Section G:  Student Information

1.  Rules for Handling Chemicals in the Laboratory

Students are responsible for reading all safety precautions for performing each experiment. Part of the educational program in chemistry is to learn how to handle potentially hazardous materials in a safe and efficient manner. As with any activity where there is the potential for a serious accident, the fundamental responsibility lies with the individual. The principle effort in conducting a safe laboratory program is through preparation and constant vigilance. Whenever there is any doubt about the safety of a procedure or what precautions should be taken, ask a faculty member or lab supervisor before beginning the experiment. The following rules will strictly enforced. If you violate these rules, you will be asked to leave for the safety of the other students.

• Splash goggles are required whenever a splash hazard exist.  Proper eye protection is required whenever working with UV light. It is your responsibility to provide department approved safety goggles. Goggles must be worn by everyone, including those who wear eyeglasses or contact lenses. The bookstore sells the appropriate goggles.
  
  
• It is poor personal hygiene to share eye protection.
  
  
• The American Chemical Society Committee on Chemical Safety has studied and reviewed the wearing of contact lenses in the laboratory. They recommend that contact lenses can be worn in most laboratory environments provided the same approved eye protection is worn as required of other workers in the lab. Chemical splash goggles are required whenever a splash hazards exist.
  
  
• Closed-toe shoes, preferably leather, that cover the entire foot are required for everyone entering a lab. Shoes with high heels or made with woven material do not provide adequate protection. Open toe shoes, shoes with holes, and sandals are not acceptable.
  
  
• Avoid loose clothing that could become caught in equipment or easily knock over containers.
  
  
• Rubber aprons and lab coats are available and should be worn while working in the laboratory. When working with certain class of chemicals, a lab coat is required.
  
  
• No eating, drinking, or tobacco use in the laboratory. Also, be sure to wash your hands prior to leaving lab for the day.
• "Horseplay" and unauthorized experiments are strictly forbidden.
  
  
• Pull back long hair, especially around flames and caustic chemicals.
  
  
• Learn the location of all safety equipment such as eyewash stations, safety showers, fire blankets, and fire exits before beginning work in the laboratory.
  
  
• Keep aisles and exits clear. There are areas designated for storing book bags. Do not store your book bag on the floor.
  
  
• Close your lab drawer after removing laboratory equipment.
  
  
• Practice good housekeeping; leave the lab cleaner than you found it. Clean up small chemical spills immediately. For larger spills, notify your instructor immediately.
  
  
• Return equipment and chemicals to the appropriate storage area when you are finished using them.
  
  
• Be sure to inspect glassware before using. Discard any glassware that is cracked, chipped, scratched or has any other obvious defect.
  
  
• Discard broken glassware in the broken glass container in the front of the lab.
  
  
• Do not insert glass tubing into a rubber stopper without advanced training. There is special equipment that should be used in order to minimize the risk of injury.
  
  
• Never leave an open flame or rapid reaction mixture unattended. In the evident of a fire, turn off your Bunsen burner and exist the building.
  
  
• Always add acids to water never water to acids.
  
  
• Keep substances with irritating fumes under your fume hood at all times.
  
  
• Return caps and lids to all reagent bottles immediately after use. Don't assume the next person will do that for you. If you remove it, put it back.
  
  
• Never return reagents to stock bottles. This contaminates the stock and may cause a violent reaction.
  
  
• Dispose of unused or contaminated reagents in labeled containers as directed by the instructor. Do not put any chemicals down the drain unless otherwise directed by your instructor.
  
  
• Use extreme caution when testing odors.
  
  
• Never pipet by mouth. Always use a rubber bulb.
  
  
• Report any accident to your instructor immediately.
  
  
• Never work alone in the laboratory.
  
  
• If for any reason your instructor feels that your safety is in jeopardy or that you are jeopardizing the safety of others, you will be asked to leave the lab. You will not be allowed to return to make up missed work and you will receive a zero for that day's work. You will not be allowed to return to future labs until the situation is corrected.

2.  Student Guidelines for Dealing with Accidents and Accident Prevention

• There are many potential hazards that exit in the laboratory. The best way to deal with such hazards is to prevent accidents from happening in the first place. The following are some guidelines for dealing with and preventing the more common accidents. When in the laboratory, use common sense, pay attention to what you are doing, and be alert as to what is going on around you.

• For any type of accident, notify your instructor immediately.

• If you are attempting to assist someone, do not become a victim yourself. Wear safety glasses and gloves so that you do not become a victim.
  
  

Chemicals on the Skin in Confined Areas

• Immediately flush the area with cool water for at least 15 minutes. Remove all jewelry to facilitate removal of any residual material.
• Have someone else notify your laboratory instructor.
• Seek medical attention from Crawford Health Services
• If a delayed reaction is noted, report immediately for medical attention and explain carefully what chemicals were involved.

Chemicals Spilled over a Large Area of the Body

• The person should immediately head to the nearest safety shower.
• Notify an instructor- Treat as a life threatening emergency. Call -911 or 323-3333.
• Once in the shower, rinse first, and then remove clothes taking care not to spread chemicals especially into the eyes.
• Wash head and remove clothing before removing goggles.
• Flush skin for 15 minutes, and seek immediate medical attention.
• If a fire blanket is available it can be used as a shower curtain for someone using the safety shower and then used to keep someone warm while waiting for emergency help to arrive.
• Avoid putting anything on the affected area; it may worsen the condition and cause irritation.
• Send MSDS with the injured person

Chemicals in the Eyes

• Get the victim to an eyewash station immediately, and rinse the eyes for at least 15 minutes.
• Eyelids have to be forcibly opened to ensure effective washing behind the eyelid.
• Remove contact lenses as soon as possible so that the eye can be thoroughly rinsed.
• Get medical attention immediately. All eye injuries must be treated at the Crawford Health Services.

Ingestion of Chemicals

• Identify the chemical ingested and call -3333 immediately.

Chemical Spills

• Turn off all sources of ignition.
• Notify individuals in the area of the spill.
• Notify your instructor immediately of the spill and the chemical that was spilled.
• If it can be done safely, attend to injured or contaminated persons and remove them from exposure.
• Do not clean up the spill yourself. Your instructor will determine what needs to be done in order to clean up the spilled chemical.

Wounds

• Small cuts and scratches

• Cleanse area with soap and water in a restroom not in lab
• Cover the wound with a clean towel
• Report to Crawford Health Services for medical attention

• Significant Bleeding
  
  
• Call public safety at 323-3333 or call -911.

Fires

• If possible, turn off all sources of ignition.
• A fire contained in a small vessel often can be suffocated, for example by placing a watch glass over its opening.
• If the fire is too large to be suffocated quickly, activate the fire alarm and notify everyone around you. Use the stairs when evacuating the building. Do not use the elevator during the evacuation.
• It is easy to underestimate a fire. Fires spend quickly. Never attempt to use a fire extinguisher unless you have been trained in its use. Locate yourself between the fire and the exit. Always be sure you can escape.
• If a person′s clothes are on fire, get them to stop, drop, and roll or lead them to a safety shower and douse them with water.
• Cover the victim with whatever is available (most labs have fire blankets), but leave the head uncovered. Do not cover a person with a fire blanket until the flames have been extinguished.
• Get medical attention immediately (public safety 323-3333 or 9-911).

Prevention

Preventing Accidents

• Keep your workspace clean of clutter.
• Do not store any items on the floor of a laboratory, i.e. book bags. There are storage areas provided.
• Keep the sinks clear of waste. No solids of any kind ever go into the sink.
• Do not work with chipped or broken glassware.
• There are specially marked containers for all broken glass. Do not throw glass in a trashcan.

Fires

• The best way to handle fires is to prevent them.
• The following is a list of some of the things you can do to help prevent fires from starting:
• Keep your work area free of clutter
• Never leave a Bunsen burner unattended and always turn off the gas when finished. Even if you plan on using the Bunsen burner again during the lab period, always turn the gas off after each use.
• If the fire bell rings while you are working, turn your Bunsen burner off and exit the building calmly.
• Never use an open flame to heat a flammable liquid.
• When working with an open flame, keep your hair pulled back if it is long and watch that your clothing does not catch fire. Do not wear long, loose fitting clothing.

3.  Laboratory Etiquette

• Other students also use the equipment you use in this laboratory. In addition, the equipment is usually quite expensive. Always treat the equipment with great care.
• Always leave your workspace cleaner than you found it. Laboratory instructors may deduct penalty points for poor housekeeping. There are detergents and paper towels available at each workstation.
• If you find a piece of equipment that is not in good working order, notify your instructor immediately.
• When working with "community reagents", take the reagent bottle to your desk, pour the amount needed for the experiment into a beaker and return the bottle to the correct location.
• Many chemicals have strong or toxic odors and should be used under a fume hood only. For example, acids and bases can be particularly hazardous. If you are not sure, be on the safe side and work under a bench top hood.
• Community reagents are in alphabetical order by name and type (solid, solution, acid, base), not chemical formula. Make sure you spend a good deal of time learning the chemical naming systems (nomenclature).
• NEVER put excess reagents back into the bottle. If you get more than you need, treat the excess as if it were waste. Residues in your container may contaminate the stock solution.
• Dispose of excess chemicals according to directions by your instructor. Never put anything down the sink unless you are directed to do so. Most waste will go in labeled containers. Let's protect the environment.
• Balances are sensitive, expensive devices. Never weigh chemicals directly on the pan. Use a container such as a beaker or flask. Remove the container from the balance, add the chemical, and then replace the container. The difference in the before weight and the final weight will tell you how much chemical you have in your container. This is known as "weighing by difference" and is the correct method for balance use.
• If you spill anything onto the balance, notify the instructor immediately.
• Never lay a stopper from reagent bottles on the lab bench. They may become contaminated. In addition, the residue on the bench may be hazardous and linger for days or weeks. This could injure someone well after the fact. Hold the stopper in your other hand while you get the material out of the bottle. Replace stoppers immediately.
• If you make a mess, clean it up or at least inform your instructor. Don't leave it for someone else to find.

4.  Procedures for Student Incidents

All students sustaining an injury in a laboratory must adhere to the following guidelines:

• All injuries, including minor cuts and burns, must be reported to the instructor in charge immediately.
• If someone's life is in danger, call 9-911 (campus phone), -911 or (803) 323-3333 immediately.
• An accident report form (see Appendix K) must be completed by the student and the faculty member or laboratory instructor involved. In the case of a serious accident, the report form will have to be completed at a later time, but it is the responsibility of the faculty member or laboratory instructor to complete what is required.
• All students must be familiar with the accident guidelines given to them by their laboratory instructor.