Safety rules in chemistry laboratory

Safety in the chemistry laboratory involves a cautious attitude and an awareness of potential hazards. Usually potential accidents can be anticipated and prevented. If safety precautions are followed, fewer accidents will occur. The number of laboratory accidents can be reduced if every student follows all of the direction given for the experiment and by the instructor. Special note should be taken of specific instructions that are given in an experiment to eliminate recognized potential hazards. Though the title carries Chemistry laboratory, some tips below can be used in most of the DIY post that involves chemicals.

Safety Rules 

• Maintain cleanliness of the working table
• Wear the lab coats, safety goggles, gloves while working in the laboratory.
• Place the chemicals/reagents bottles on the rack in their respective positions.
• Label the solutions/reagents/indicators with respect to concentration and date of preparation.
• Clean and rinse with distilled water and dry the apparatus before use.
• Handle the pipette gently and put back to stand after use so that tips are not damaged.
• Keep the burner/ heater away from the inflammable solvents such as diethyl ether, hexane.
• Evaporate the solvent extracts using water bath only or stream of nitrogen wherever required.
• Replace the cap of the solvents bottle immediately after use.
• Beakers should be used to obtain stock materials. If, when dispensing stock solutions you obtain too much, do not return excess stock solutions back into the solution containers. This will contaminate the stock solution.
• Do not smell chemical directly.
• Do not pour any chemicals into the sink or dispose off any chemicals in the trash without prior authorization.
• Ensure the closing of taps, electrical points before leaving the lab at the end of the day.
• Read the complete procedure and then start preparing solutions/reagents for the experiment.
• After the completion of the experiment, calculate the results and show these to the supervisor before leaving the laboratory.

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