Biology Laboratory

Safety Module:
Chemical Safety

Chemical Safety Module

This presentation is designed to provide
students with information important for the
safe use of chemicals in the laboratory.
It will cover the following information:
1. Types of hazards that might be encountered
2. Preventive safety measures, including good
laboratory practices
3. What to do in case of an emergency
4. Your rights & responsibilities as a student at
Northern Michigan University

Types of hazards
associated with chemicals
I. Health hazards
Acute Hazards: bad effects observed quickly
Chronic Hazards: bad effects that take a
relatively long time to develop
II. Physical hazards
Flammable compounds
Explosive compounds
Compressed gases

Health hazards
associated with chemicals
A chemical may be:
Toxic
Corrosive
Carcinogenic
Reproductive or developmental toxic (teratogen)
Irritating or allergenic
Procedures for safe handling of hazardous chemicals are
described in NMUs Chemical Hygiene Plan, available at:
http://webb.nmu.edu/Departments/PublicSafety/SiteSections/Po
liceServices/Policies/ChemicalHygiene.shtml

General Laboratory
Safety
Always exercise safe laboratory practices:
Never use mouth suction to fill a pipet.
Clean up all spills in accordance with safety
procedures.
Handle all glassware carefully.
Use a fume hood whenever instructed to do so.
Wash hands immediately after handling chemicals
or other hazardous materials and immediately prior
to leaving the lab.

Proper Pipetting
Technique
Never use mouth suction to fill a pipet
A variety of pipetting aids are available for filling
pipets
For small volumes (less than 1 mL) you will use a
mechanical pipetter

Laboratory Preparation
Be prepared before the laboratory begins
Review laboratory procedures
Be aware of hazards you may encounter during
lab
Dress appropriately for lab
Know what personal protective equipment
(PPE) will be required during lab
Be aware of procedures that should be followed
in case of spills or other accidents

Personal Protective
Equipment
To protect yourself from hazardous chemicals,
you may use the following equipment:
Gloves
Protective eyewear
Masks or respirators
Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for chemicals indicate
what kind of PPE is needed. PPE requirements
are dependent upon the concentration & amount
of the chemical being used.
Some chemicals should be handled in a fume
hood to protect you from harmful vapors.

Gloves
A variety of gloves are available to protect from
different types of chemical or physical hazards,
including:
- Insulating gloves
- Vinyl gloves
- Latex gloves
- Nitrile gloves
Change gloves as needed:
- if a hazardous chemical is spilled on the gloves.
- if you suspect the gloves may be torn.

Types of Gloves
Insulating gloves:
- may not insulate when wet
- are not intended to provide protection against
chemical spills

Types of Gloves
Vinyl, Latex and Nitrile Gloves
- are intended to prevent skin contact with
hazardous chemicals.
- non-latex gloves can be provided if you are
allergic to latex.

Eye Protection
Eye protection is required is required whenever the
lab is using potentially hazardous fluids.
Note: Even if you are not personally using a
hazardous fluid, you are required to use
eye protection in the lab to prevent
accidental eye contact.
Contact lenses do not provide protection against
chemical hazards.
Notify your instructor if you splash something in
your eye while wearing contacts.

Types of Eye Protection

Different types of eye protection are available,
depending on the hazard level:
Safety glasses
Safety goggles
Face shields

Goggles

Face shield

Additional Personal
Protective Equipment
For some experiments,
aprons or lab coats
may be appropriate.

Chemical Fume Hoods

Safe Operation
When the fume hood is
not in use, the sash of
the hood should be
kept closed.

When working in the hood,

the sliding sash should be
kept at the height marked
on the side of the sash, to
allow proper air flow

Chemical Fume Hoods

Safe Operation
Work at least 6 inches within the hood.
Only items necessary to perform the
present experiment should be in the hood.
The more equipment in the hood, the
greater the air turbulence and the chance
for gaseous escape into the lab.
Do not block the rear exhaust vent in the
hood.

Chemical Fume Hoods

Unsafe Operation
The fume hood is not a
storage cabinet for
chemicals or unused
items.
Hoods shall not be used
as a means of disposing
of toxic or irritating
chemicals, but only as a
means of removing small
quantities of vapor which
might escape during
laboratory operations.

Chemical Fume Hoods

Unsafe Operation
Never leave an experiment unattended.
Keep your work area free of clutter and
personal items (book bags, clothing, etc.)
Do not work in the laboratory alone.

Transporting chemicals and

other laboratory materials
When transporting chemicals or other materials
between laboratories, make sure that they are
carried in a secondary container
Solutions, dry chemicals,
microplates, etc. should be
carried in a tub.
Slides should be placed in a
slide box

Transporting chemicals and

other laboratory materials
Test tubes or vials should be in a rack that is carried in a tub.
A cart should be used to transport bulky materials. If using a
cart, materials should still be in a secondary container.

Make sure you have at least one

ungloved hand to open doors etc.
remember that lab gloves are to be
considered potentially contaminated at
all times

Emergency Response
In case of an accident, you may need to use an
eyewash or safety shower.
Be sure you know where these items are located,
and how to use them.
Some eyewashes are
located behind sinks.
Pull out the hose and
squeeze the spray
lever to activate.

Pull down on the

appropriate lever to
activate the eyewash or
safety shower located in
each laboratory

Compressed Gases
Compressed gases present a unique hazard.
Depending on the particular gas, there is a
potential for simultaneous exposure to both
mechanical and chemical hazards.
Gases may be:

Flammable or combustible
Explosive
Corrosive
Poisonous
Inert
or a combination of hazards

The compressed gas also presents a physical

hazard. The gases are contained in heavy,
highly pressurized metal containers. The
large amount of potential energy resulting
from compression of the gas makes the
cylinder a potential rocket or fragmentation
bomb.

Compressed Gases
Careful procedures are necessary for
handling:
various compressed gases
cylinders containing compressed gases
regulators or valves used to control gas
flow
piping used to confine gases during flow.

Gas cylinders must be secured at all

times to prevent tipping.
Regulators are gas specific & not
necessarily interchangeable!
Always make sure that the regulator &
valve fittings are compatible.

Prevention
NFPA-type label

3
4

NFPA (National Fire Protection

Association) diamond was created
as a way to quickly determine what
hazards a chemical presents.
NFPA rates chemicals in 3
categories with a numerical rating of
1-4 for hazard level.
A rating of 2 or more in any
category means that extra
precautions should be taken when
using that chemical. Specific details
can be found on the MSDS for each
chemical.

Prevention
NFPA-type label

3
4

Colors represent kind of hazard

Red = fire
Yellow = reactivity
Blue = health
White = specific hazard

Numbers show degree of hazard

0 = Minimal
1 = Slight
2 = Moderate
3 = Serious
4 = Severe

Prevention
NFPA-type labels
White = specific hazard
OX = Oxidizer

3
4

ACID = Acid

2
COR

ALK = Alkali
COR = Corrosive
W = Use no water
Other symbols:

SDS
One way to get information about the potential hazards of
chemicals is by consulting the SDS which gives information
about properties of a chemical and what is known about how
it is hazardous.
SDSs for products known to be on campus are located in
the online database maintained by Public Safety at
http://publicsafety.nmu.edu/Departments/PublicSafety/Site
Sections/EmployeeSafety/MSDSBinder.shtml
To look up new SDSs log on to the above website with these
passwords. This will direct you to a site with over 2.7 million
MSDSs: Userid: nmumsds Password: msds
Additional useful information is provided at the Frequently
Asked Questions page for SDS at
http://www.chcs.org.uk/safety-data-sheet-faq.htm

What Does an SDS Tell You?

Chemical identity
Composition of mixtures
Alternate names

Health & reactivity information

First aid treatment
What to do if the chemical is spilled
Toxicology & chronic exposure risks
Proper disposal
Contact information for the manufacturer

 The specific information & organization of an

SDS varies from one supplier to another.
As an example, the following pages show an
SDS supplied by Fisher Chemical for phenol

Phenol SDS

Synonyms
Contact
information

A CAS (Chemical Abstracts Service) Registry Number is a unique

identifier that tells you, for example, that phenol and carbolic are
actually the same substance both have the same CAS #.

Composition
and CAS number
- For mixtures,
information on
all components

Phenol SDS

Emergency
overview the most
important hazard
information
Health effects both
acute and chronic
effects may be
listed. Routes of
exposure are listed
in this section.

Phenol SDS

Read this section before working with a chemical. In case

of emergency, you may need to provide this information
when seeking medical treatment.

Phenol SDS

Firefighting personnel will need this information if there

is a fire in the building. This is why it is important to keep
an up-to-date chemical inventory.

Phenol SDS

These sections give information on handling and storage of the

chemical as well as what to do in case of a spill

Phenol SDS
What exposure
levels are
allowed for
this chemical?
What personal
protective
equipment
should you
use when
handling the
chemical?
The amount of
chemical used
may affect the
kind of PPE
required.

Phenol SDS
Basic chemical
properties

Some chemicals
may explode or
produce
dangerous
compounds if
allowed to react
with other
chemicals.

Phenol SDS
Results from
different
toxicological tests
are reported in this
section.
The dose required
to cause problems
will usually be
reported here.
Teratogen: causes
problems with
developing
embryos.

Phenol SDS
What bad things
could happen if the
chemical is
released to the
environment?

How should the

chemical be
disposed of to
avoid human
health or
environmental
problems?

Phenol SDS
If you plan to ship
a chemical to
another location,
you will need to be
aware of this
information.

Reporting Hazards
You always have the right to ask questions, or
report hazards, either directly or
anonymously without fear of reprisal to
Your lab instructor and/or the course
instructor
Biology Department Head & Chemical
Hygiene Officer Dr. John Rebers
([email protected])
Public Safety (227-2151)

Next
Please complete the PRESENTATION REVIEW
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Then complete the QUIZ that follows the
confirmation
You must achieve a perfect score on the quiz to
successfully complete your safety training. You
may retake the quiz as many times as necessary.
Failure to complete your safety training will
result in your exclusion from the laboratory
portion of your course

After the quiz

Remember to complete any additional safety
training modules that are required for your
course.
Remember, you must earn a perfect score
on the quiz to pass.