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 OSHA’s Laboratory Standard

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 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.
Detroit’s 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

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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 6
 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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OSHA’s 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

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 Training Requirements
•Specific Work Practices
•Chemical hygiene plan/lab manual
•Location & availability of MSDSs
Labs are •Specific lab safety work practices or SOPs
required to •Training whenever new hazards are used in the lab

supplement •Personal Protective Equipment

course •Instruction on appropriate PPE & how to use it
•Location & availability of PPE & maintenance of reusable PPE
material
with site- •Lab Equipment

specific •Location & operation of eyewash &/or shower stations

•Use of fume hoods, storage cabinets, refrigerators & other
information engineering controls
& training
•Waste Handling and Spill Response
including: •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

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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!

OSHA’s Hazard Communication

Standard requires that
ALL Containers Must be Labeled With:

Chemical
Name &
Physical/ Name &
Health Address of
Hazards the
Manufacturer
& Emergency
Contact
Numbers

100 Main St., Philadelphia, PA

1-800-555-1212
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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

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What Should the Ideal
Laboratory Look Like?
• Practices • Equipment &
Ventilation

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

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

HOW DOES YOUR VENTILATION MEASURE UP?

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 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

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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.

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 It’s 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

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 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

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 The “Don’ts” of Chemical
Storage!
 Avoid storing any chemical above eye level

 Don’t store incompatible chemicals together

 Don’t store chemicals near sources of heat or sunlight

 Don’t store chemicals in the hoods or acids on

metal shelves

 Avoid storing anything on the floor, especially

glass bottles

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Biology Storage

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 So, You’re in Charge!

• How would you organize and store

chemicals in your perfect lab?

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 Ideal Storage Area Set-
Up
NA, LI Acids
Bases
Room Should Have:
•Eye Wash
Oxidizers
•Safety Shower
Dry
•Emergency Phone Chemicals
•Fire Extinguisher
Spill
Materials Metal Salts Flammables
Nitrates Cabinet
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 Be Prepared for Small
Incidental Spills
Chemical Categories
Found in Most Secondary
Schools Include:
– Organic
Solvents
Proper Incidental Spill Control
– Acids Equipment Includes:
 Spill Control Materials Such As Spill
Control Pillows, Pads, Booms, etc.
– Alkalis
 Scoops, Brooms, Pails & Bags
(Bases)
 Absorbent – such as Diatomaceous Earth
 Neutralizers – for Acids & Alkalis
– Mercury  Mercury Spill Control Kit
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 Certain Spills Aren’t 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 you’re
creating prior to carrying out experiments;
minimize purchases
– Record-keeping – of all waste chemicals on
hand and those already picked up for disposal

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How to Assess Your
Classroom for Hazards
• Using the Checklist
• Working with Your Union

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