INTRODUCTION, LAB SAFETY AND WASTE MANAGEMENT

INTRODUCTION
A chemistry laboratory can be, and should be, a safe place to work. Yet each year in academic
and industrial laboratories accidents occur that in some cases injure seriously, or kill, chemists. Most of
these accidents could have been foreseen and prevented, had the chemists involved used the proper
judgment and taken proper precautions.
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of this chapter, the students must be able to:

1. Give the safety rules in the laboratory;

2. Know the basic laboratory operations and techniques;
3. Give the proper waste management for different laboratory waste;
4. Identify GHS label and its meaning;
5. Give the important information in a chemical’s SDS.

GENERAL CONCEPT

Safety Rules in the Laboratory

1. No one is allowed to eat, drink, or smoke inside the laboratory.

2. Use safety glasses when necessary. These would prevent spilled chemicals or scattered pieces of
glasses from causing permanent damage to the eyes.
3. Always wear appropriate clothing and protective shoes. These would protect one against spilled
chemicals or flaming liquids.
4. Always wear your laboratory gown. Those would protect your clothes and skin from direct
contact with corrosive chemicals and flammable liquids.
5. Know the location of safety equipment, such as safety shower, fire extinguisher, sand and
laboratory first aid kit.
6. Never perform unassigned experiment.
7. Keep the workspace orderly and place personal belongings on the side table.
8. Assemble apparatus safely. Makeshift equipment and poor apparatus assemblies usually cause
accident.
9. Read the label carefully before taking anything from the bottle. Use of wrong reagent can cause
damage or serious accident.
10. Leave reagent bottles on the designated table or shelves. Do not bring them to your desk. Use
only required chemicals as specified in the experiment.
11. Reagent bottle should be provided with particular spatula or dropper.
12. Be careful when working with flames. Light the burner only for the period in which it is actually
needed. Position it away from flammable materials.
13. Fan gently the vapors towards your nose when determining odor of substances.
14. Use pipette with aspirator in drawing out liquids.
15. In diluting acids carefully pour acid to water and never vice versa.
 16. Use fume hood in experiment that will cause release of poisonous gas.
17. Clean up spilled chemicals with absorbent cloth.
18. Dispose off waste chemicals properly.
19. Report immediately any accidents to the laboratory instructor.
20. Turn off the gas and water outlets after each use before leaving the laboratory room.
21. Return all equipment to their proper place.
22. The laboratory room is a work place; never use it as a playing place.

Common Laboratory Operations and Techniques

 Measurement of Volume

The correct way of reading the volume of colorless or light colored liquid is to hold the
cylinder vertically at eye level and look at the lower meniscus. The lower meniscus is the convex
curve of the liquid. For dark colored liquids, volumes are read using the upper meniscus

 Determination of Odor

To determine the odor of solutions, gently fan the vapors towards your nostrils and cautiously
sniff the vapors.

 Transferring Liquids from Containers

To pour a liquid reagent from a reagent bottle, place the stopper between the middle finger
and forefinger. Hold a glass rod against the mouth of the bottle or beaker to prevent splashing
into the receiver. Hold the bottle with the label facing the palm of your hand to protect it from
getting wet.

 Handling of Reagents

Use spatula or plastic spoon for solid reagents. Get only enough reagents needed to avoid
returning excess to the bottle to prevent contamination. For liquids, use pipet or droppers in
getting the required amount.

 Determination of Acidity and Basicity Using Litmus Paper

Place pieces of blue and red litmus paper on a watch glass. Dip one end of stirring rod into the
solution to be tested. The solution is acidic if the red litmus paper remains red and the blue
litmus paper turns red. However, if the blue litmus paper remains blue and the red litmus paper
becomes blue, the solution is basic.

 Weighing of Samples

In weighing of samples using triple beam balance, place the object to be weighed on the pan.
 Slide the weights along the three beams till the pointer at the scale gives equal swings above and
below the zero point or the pointer rests at zero. Record the weight of the object. To prevent
corrosion of the pans, no samples or chemicals should be weighed directly on the pan. Containers
to be used for weighing should be appropriate for the sample to be weighed.

 Decantation and Filtration

Decantation is the process of separating solid from liquid by slowly pouring off the liquid
into another container. This is done by putting the container aside or let stand until all the solid
particles settle, and then slowly pour off the liquid.

Filtration is the process of separating solid from the liquid with the use of a filtering medium
like a filter paper. Prepare the filter paper by folding it in half then in quarters. Tear off a corner
of the folded paper before fitting into the funnel. Moisten it into the funnel. Do not let the level of
the liquid in the funnel go beyond the top of the paper.

 Heating Small Amounts of Liquid

Put some water into a test tube until it is half filled. With the use of a holder, move the test
tube back and forth across the flame for even heating. The tube should be in a 45° angle position
from the flame. Do not point the test tube toward yourself or anybody.

 Preparation of Dilute Acids

Measure the required volume of water into a beaker. Slowly add the required amount of
concentrated acid into the water in the beaker while stirring constantly the solution. Never add
water to acid.

 Evaporation

Direct evaporation is the removal of water or liquid by the application of heat. The sample to
be evaporated is usually placed in an evaporating dish. The dish is in direct contact with the
flame.

Indirect evaporation is the removal of the liquid wherein the container is not in contact with
the flame. It is usually placed in a boiling water bath, steam bath or heating mantle. This is
resorted to when solvents are inflammable or they decompose when heated.

Spontaneous evaporation is the removal of liquid without application of heat. This is usually
done to remove volatile solvents.
  Boring Holes through Cork and Rubber Stoppers

Select a rubber or cork stopper of appropriate size. Secure a borer size that is slightly smaller
than the hole to be bored. Wet the borer with glycerine, hold it with one hand and the stopper
with the other hand supported by cloth pad for palm protection. Begin boring at the narrow end
of the stopper. Twist the borer while applying pressure. Check the alignment after each twist.
Remove the borer when halfway through the stopper then push out any plug in the borer. Begin
boring the stopper at the other end. Check alignment.

Disposal of Waste and Hazardous Substances

Improper disposal of chemical may create danger to others working in the laboratory. Non-
biodegradable organic compounds and certain heavy metals require specific methods of disposal.

Table 1.1 Method of Disposal of Different Wastes

Waste Material Example Method of Disposal

Heavy Metal Solution Aq. Cu and Pb solution Specifically designed waste jar
Organic Acids CCl4, C6H6 Organic waste jar
Mercury Broken thermometer Notify instructor
Solid waste from chemical reaction Residue or precipitate Waste jar
Solid waste Matches, paper Waste basket
Sharps Broken glassware Waste basket for sharps
Globally Harmonized System (GHS)

Globally harmonized system (GHS) is an international approach to chemical labels and safety
data sheets (SDS). Every container of hazardous chemicals is labelled by the manufacturer.

Requirements of a GHS Label

1. Product identifier. Should match the product identifier on the Safety Data Sheet.
2. Signal Word. Either use “Danger” (severe) or “Warning” (less severe).
3. Hazard Statements. A phrase assigned to a hazard class that describes the nature of the product’s
hazards.
4. Precautionary Statements. Describes recommended measures to minimize or prevent adverse
effects resulting from exposure.
5. Supplier identification. The name, address and telephone number of the manufacturer or supplier.
6. Pictograms. A symbol plus red diamond border intended to convey specific information about
the hazards of a chemical. There are four Health Hazard pictograms and five Physical Hazard
pictograms
Table 1.2 Types of Pictogram

Pictogram Description Effects

Corrosion Skin Corrosion/Burns
Eye Damage
Corrosive to metals

Exclamation Mark Irritant (skin and eye)

Skin sensitizer
Acute toxicity
Narcotic effects
Respiratory tract irritant
Hazardous to ozone layer

Health Hazard Carcinogen

Mutagen
Reproductive toxicity
Respiratory sensitizer
Target organ toxicity
Aspiration toxicity

Skull and Crossbones Acute toxicity (fatal or toxic)

Flame Flammables
Pyrophorics
Self-heating
Emits flammable gas
Self-reactives
Organic peroxides
Flame Over Circle Oxidizer – a substance that is
not necessarily combustible, but
may, generally by yielding
oxygen, cause or contribute to
the combustion of other
material

Gas Cylinder Gases under pressure

Exploding Bomb Explosives

Self-reactives
Organic peroxides

Environment Aquatic toxicity

Safety Date Sheets (SDS)

Safety data sheets are multi-page documents that contain more detailed information
about a chemical than the container label. It is usually prepared by manufacturer or importer and
available for every hazardous chemical or substance.

Sections of SDS

1. Identification
2. Hazard(s) Identification
3. Composition/Information on Ingredients
4. First-Aid Measures
5. Fire-Fighting Measures
6. Accidental Release Measures
7. Handling and Storage
8. Exposure Controls/Personal Protection
9. Physical and Chemical Properties
10. Stability and Reactivity
11. Toxicological Information
12. Ecological Information
13. Disposal Considerations
 14. Transport Information
15. Regulatory Information
16. Other information

Exercise 1
Obtain a certificate regarding introduction to laboratory safety.
Visit: https://www.ncbionetwork.org/iet/labsafety/?
fbclid=IwAR1X8KhrSUaGcI_S6jHR0_5cfW1t-IYlBx8NHPF01rxvLd0i8KW9_fes-og
Submit your certificate on the assigned classwork link on the Google classroom.