SAFETY IN THE LABORATORY

The protection of the laboratory is of utmost importance, particularly due to the nature of highly hazardous experiments conducted within. Implementing robust protective measures can effectively mitigate the occurrence of accidents, minimize economic losses, and prevent casualties. Furthermore, any contamination encountered by the experimental group during procedures often leads to compromised accuracy in data collection, rendering the entire experiment invalid. Hence, it is imperative to adopt appropriate measures throughout the course of experimentation. There are many regulations in the laboratory to ensure the safety of the experimental environment and the accuracy of the experimental data. Here are some the main reasons:

(1)Safety: Laboratory regulations aim to protect laboratory personnel from harm caused by chemicals, biological agents, or other hazardous substances. Proper use of personal protective equipment and adherence to operating procedures can reduce the risk of accidents.

(2)Personal Health : The regulations also aim to protect the health of experimental personnel, prevent occupational diseases and long-term health problems. In the laboratory, personal protection is very important to ensure the safety and health of laboratory personnel. Wearing experimental clothing can protect the skin from direct contact with chemicals or biological agents, avoiding contamination of clothing. The experimental suit should be of appropriate size and able to cover most of the skin.

(1) Before entering the laboratory, understand the matters and relevant regulations that should be paid attention to after entering the laboratory. Before each experiment, carefully preview the content of the experiment, and clarify the purpose of the experiment and the operation skills to be mastered. Understand the experimental steps, the performance of the drugs used and related safety issues. Write an experimental preview report.

(2)After the experimental class begins, listen carefully to the instructor's explanation of the experiment, and then install the experimental device in strict accordance with the operating procedures. After the teacher's inspection is qualified, the next step can be carried out.

(3) The weighing of the medicine should be carried out in the place designated by the teacher (usually in the hood). After weighing, the lid of the reagent bottle should be covered in time and the scale and the medicine table should be wiped clean. It is not allowed to take the medicine bottle to your own laboratory bench for weighing.

(4) When entering the laboratory, you should be familiar with the location and use of each switch, valve and fire extinguisher; do not drink water, do not eat, do not smoke;

(5) Wear large goggles during dangerous operations; it is forbidden to wear contact lenses, the solvent or steam that splashes into the eyes will stick contact lenses to the eyes. Wearing goggles can protect the eyes from splashing chemicals, liquids, or other materials.

(6) It is forbidden to wear headphones, and do not use the speaker to play music loudly;

(7)Try to wear long-sleeved clothes and trousers even in summer; there is a must for wearing experimental clothes and buttons;

(8) It is forbidden to wear slippers (reagents dripping on the feet, scissors falling on feet, difficult to run when accidents happen);

(9) Choose the right types of the gloves that are suitable for the current operation. Wearing appropriate gloves can prevent chemical corrosion or irritation to the skin, as well as prevent contamination of experimental items.

(10) Correctly choose the gas mask suitable for the current operation.Masks should be worn when necessary, especially when handling harmful gases, dust, or microorganisms, to prevent inhalation of harmful substances.

(11) The temperature of the surface of the test container should be in the back of the hand, not the palm of the hand (the reverse of the human body)

(12)The door key of the laboratory should be carried with you and put it in your trouser pocket.

(13)Don't take too long hair when experimentalizing, or you ought to wear a work cap; do not rely on the test bench.

(14) Ventilation system: Ensure that the laboratory has a good ventilation system, timely eliminate harmful gases and vapors, and maintain fresh air.

(15) During the experiment, you should carefully observe the experimental phenomenon and make a record in a careful and timely manner. You can't leave your post without the teacher's permission. Smoking and eating are strictly prohibited. Solid liquid waste is placed in the designated garbage bin separately, and it is not allowed to be thrown into the pool.

(16) After the experiment, submit the experimental record to the teacher for a look, and the teacher will register the experimental results. The students recycled the product into the designated bottle. Then wash the instruments you use and put them away. The public instrument is placed in the designated position. After cleaning up your sanitary area, you can leave the laboratory with the teacher's permission. The daily duty students are responsible for the overall sanitation of the laboratory (pools, hoods, countertops, floors), the treatment of waste liquid, and water and electricity safety. After the teacher's examination, you can leave.

(17) Regular training: Laboratory staff should receive regular training on personal protection and safety operations, understand emergency response procedures, and enhance safety awareness. The above are some common personal protective measures, but the specific measures may vary depending on the nature and operational needs of the laboratory. Adhering to personal protective regulations is crucial for ensuring laboratory safety and health.

Laboratory safety involves recognizing and evaluating hazards, assessing risks, selecting appropriate personal protective equipment, and performing the experimental work in a safe manner. Training must start early in a chemist’s career. Even a student’s first chemical experiments should cover the proper approach to understanding and dealing with the hazardous properties of chemicals (e.g., flammability, reactivity, corrosiveness, and toxicity) as an introduction to laboratory safety and should also teach sound environmental practice when managing chemical waste. Advanced high school chemistry courses should assume the same responsibilities for developing professional attitudes toward safety and waste management as are expected of college and university courses.

(1)Label every container that is associated with chemical, and don’t forget to mark its chemical name and period of validity.

(2)Stay away from the sources of fire and heat when using the organic solvents with low boiling point, the reagent bottle should be sealed in a rigorous standard as well as preserve in a shady place.

(3)Concentrated acid and alkali possess strong corrosivity. Unfortunately, if one of this two spatters on skin or into eyes, there is a must to clean it up with water for at least 15mins, and then water by 5%NaHCO3 or 5%NAHCO3.Focus! Water cannot be use directly when concentrated sulfuric acid spatters on the skin. If do so, plenty of heat will be generated, which will burn the skin. The correct way is using boric acid firstly, then handle with NaHCO3 solution. Severe situation ought to go to the hospital after handling with the methods above as soon as possible.

(4)Always make sure you know the fatalness of the specific chemical medicine before using it.

(1) Avoid ignition and any action that can cause sparks.
(2) Go to the nearest place, take the spray to absorb the dry powder from solvent, and sprinkle the absorbent from outside to the inside where the solvent is splashed.
(3) Clean up the absorbent with a shovel.

(1) Go to the nearest place, take the neutral acid (alkali) agent, spray it from outside to the inside, and test whether it is still there with a test paper.
(2) Clean up the neutralizer.
(3) Clean the splashing area with soap and water.

(1) Waste solutions should be classified as organic and inorganic, and it is strictly forbidden to mix different types of liquids in the same bottle.
(2) The container containing the waste liquid must be clearly marked, and the name, composition, concentration, date, and the discarder’s name of the solution should be indicated on the label.
(3) Put the container containing the waste liquid in the designated place and handle it uniformly.
(4) It is strictly forbidden to pour toxic, harmful and corrosive reagents and liquids into the pool.
(5) The discarded lotion should not be poured into the sewer and should be put into a reagent bottle for unified treatment.

Ensuring a safe laboratory environment is the combined responsibility of laboratory personnel, EHS personnel, and the management of an organization, though the primary responsibility lies with the individual performing the work. Of course, federal, state, and local laws and regulations make safety in the laboratory a legal requirement and an economic necessity. Laboratory safety, although altruistic, is not a purely voluntary function; it requires mandatory safety rules and programs and an ongoing commitment to them. A sound safety organization that is respected by all requires the participation and support of laboratory administrators, employees, and students.

(1) The user of the instrument must read the operating procedures carefully and be trained before operating on the machine.
(2) It must be operated in strict accordance with the Instrument Operation Procedures.
(3) Pre-registration should be made before using the instrument.
(4) After the sample measurement is completed, the machine time registration should be carried out on the "Use and Maintenance Registration Book" of the instrument.
(5) During the determination of the sample, the instrument, the experimental table, and the laboratory should be kept tidy.
(6) If the instrument fails, report it to the manager immediately, and shall not be dealt with without authorization.
(7) If the instrument fails or is damaged due to the failure to operate in accordance with the instrument operating procedures, the operator and the research group shall be responsible for repair.
(8) Use water and electricity according to the operating procedures. If you find a potential safety hazard, you should report it immediately and deal with it promptly. When leaving the laboratory, you should check whether the instruments, water, electricity, doors, and windows are closed, and check whether the air conditioner is closed in summer.
(9) It is not allowed to misappropriate auxiliary equipment, spare parts, and accessories related to public instruments, as well as all public facilities in the laboratory.

(1) Wiring: The instrument wiring must use a shielded wire with three grounded wires, and ordinary plastic twisted wires cannot be used. It is strictly prohibited to pull or pull without permission.
(2) Grounding: The instrument should have good grounding to improve its stability and safety factor.
(3) Maintenance: When repairing the instrument, the power must be cut off before disassembling and repairing it.
(4) Wall electricity: When maintenance or renovation of wall electricity is required, it must be carried out by personnel holding electrician certificates issued by the Municipal Power Supply Bureau and the Labor Bureau.
(5) Inspection: In case of aging or damage to the circuit, it should be replaced in a timely manner.
(6) Electric shock: First aid for power failure or insulation detachment.

Water supply: When the faucet or water pipe leaks, it should be repaired in a timely manner.
Drainage: When the drainage of the sewer is not smooth, it should be promptly cleared.
Cooling water: Rubber pipes must be used for water supply, and latex pipes are not allowed; The connection between the water supply pipe and the faucet, as well as the connection between the water supply pipe and the instrument or condenser pipe, must be clamped with pipe clamps; The drainage pipe must be inserted into the drainage pipe of the pool.
Purified water: should be operated according to the "operating procedures"; When taking water, attention should be paid to promptly turning off the water intake switch to prevent overflow.

Handling: Avoid using your hands to grasp the switch valve in order to move it when handling or turning steel cylinders.
Use: Pick a pressure reducer based on the kind of gas cylinder you're using, tighten the screw buckle, and look for leaks while it's installed. Open the steel cylinder by turning it in a counterclockwise manner. Open the main valve first, followed by the pressure-reducing valve. Close the steel cylinder by turning it in a clockwise direction. Close the pressure-reducing valve after closing the main valve.
Protection of air nozzles: Prior to opening the main valve, clamp the air nozzle with a dead wrench.
Safety: The cylinder's gas cannot run out entirely.
Gas that is inert: Remaining gas should have a pressure greater than 0.05 MPa.
Combustible gas: The gas should continue to exist at a pressure of at least 0.2 MPa.
Hydrogen: Gas pressures greater than 2.0 MPa ought to persist.
Storage: Divided into categories and kept in various places Use caution when arranging upright. Gas cylinders ought to be kept out of direct sunlight; Steer clear of direct sunshine and intense vibrations; In general, a laboratory shouldn't have more than two gas release bottles. It is not possible to store oxygen and hydrogen cylinders together.

For distillation studies and sample digestion, heating sleeves and enclosed electric furnaces are recommended; open flames should not be utilized for heating. Using alcohol lamps safely. blazing openly.It is strictly forbidden to smoke in the laboratory. When using flammable gases and reagents in a laboratory, open flames are prohibited.

Alert number: 119 (giving the name of the unit, the location of the fire, its source, or any evident signs)

Actions: Early identification, early handling, and early communication
Fighting fires: Master the one-pull, two-grip, three-aim, four-sweeping method of using fire extinguishers.

Dry powder fire extinguishers can be used to put out fires caused by flammable solids, flammable gases, flammable liquids, and charged items. When appliances or cables catch fire, the power should be turned off first. Then, use a dry powder fire extinguisher to put out the flames. A foam fire extinguisher should never be used since it transmits electricity.

When clothing catches fire, take it off as quickly as you can and put it out with water. Or just roll there; don't go outside. Fire protection is the sole option since it cannot be predicted or completely eradicated.

Get rid of all fire dangers, including chemicals, electricity, and gas. Assemble your four escape treasures (gas mask, flashlight, rope, and fire extinguisher).

1. Angelo, and Angelo Depalma. 2009. Product Focus: Biological Safety Cabinets. October. https://www.labmanager.com/product-focus-biological-safety-cabinets-20141.

2. Courseware, MIT Open. 2010. General Lab Policies, Do's and Don'ts. https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/20-109-laboratory-fundamentals-in-biological-engineering-spring-2010/pages/labs/general-lab-policies-do2019s-and-don2019ts/.

3. Fribourg, Department of Chemistry University of. 2016. Safety in the laboratory. Fribourg.