Health and Safety

in the Laboratory

This material was produced under grant number SH-17035-08-60-F-11 from the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. These
materials do not necessarily reflect views or policies of the U.S. Department of
Labor, nor does mention of any trade names, commercial products, or
organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Objectives
After this session, you will know:
How to identify health and safety hazards of
school laboratory work
Health and safety measures your lab
should have in place
How best to protect yourself from
hazardous exposures
The requirements of OSHAs Laboratory Standard

Laboratories in the News

Two dozen fire departments responded

yesterday to Rocky Point High School after a
science teacher was burned when a chemical
reaction in a science lab touched off a small
explosion. The teacher, Anthony Nobre, 26,
of Medford, suffered burns over his arm, neck
and face. He was taken to University Hospital
in Stony Brook, where he was listed in
satisfactory condition, according to a
spokeswoman. The blast erupted as Nobre
put crystallized sodium into a container
holding a small amount of water. The
Brookhaven fire marshal was conducting an
investigation and recommended that the
building be closed today.

Detroits Miller Middle School

will be closed today and
possibly Wednesday while
health and environmental
officials finish cleaning up a
small amount of mercury that
students spilled in a science
class just before school was
dismissed Monday. Students
apparently were playing with
about an ounce of the toxic
substance in a sealed vial
when it spilled, said a district
spokesman Stan Childress.
About 30 students and a
teacher were present, he said.
There is a possibility that
students may have tracked
through the mercury
because some beads of
the substance were
found in the hallway,3
Childress said.

Why All the Fuss?

Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals Can
Result in acute or chronic health effects
Acute occurring within hours or days of
exposure
Chronic occur after exposure over
many years

Engineering: Removes or
Separates Hazard from
Person i.e.:

Local Ventilation (Fume Hoods)

Chemical Substitutions

Administrative: Procedures
that Limit Contact with Hazard
i.e.:
Job Rotation
School Staff Training
Good Housekeeping
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Personal Protective Equipment

(PPE)

PPE Should Be Considered Only After

Administrative and Engineering
Controls Have Been Applied.

Minimum Recommended PPE:

Chemical Resistant Gloves, Splash Proof Goggles,
Lab Coat, Face Shield, and Rubber Apron when Necessary

PPE: Glove Selection

Should be based upon:
the chemical composition of the
substance you are working with
the properties of the glove material.

Find Out More about Glove Selection by Reviewing

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) or from Glove
Supply Companies.
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OSHAs Laboratory Standard

Protects staff who use and handle
hazardous chemicals in laboratories
Requires your School to:
Determine staff exposure to any
substances regulated by the standard
Conduct initial training & additional
training if a new hazard is introduced
into the lab
Develop a Chemical Hygiene Plan

Training Requirements
Labs are
required to
supplement
course
material
with sitespecific
information
& training
including:

Specific Work Practices

Chemical hygiene plan/lab manual
Location & availability of MSDSs
Specific lab safety work practices or SOPs
Training whenever new hazards are used in the lab
Personal Protective Equipment
Instruction on appropriate PPE & how to use it
Location & availability of PPE & maintenance of reusable PPE
Lab Equipment
Location & operation of eyewash &/or shower stations
Use of fume hoods, storage cabinets, refrigerators & other
engineering controls
Waste Handling and Spill Response
Chemical waste handling & disposal procedures
Location & availability of spill kits & emergency checklists
Spill response procedures
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Chemical Hygiene Plan

Must Include:
Designation of a Chemical Hygiene Officer
Exposure control measures
Measures to ensure properly functioning
fume hoods & equipment
Staff training on hazard awareness &
measures available to protect themselves
Provisions for medical consultation &
examination
Respiratory protection program
Recordkeeping procedure
Hazard identification system

10

Safe Practice: Maintain a

Chemical Inventory!
Conduct a yearly inventory of chemicals and
update the file of material safety data sheets
(MSDS) to prevent the accumulation of orphaned
chemicals
Some of these chemicals become
unstable, react with the container, slowly
degrade or evaporate

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You Have the

Right to Know!
OSHAs Hazard Communication
Standard requires that
ALL Containers Must be Labeled With:

Chemical
Name &
Physical/H
ealth
Hazards

Name &
Address of the
Manufacturer
& Emergency
Contact
Numbers

100 Main St., Philadelphia, PA

1-800-555-1212

12

Types of Labels

NFPA Diamonds and

HMIS Bars are Color &
Number Coded with
Hazard Information

DOT Symbols Are

Usually Found on
Shipping Cartons
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Material Safety Data Sheets

(MSDS)
An MSDS Must Be on File & Available for
Each Chemical in the Lab.
An MSDS lists:

Product Identity
Hazardous Ingredients
Physical Data
Fire & Explosion Hazard Data
Reactivity Data
Health Hazard Data
Precautions for Safe Handling & Use
Control Measures

14

What Should the Ideal

Laboratory Look Like?
Practices

Equipment &
Ventilation

15

General Ventilation
Supply Air Diffusers & Room Air Exhausts Should
be
Located So As to Avoid Intake of Contaminated Air
Windows Should be Operable

16

Local Ventilation
Fume Hoods Used For Operations that Give
Off:
Noxious Odors
Flammable or Poisonous Vapors

HOW DOES YOUR VENTILATION MEASURE UP?

17

Safety Showers
and Eyewashes
Must Be Available in All Lab Areas That
Use or Store Chemicals Which Are
Corrosive or an Irritant to the Eyes or
Skin

Combination Eye Wash & Drench

Hose Units at the Sink are Now
Available

18

Match the Extinguisher to the Risk!

Fire Extinguishers Must Be:

Clearly labeled to indicate the

types of fire they are designed to
extinguish.
Visibly inspected monthly and
maintained annually.

Class ABC Extinguishers Should Be

Located:
At the Laboratory Exit
Within 50 Feet of Any Point in
the Lab.
Class D Extinguishers Are Required for
Combustible Metals.
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Means of Egress/Exit

Two or more well- marked &

unobstructed evacuation exits
are recommended in a lab.

20

Its Shocking!
There should be no accessible live, exposed electrical
wiring.

Consideration should be given to

installing ground-fault circuit
interrupters on electrical circuits within
6 feet of water sources.

Electrical Safety in the High School Lab

21

Chemical Storage
Safe Storage of Chemicals is a
Necessity in Every School Laboratory!

Minimizes Exposure to Students and Staff to Corrosive

and Toxic Chemicals
Lessens the Risk of Fire
Prevents the Mixing of Incompatibles & the Creation of
an Emergency Situation

22

The Donts of Chemical

Storage!
Avoid storing any chemical above eye level
Dont store incompatible chemicals together
Dont store chemicals near sources of heat or sunlight
Dont store chemicals in the hoods or acids on
metal shelves

Avoid storing anything on the floor, especially

glass bottles

23

Biology Storage

24

So, Youre in Charge!

How would you organize and store
chemicals in your perfect lab?

25

Ideal Storage Area SetUp

NA, LI

Acids
Bases
Room Should Have:

Oxidizers

Eye Wash

Safety Shower
Emergency Phone

Dry
Chemicals

Fire Extinguisher

Spill
Materials

Metal Salts
Nitrates

Flammables
Cabinet
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Be Prepared for Small

Incidental Spills
Chemical Categories Found
in Most Secondary Schools
Include:
Organic
Solvents
Acids
Alkalis
(Bases)
Mercury

Proper Incidental Spill Control

Equipment Includes:
Spill Control Materials Such As Spill
Control Pillows, Pads, Booms, etc.
Scoops, Brooms, Pails & Bags
Absorbent such as Diatomaceous Earth
Neutralizers for Acids & Alkalis
Mercury Spill Control Kit
27

Certain Spills Arent for

Quick Clean-up

As a science teacher or lab specialist, you should only

respond to incidental chemical releases, or small spills.

For large or especially hazardous spills:

Quickly assess whether there are any
injured persons and attend to any
person who may have been
contaminated.
Follow the notification, evacuation
and emergency medical treatment
procedures for your school.
Evacuate the immediate area
until the hazardous release has
been characterized and
controlled.
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Waste Chemical Disposal

Requires:
Proper storage same rules apply make
sure waste chemicals are compatible
Proper labeling tags should be placed on
bottles name of chemical
Pre-planning know what waste youre
creating prior to carrying out experiments;
minimize purchases
Record-keeping of all waste chemicals on
hand and those already picked up for disposal

29

How to Assess Your

Classroom for Hazards
Using the Checklist
Working with Your Union

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