General Safety Guidelines

 
Keep your bench tidy at all times; an untidy bench is not only a safety hazard, but it may also prevent you from obtaining accurate results. Always replace the stoppers on reagent bottles immediately after use. No unauthorized experiments will be allowed in the laboratory.
Make sure that the passageways between the benches and the exits from the laboratory are clear of all obstructions. If you are working with dangerous or unpleasant reagents (normally in a fume hood) let students nearby know.
Pipetting by mouth is forbidden. Pipette fillers are provided and, if you are in doubt about how to use one, consult a demonstrator. Do not return unused material to the stock bottle from which it originally came. Treat such material as waste.
Should you have to apply any force to glassware (e.g. when inserting thermometers into corks) lubricate the tubing with water or glycerol. Cuts from shattering glass are the most common source of accidents in the laboratory. Never taste any chemical sample. Many organic liquids and some inorganic materials are toxic by absorption through the skin, ingestion or inhalation. Skin contact with such liquids should be avoided by the use of gloves as discussed below.
Many organic liquids are volatile and highly flammable. Do not heat such liquids or their solutions in open vessels or over a naked flame, and do not place bottles of flammable liquids near to such a flame or pour them out on a bench upon which such a flame has been lit. There are many pieces of expensive equipment housed in the laboratory. Under no circumstances should you attempt to use any such equipment without first familiarising yourself with the instructions.


Read through the instructions for each experiment carefully before starting. The instructions will include references to any procedure known to be potentially hazardous, but if you are unsure of the dangers involved in a particular procedure, consult your instructor. Further, you are required to read and digest the cautionary information provided in the introduction to each experiment concerning the hazards associated with the handling of the particular chemicals and apparatus employed. You must not eat, drink or smoke in the laboratory. No Smoking. Always wash your hands before eating or drinking outside the laboratory.

Protective Clothing

You must always wear suitable eye protection. Thiswill normally be the safety spectacles issued to you, but if you wear prescription spectacles, these, should be fitted with safety lenses. You are reminded that the wearing of contact lenses in a chemistry laboratory is highly undesirable; any corrosive gas or liquid that permeates to the rear of the lens can do irreparable damage and you are very strongly advised to wear prescription lenses instead. If you are working with corrosive or other dangerous material, goggles or a face mask should be worn; these can be obtained from the service hatch.

You must wear gloves if you are handling material that is corrosive or dangerous by skin absorption or capable of causing an allergic reaction. If in doubt, check the material in one of the handbooks provided, and if you believe yourself to be particularly prone to allergic reactions, you should wear gloves at all times.

If your hair is long it must be kept under control. Long hair is not only a fire hazard but it may also become caught in equipment.

Fires

If the fire is small, tackle it with an extinguisher when appropriate; some fires, however, can be made worse by the indiscriminate use of an extinguisher anda fire blanket must then be used to smother the flames. Turn off all Bunsen burners. Do not use water on an immiscible solvent fire. If material in a beaker or flask has ignited, the fire can usually be extinguished by placing a clock-glass or a damp cloth over the mouth of the vessel.

 

Injury

 

Any injury, however slight it may appear, must be reported immediately. There are, however, some general procedures that may be followed in an emergency:

 
Splashes on the skin.
If you spill any toxic or corrosive material on yourself, you should wash it off immediately with copious quantities of water before seeking first aid treatment. Even a few seconds may save a serious burn; make sure you know where the emergency showers are. Removal of chemicals insoluble in water is facilitated by cleaning the contaminated skin area with soap. Remove all contaminated clothing.
Splashes in the eye.
If any chemicals splash into your eyes, you must wash them thoroughly with the eye baths provided. Familiarise yourself with their location and operation. Ensure that the eyelids are kept open so that the eyeball is thoroughly bathed during the treatment. All eye injuries from chemicals should be examined by a doctor.
Inhalation accidents.
The casualty should be removed from the danger area into fresh air and his/her clothing loosened around the neck. Someone qualified in first aid must be summoned immediately.
Burns and cuts.
If you receive any burns or cut yourself or swallow any material which is at all toxic (virtually anything), seek first aid at once.