiments. Broken pieces of glass should be ______________________________assigned for such purpose (referred to as _______________) and never into a general trash container.

2. Heat burns/scalds Nature/Causes: Carelessness in handling _______________(e.g. tripods, glassware, metal rods/plates, crucibles or combustion spoons), __________, __________or __________. Notify the instructor of any burns/scalds and know the location of the _______________!!

Avoiding burns/scalds Safety Precautions: Do not touch or hold hot objects with __________. Crucible tongs or _______________should be used when picking up __________. Place them on a heat-resistant mat, not directly on the bench, for cooling. Heat-resistant gloves should be worn when operating the __________. Burners, wire gauzes and tripods remain hot for some time after use. They should also be _______________. Turn off _______________that will not be used for some time. Arms or any parts of the body should not be ___________________. Long hair should be __________and loose-fit clothing avoided. Do not apply ointments or any other chemicals to the injured area of heat burn. Use the _______________.

3. Chemical on skin Nature/Causes: Spillage of __________ during transfer or heating of chemical liquids, washing up of apparatus containing _______________, opening the container of chemical or breakage of glass containers. Mischievous behavior or ___________ to others. Incorrect techniques utilized. Notify the instructor of any chemical spills and know the location of the _______________!!

Avoiding chemical on skin Safety Precautions: ___________ should always be handled with great care. Avoid direct skin contact when transferring chemicals. _______________ should be worn when chemicals are handled. Proper laboratory __________ should be used for handling chemical solids. All chemicals should __________________. Wash hands after handling chemicals and ___________________ . Do not fill substance to be heated in glassware as it can boil over. Always keep mouth of glassware __________________ and skin.

4. Eye accidents Causes/Nature: Chemical liquids or solids which splashed onto the eyes, giving rise to __________________ . Unintentionally _______________ with hands contaminated with chemicals. Looking at bright light through a magnifying glass or _________________. Notify the instructor of any eye injuries and know the location of the __________________!!

Avoiding eye accidents Safety Precautions: Eye injuries can be very damaging and hence for accidents involving the eyes, __________ should be sought immediately and the cases reported to the nurse as soon as possible. Always wear _______________ during experiments. Wear safety glasses even when observing science experiments demonstrated by the teacher and when ____________________ or instrumentation.

5. Fire Nature/Causes: Accidental ignition of _______________ (e.g. ethanol or ethyl ethanoate). Ignition of gas coming out from _______________ . Notify the instructor of any fires and know the location of the _______________ and _______________!! Also, know the fire drill procedure!!!

Avoiding Fires Safety Precautions: For flammable chemicals, heating should always be done using a _______________ with no open flame nearby. The quantity of _______________ used during experiments should be kept to a minimum. Care should be taken when handling any flammable chemicals or ______________ .

How to Use the Fire Extinguishers

Fire Drill Procedure Exit in a __________ and __________ manner. Stay together as a class. Proceed to _______________ between our building and main building. Line up _________________ . Instructor will take attendance. Instructor will hold up __________ if all students are present and __________ if not. Remain in designated area until notified otherwise.

6. Inhalation of gases Nature/Causes: Discomfort after inhaling a small amount of gas/vapour (e.g. sulphur dioxide, bromine or ammonia) from _______________. Note: This class will not be using a fume hood as we will not be dealing with many hazardous chemicals. Chemicals will be stored in chemical storage cabinets. Notify the instructor if any gases have been inhaled and know the location of the _____________________!!

Avoiding inhalation of gases Safety Precautions: Experiments involving harmful gases/vapor should be done on a small scale and inside a _______________. Good ventilation of the laboratory should always be maintained by _______________, switching on the exhaust fans as appropriate. It is helpful to leave the fan of the fume hood operating during the whole practical lesson when these experiments are being done. When testing for the odor of a gas, fan the gas gently to the nose but not smell it __________________ . __________ should not smell harmful or irritating gases/vapor.

7. Electrical shock Nature/Causes: Exposed or __________ wires. Liquids near receptacles or _______________ . Notify the instructor of any electrical shocks and know the _______________ for injuries (will be developed in our Emergency Plan)!!

Avoiding electrical shock Safety Precautions: If any wires are frayed or exposed on instrumentation, notify instructor immediately for ___________________ . Do not operate electrical instruments __________ . Be careful of _______________ near receptacles. Make sure _______________ are dry prior to plugging in.

8. Slips and falls Nature/Causes: __________ on the floor. Objects in __________ . Notify the instructor of any slips or falls and know the ___________________ in the classroom!!

Avoiding slips and falls Safety Precautions: Clean up any spills __________ immediately. Keep all objects off of the floor and any bags in your _________________ .

Remember!!! Biotechnology is fun but can be dangerous so be sure to _______________ and __________ !!!