Lab safety in a necessity because Laboratories are delicate places.
Carelessness in there can cause serious accidents.
Care in the laboratory |
The two most important words to remember when working in a lab are “Be CAUTIOUS and LABORATORY WORK DONE WITHOUT ENOUGH CARE TURNS TO BE UNWORTHY”.
-
Familiarity with materials and equipment
being used is important
-
Safety equipment like fire extinguishers and first aid kits must be placed where they
can be easily located and picked for use in case of accidents
-
Ignorance and negligence are two of the
major causes of accidents in the laboratory
-
Follow the instructions given to you and
do all your experiments with utmost precautions
RULES OF DISCIPLINE IN THE LABORATORY
1. Do
not enter the laboratory unless you are instructed to do so;
2. Never
run or chase each other in the laboratory;
3. Do
not leave any object in the passage ways or the floor
4. Never
taste any of the chemicals found in the laboratory
5. Never
eat or drink anything in the laboratory
6. Do
not leave the table or the apparatus untidy. Always clean them and return the
apparatus to their proper places;
7. Do
not hesitate to seek advice where you are not sure;
8. Do
not fail to report any accidents, however small, that occur
9.
Do not perform any lab work
until you have been briefed.
10.
Do not enter instructor
stations or the Stockroom unless asked to do so by the staff.
SAFETY RULES IN THE LABORATORY
A physics
laboratory is a place where discovery leads to knowledge and understanding. It
is also a place where caution is essential for your safety and safety of
others. Your knowledge of and adherence to safe laboratory practices are
important factors in avoiding accidents. The following information describes
some basic and general rules for safe laboratory work. Read the rules
thoroughly and observe them in the laboratory.
1. Locate and
learn to use all laboratory equipment.
2. Never
eat, drink, chew gum, or apply cosmetics in the laboratory. Do not store food
or beverages in the laboratory.
3. Never
do a lab investigation without your teacher’s supervision (Here investigation
is different from experiment).
4. Never
run, push, or fool around in the laboratory.
5. Keep
your work area clean and uncluttered. Store items such as books and purses in
designated areas. Keep glassware and containers of chemicals away from the
edges of your lab bench.
6. Turn
off all electric equipment, water and gas when not in use.
7. Pay
attention to safety cautions. Wear safety goggles and lab apron whenever you
use heat, chemicals, solutions, glassware or other dangerous materials.
8. Dress
properly for the laboratory. Do not wear loose-fitting sleeves, bulky
outerwear, dangling jewellery or open-toed shoes. Tie back long hair and tuck
in scarves when you use heat or chemicals.
9. Never
touch a hot object with your bare hands. Use a clamp, tongs or heat-resistant
gloves when handling hot objects.
10. In the event that your hair or clothing catches fire, DO
NOT RUN, for this will fuel the fire. Rather, STOP – DROP – ROLL to smother the fire. Help to smother any fire on a co-worker with your
apron or lab coat (soaked in water), or with your own body.
Apart from these general safety rules,
there are more other rules for specific type of experiment you will perform in
the laboratory.
EXPERIMENTS INVOLVING HEAT
Three main sources of heat that may be
available in the laboratory are: Bunsen
burner, spirit lamps and electric hot plates.
They present dangers such as fires
explosion, burns and scalds. To avoid the dangers, the techniques below are to
be followed:
1. If
the substance to be heated in a test is a solid, slant the test tube in such a
way that the substance is spread out and does not block the test tube;
2. When
heating a liquid in a test tube:
a. The
test tube must not be more than a quarter full
b. Use
a wide boiling tube and keep shaking it gently all the time
c. Use
a gentle flame to avoid rapid boiling
FIGHTING THE FIRE
In case of fire in the lab,
observe the following:
Fight a fire ONLY if ALL of the following are TRUE
·
Everyone has
left, or is leaving the lab.
·
Public Safety
has been called (911).
·
The fire is
very small and confined. (If the
fire is in a beaker or a wastebasket, try to smother it by covering the
container. Often, this works quite well and does not require the use of a Fire
Extinguisher.)
·
You have a
way out and you can fight the fire with your back to the Exit.
·
The
extinguisher is rated for the class of fire you are fighting.
·
You can stay
close to the floor to avoid breathing too much of the smoke.
·
You have had training and you feel confident in the use of the
extinguisher, or no other escape alternative is available to you.
It is usually best to have the teacher
or lab assistant operate a fire extinguisher if one is needed at all. Much
damage can be done by the improper use of a fire extinguisher.
When you are ready to use the extinguisher
What do you do? The key word to operating a fire
extinguisher is PASS. This acronym is a good way to
remember exactly what to do.
·
PULL the pin.
Point the nozzle away from you and release the locking mechanism.
·
AIM low. Hold
the extinguisher upright. Aim at the base of the flame. You should be 2 to 3
metres away. If you are too close, you will hit the fire with enough force to
scatter it. If you are too far away, you may not reach the fire with enough
extinguishing material.
·
SQUEEZE the
trigger. Be prepared. The extinguishing agent may come out with considerable
force and noise. Most portable extinguishers will last for only 15 to 30
seconds. That is the actual "fighting time" you have. You can prolong
the effective fighting time if you use short bursts. If aimed well, they can be
very effective.
·
SWEEP side-to-side.
Drive the fire back. As you extinguish the fire closest to you, move forward,
but continue the sweeping motion.
Once the fire is out, you should have
your teacher and the lab assistant check on the area. They will assume the
responsibility of following up the incident with the appropriate authorities
i.e. if necessary. This will include making certain that all persons are out of
the area, insuring that another fire extinguisher is nearby in the event of a
recurrence of the fire, and making arrangements to replenish the spent
extinguisher. Remember you will probably NOT need to use a fire extinguisher at
all in your physics laboratory.
Abandon the Fight if ANY of the following are TRUE
- The fire has started to spread.
- Your escape route may be blocked.
- You have any trouble operating the extinguisher.
As you leave the lab, close the door to prevent spread of the fire and call 911 to be sure help is on the way. Then leave the building and wait in the
designated area for help to arrive. (Remember that everyone must be accounted
for at the meeting place BEFORE leaving that area. Anyone not found at the
meeting area will be presumed trapped inside and someone will attempt a
rescue).
GAS CYLINDERS
The pressure of the gas in these cylinders
is very high, sometimes up to 150 atmospheres. If the gas contained in the
cylinder is released suddenly it may present a hazard. Never interfere
with the gas taps, never roll any cylinder about freely and always store all
cylinders in a cool place.
MAINS ELECTRICITY
-
Never interfere with electrical fittings
and never use equipment with exposed main connectors
-
Touching a bare live wire may get you a
nasty electric shock.
-
Do not stand on a wet floor with bare feet
-
In case of electric shock, the source of
the current should be disconnected immediately.
-
If the accident victim stops breathing it
is crucial that you apply artificial respiration quickly
-
All equipment with metallic casing should
be earthed.
RADIATION HAZARDS
Radioactive sources used in school
laboratories are usually very weak but it is still important that you take care
when handling them:
1. Never
point a source of radioactivity at another person
2. Keep
as far from the source as possible to minimise exposure
3. Handle
a radioactive substance with forceps
4. Wear
rubber gloves when using radioactive sources and wash your
hands afterwards
5. Shield
the sources with lead bricks
Some of the effects of over exposure to
radiations are:
a. Un-healable
burns
b. Sterility
c. Cancer
of the blood(leukaemia)
d. Lowered
resistance to diseases
e. Sometimes
children of parents who have been exposed to radiation are born with
abnormalities
MERCURY
Mercury which is used in thermometers,
manometers and barometers,
is a poisonous liquid. All containers of mercury should be closed and any of it
that spills should be cleaned up.
No comments:
Post a Comment