192 Worcester Road, Natick,

The Laboratory Safety Institute's… Massachusetts 01760-2252 USA

Laboratory Safety Guidelines E-mail: info@labsafetyinstitute.org

40 Suggestions for a Safer Lab

Steps Requiring Minimal Expense 16. Extend the safety program beyond the * "The Laboratory Safety Pocket Guide",
laboratory to the automobile and the home. 1996, Genium Publisher, One Genium
1. Have a written health, safety and Plaza, Schnectady, NY
environmental affairs (HS&E) policy 17. Allow only minimum amounts of
statement. flammable liquids in each laboratory. * "Safety in Academic Chemistry
Laboratories", ACS, 1155 Sixteenth Street
2. Organize a departmental HS&E 18. Forbid smoking, eating and drinking in the NW, Washington, DC 20036
committee of employees, management, laboratory.
faculty, staff and students that will meet * "Manual of Safety and Health Hazards in
regularly to discuss HS&E issues. 19. Do not allow food to be stored in chemical The School Science Laboratory", "Safety
refrigerators. in the School Science Laboratory",
3. Develop an HS&E orientation for all new "School Science Laboratories: A guide to
employees and students. 20. Develop plans and conduct drills for Some Hazardous Substances" Council of
dealing with emergencies such as fire, State Science Supervisors (now available
4. Encourage employees and students to explosion, poisoning, chemical spill or vapor only from LSI.)
care about their health and safety and that of release, electric shock, bleeding and personal
others. contamination. * "Handbook of Laboratory Safety", 4th
Edition, CRC Press, 2000 Corporate
5. Involve every employee and student in 21. Require good housekeeping practices in Boulevard NW, Boca Raton, FL 33431
some aspect of the safety program and give all work areas.
each specific responsibilities. * "Fire Protection Guide on Hazardous
22. Display the phone numbers of the fire Materials", National Fire Protection
6. Provide incentives to employees and department, police department, and local Association, Batterymarch Park, Quincy,
students for safety performance. ambulance either on or immediately next to MA 02269
every phone.
7. Require all employees to read the * "Prudent Practices in the Laboratory:
appropriate safety manual. Require students 23. Store acids and bases separately. Store Handling and Disposal of Hazardous
to read the institution's laboratory safety rules. fuels and oxidizers separately. Chemicals", 2nd Edition, 1995
Have both groups sign a statement that they
have done so, understand the contents, and 24. Maintain a chemical inventory to avoid * "Biosafety in the Laboratory", National
agree to follow the procedures and practices. purchasing unnecessary quantities of Academy Press, 2101 Constitution
Keep these statements on file in the chemicals. Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20418
department office.
25. Use warning signs to designate particular
hazards.
8. Conduct periodic, unannounced laboratory 26. Develop specific work practices for * "Learning By Accident", Volumes 1-3,
inspections to identify and correct hazardous individual experiments, such as those that 1997-2000, The Laboratory Safety
conditions and unsafe practices. Involve should be conducted only in a ventilated hood Institute, Natick, MA 01760
students and employees in simulated OSHA or involve particularly hazardous. When
inspections. possible most hazardous experiments should (All are available from LSI)
be done in a hood.
9. Make learning how to be safe an integral 35. Remove all electrical connections from
and important part of science education, your inside chemical refrigerators and require
work, and your life. Steps Requiring Moderate Expense magnetic closures.

10. Schedule regular departmental safety 27. Allocate a portion of the departmental 36. Require grounded plugs on all electrical
meetings for all students and employees to budget to safety. equipment and install ground fault interupters
discuss the results of inspections and aspects (GFI's) where appropriate.
of laboratory safety. 28. Require the use of appropriate eye
protection at all times in laboratories and 37. Label all chemicals to show the name of
11. When conducting experiments with areas where chemicals are transported. the material, the nature and degree of hazard,
hazards or potential hazards, ask yourself the appropriate precautions, and the name of
these questions: 29. Provide adequate supplies of personal the person responsible for the container.
What are the hazards? protective equipment - safety glasses,
What are the worst possible things that goggles, face shields, gloves, lab coats, and 38. Develop a program for dating stored
could go wrong? bench top shields. chemicals and for recertifying or discarding
How will I deal with them? them after predetermined maximum periods of
What are the prudent practices, protective 30. Provide fire extinguishers, safety showers, storage.
facilities and equipment necessary to eye wash fountains, first aid kits, fire blankets
minimize the risk of exposure to the and fume hoods in each laboratory and test or 39. Develop a system for the legal, safe and
hazards? check monthly. ecologically acceptable disposal of chemical
wastes.
12. Require that all accidents (incidents) be 31. Provide guards on all vacuum pumps and
reported, evaluated by the departmental secure all compressed gas cylinders. 40. Provide secure, adequately spaced, well
safety committee, and discussed at ventilated storage of chemicals.
departmental safety meetings. 32. Provide an appropriate supply of first aid
equipment and instruction on its proper use.
13. Require every pre-lab/pre-experiment
discussion to include consideration of the 33. Provide fireproof cabinets for storage of
health and safety aspects. flammable chemicals.

14. Don't allow experiments to run unattended 34. Maintain a centrally located departmental
unless they are failsafe. safety library:

15. Forbid working alone in any laboratory * "Safety in School Science Labs", Clair
and working without prior knowledge of a staff Wood, 1994, Kaufman & Associates, 101
member. Oak Street, Wellesley, MA 02482