Lab Safety Answer Key

CHM Lab Safety Name:__ Answer Key _ Section:__________ Introduction: Safety in the chemistry laboratory is the primary concern of all scientists. Everyone who works in a chemistry lab is responsible for keeping the lab safe. To ensure that your experience is a safe one, this lab is designed to teach you the proper techniques for handling chemicals and the use and location of safety equipment within the laboratory classroom. The last page of this lab is an agreement between you, your fellow students, the instructor, and the college that you have been taught, understand, and agree to abide by all safety rules set forth in this lab exercise. You will sign one copy of the safety agreement and hand it in to your instructor, the second copy is for you to keep as a reference. Part 1: Lab Equipment (all locations are for NS314, if you are in a different room, locations will be different) Several items within the lab classroom are designed to handle emergency situations. Each item is listed below. Read the description of each item, and note their locations within the classroom. Exits: Knowing how and where to leave the laboratory in an emergency is very important. There are two exits located within the laboratory classroom. In an emergency, WALK quickly to the closest, unblocked exit, leave the classroom and exit the building. Location of the exits in the lab classroom: _ Two doors to hallway on south wall, two doors to balance room and next classroom on west wall _ Safety Shower: The safety shower is used in the event of a chemical spill to wash your body and clothing. It can also be used to put out some fires. Ideally, the person affected should remove their clothing, with help if necessary. This ensures that all of the chemicals are washed off of the body. Location of the Safety Shower: _ Safety Shower is located in the north-east corner of the room near the hallway door _ Eye Wash Station: An eyewash is specifically designed to direct a stream of water directly into your eyes in the event of a chemical spill or splash to your face. Usually, the person affected will need help to hold their eyes open so the water can rinse away all of the chemical. The affected person should stay at the eyewash for at least 5 full minutes to ensure the chemicals are washed out. Strict use of goggles can help to prevent eye injury and minimize the need to use the eyewash station. Location of the Eyewash Station(s): _ Eyewash is located in the north-east corner of the room near the hallway door – next to safety shower _ Fume Hoods: Fume Hoods are designed to prevent harmful fumes from spreading or to prevent smoke from building up in the lab classroom. In many cases, a chemical reaction may produce fumes that can be irritating to the eyes and lungs, or even fatal if breathed in. The fume hood is designed to pull the fumes up and out of the lab and evacuate them safely from the building. The glass door on the fume hood can also be used to contain violent reactions and prevent chemical splashes or spills. Your instructor will notify you if the fume hood will be needed during a particular lab exercise. Location of the Fume Hoods and the operating switches: _ There are three fumes hoods: large hood on north wall, large hood and small hood (for waste) on west wall _ Lab Sinks: The lab sink is also a useful safety tool although one that has other more conventional uses. If you happen to spill a small amount of chemical on your hands or arm, the sink is a quick and easy place to rinse yourself or your clothing, when the safety shower is not needed. Let the water run over the affected area for at least 5 full minutes to ensure that all of the chemical is washed off. NEVER dispose of excess chemicals in the lab sink. Location of the Lab Sinks: _ There are three lab sinks: two along the north wall and one on the south wall _ Waste Container: The waste container is used to dispose of all excess chemicals and reaction waste, NEVER the trash can or the lab sink. It is important to add chemicals to the waste container slowly as some combinations of chemicals may create unintended reactions. If there is a spill or the container is full, notify the instructor so that a new waste container can be obtained from the stockroom. Location of the Waste Container: _ The waste container is in the small fume hood on the west wall _ Fire Extinguisher: In the case of small fires, a fire extinguisher is located within the lab classroom. If a small fire occurs, notify the instructor IMMEDIATELY. Some fires can spread if the wrong type of device is used to try and extinguish the fire. Unless directed otherwise, allow the instructor or Lab Coordinator to use the fire extinguisher to put out the flames. In the case of a large fire, use one the Exits to evacuate the building IMMEDIATELY. The instructor or Lab Coordinator will notify Campus Safety and the Fire department. Location of the Fire Extinguisher and what type of fire it can be used for: _ There are three fire extinguishers: NW, NE, and SE corners of the room mounted to the wall , they can be used for all types of fire (ABC)_ Glass Disposal Container: Broken glass should never be placed into the regular trash can. The sharp edges can easily cut through the plastic bags and injury someone who is working with the trash. If you do encounter broken glass in the lab dispose of it in the specially designated Glass Disposal Container, this is a small metal trash can that withstand the shards of glass and not injure anyone who is handling the container. The Glass Disposal Container should only be used for broken glass, all other trash needs to be disposed of in the regular trash cans. Location of the Glass Disposal Container: _ The glass disposal container is a small metal trash can on the north counter next to the large fume hood _ Part 2: Lab Safety Rules A copy of the lab safety rules is taped to the table in front of you. Your instructor will go over each rule and explain them fully. If you do not understand one of the rules, ask NOW! LABORATORY SAFETY PROCEDURES 1. 2. 3. 4. Never work in the laboratory alone Goggles must be worn in the laboratory anytime ANYONE is doing an experiment. Food and beverages are not allowed. Do not chew gum or wear contact lenses. Protect your bare skin. Sandals, flip-flops and open-toed shoes are not allowed. Long pants and sleeves are recommended. You may wish to wear an apron or lab coat. Restrain loose clothing, jewelry and loose hair. 5. Dispose of all chemicals in waste containers. DO NOT pour chemicals down the sink. 6. Always wash off skin if a chemical has come into contact with it. If it acids or base, make a paste of Baking soda and wash with running water. If the eyes are splashed, immediately wash the eyes for at last two minutes in the eyewash station. If the area of contact is large, use the safety shower. Always wash your hands before leaving the laboratory. 7. Report all injuries to the instructor. Report spills to the Chemistry stockroom. 8. Know the location of the safety showers, eyewash stations, fire extinguishers, and emergency exists. First-aid kit is in NS 510 (Chemistry stockroom). 9. Read the label carefully before taking anything from a bottle. Do not take reagent bottles from the shelf or cart to your own work area. Do not take large excesses, and do not return excess chemicals to reagent bottle, or you may contaminate those in the bottle 10. Never place chemical directly on the balance pans. Never pour liquid into a container while on the pan. 11. Clean the laboratory area when you are done. Immediately clean up any spills. Acids and base spills should be neutralized with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) then dilute with water. 12. When done with your experiment, return all equipment to your drawer or the cart or cabinet where it was found. 13. Use the fume hood for any substance which gives off noxious vapors such as NO2, particularly when advised to do so by your instructor. Only use flammable liquids in the hood, and do not heat any flammable liquid with an open flame. 14. Always consult proper documentation before working with any chemical. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are available in the NS 510 (Chemistry stockroom). 15. Do not pour chemicals from a large container such as a regent bottle into a small container such as a test tube, volumetric flask, or graduated cylinder. Instead pour into a wide-mouthed container such as a beaker. 16. Hot glass looks like cold glass. Allow heated objects time to cool before touching. Use crucible tongs or test tube holders when appropriate. Immediately ask for assistant from the Chemistry Stockroom. 17. Never pipet a liquid by mouth. Use a pipet bulb instead. 18. Avoid burns by lighting burners properly. Make sure the gas was not left on before beginning. Light the match away from the burner once the gas is turned on. Slowly move the match to just over the side of the barrel top, keeping your hands away from the flame. Watch loose clothing and hair keep them away from the flame. 19. When heating chemicals in a test tube, do so slowly and carefully. Do not point the mouth of the test tube toward your face or toward anyone else. Never apply the direct heat of a flame to heavy glassware such as volumetric flasks, burets, graduated cylinders, bottles, mortars, pestles, or thermometers. 20. Never taste a chemical or solution. Do not directly smell any substance in the lab; gently waft the vapors toward your nose, without having the container directly beneath it. 21. When diluting acids always pour the acid into water. NEVER pour water into concentrated acid. A lot of heat is generated by doing so and can be explosive. 22. Do not insert your own pipets, droppers, or spatulas into reagent bottles. In order to avoid contamination of materials, pour them from the bottles. When pouring solid chemicals, rotate the bottle to control the rate of flow from the bottle. Do not tap or pound. If chemicals are spilled on the outside of a bottle while pouring, wash the bottle off. If chemicals are spilled on the reagent bench, clean the bench immediately. Part 3: Testing Your Understanding Use the picture below to answer the questions concerning proper lab safety. 1. Find 3 students who are not following the safety rules. List their name and what they are doing wrong. _ Any of these is acceptable: Sue – hair not tied back, Jim – drinking chemicals, __ _ Duke – not sitting down with the microscope, Tim and Sam – playing round, _ _ Joe – pipetting by mouth, Bob – playing with snakes and holding broken glass _ 2. Find 3 students who are following proper safety rules. List their names and what they are doing correctly. _ Any of these is acceptable: John – washing glassware after use, _ _ Betty, Luke, and May – sitting down to use equipment, _ _ Carl and Tina – wearing goggles and aprons, using chemicals and flame correctly _ 3. What should Bob do after the accident? _ Get the instructor. Broken glass needs to go in the glass disposal container _ 4. What should Sue have done to avoid an accident? _ Tied her hair back so it wouldn’t catch fire. _ 5. Compare Luke and Duke’s lab techniques. Who is following the rules and why? _ Luke is following the rules, he is sitting down to use the microscope _ 6. Find 3 things shown in the lab that should not be there. List them and why they could be a problem. _ Any of these is acceptable: Electrical cord in the sink, spilled chemical on the floor, _ _ bag of chips, can of soda, scissors in the outlet, live snake out of its cage _ _____________________________________________________________________________ 7. Compare Joe and Carl’s lab techniques. Who is following the rules and why? _ Carl is following the rules, he is using a pipet pump not his mouth _ 8. Find 3 items in the picture that are there for the safety of the students in the lab room. List them and what they are used for. _ Any of these are acceptable: fire extinguisher, first aid kit, safety blanket, goggles, aprons, _ _ eye wash bottle, lab sinks _ _____________________________________________________________________________