Unit 1

Safety, Storage & handling of Chemicals

• Personal protection and personal hygiene are two very basic aspects of
laboratory safety.
• Attire –Wear a lab coat or apron, legs and feet should be covered
• Gloves- Gloves are essential when working with hazardous substances.
• Wear appropriate safety glasses, goggles or face shields at all times,
when chemicals are stored or handled.
• Hands should be washed frequently before leaving the lab, after contact
with any hazardous materials.
• Do not taste any chemical
• Add acid to water for dilution.
• Confine long hair and loose clothing.
• Don’t wear high heals, open toes shoes and sandles.
• Never engage in play, pranks, or other acts of mischief in chemical lab.
• Use equipments & chemicals only for their intended purpose .
• Never return reagents to stock bottles.
• Never leave an experiment unattended which is being heated or then it
is an exothermic one
• Never leave containers of chemicals open.
• All containers must have appropriate labels. Unlabeled chemicals should
never be used.
• Avoid skin and eye contact with chemicals
• Clothing made of synthetic fibers should not be worn while working with
flammable liquids.
• Never eat or drink in the lab.
 • Never perform an unauthorized experiment and never work in the lab
without an instructor in charge.
• Label all containers to identify their contents.
• Never add water to any concentrated acid .
• The reaction produces heat which can create fumes and the acid can
splatter on you.
• By adding acid to water, the heat is immediately dissipated in the water.

General safety rules

 The laboratory should be airy
 Keep the laboratory floor dry at all times
 Attend to spills immediately and clean it immediately
 Only authorized personnel should do maintenance work on
laboratory equipment
 Sink should be flushed with water on a regular basis to prevent the
release of chemical odours in the laboratory
 Make sure that all electrical cords are in good condition and
all electrical outlets are earthed .
 One should know the first aid and the place of the first aid kit.
 Alarms should be installed and regularly inspected and maintained
 No toxic or poisonous gases should be released in the workplace
 All carcinogenic chemicals should have a warning label.
 Only minimum quantity of chemicals should be used.
 Chemicals which produce fumes on opening should be handled inside
a fume hood

Storing of Chemicals:
• All chemical containers must be labelled
• All labels must be legible, in English and should include chemical name
• Waste chemical containers must be clearly marked as “Hazardous
Waste”
• Cylinders must be stored in well ventilated areas with their protective
caps screwed
• Close caps securely and avoid storing chemicals containers in hard to
reach areas
• Segregate chemicals as Flammable , Corrosive , Toxic , Carcinogen ,
Compressed Gases , Poisons
• Always store flammable liquids in appropriate cabinets and corrosive
chemicals should be stored in corrosion resistant containers
• Do not store incompatible reagents together (e.g., acids with organic
solvents)
• Do not store ethers or similar chemicals for extended periods of time as
explosive peroxides could form
• Containers should be without defects
• Store the materials and chemicals at the correct temperature
• Flammable liquids should not be heated in an open vessel
WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT?
• Any accident or injury to you or another person must be reported to the
staff immediately, no matter how small it may seem.
• Small burns from touching hot objects should be placed under running
cold water for at least 20 minutes. Major burns need immediate medical
attention.
• The eyewash station should be used if chemicals come in contact with
eyes or face. Immediately, flush your eyes with running water for at least
15 minutes. Open the eyelids with fingers to force the eyes to stay open
while flushing. Immediately seek medical attention.
• For large chemical spills on the body, get under the safety shower
immediately, and continue to shower for at least 15 minutes. Get the
teachers attention immediately.
• Small cut should be rinsed. Bandages are available in First -Aid Kit. If
bleeding is extensive, apply pressure on the wound. Seek medical help
immediately.
• If you are injured by glass or any other cause and the cut is not serious,
wash the cut well in water. If the injury is accompanied by a serious
blood flow, stop the blood flow with a pad, while applying pressure to
the wound, and send the injured person to receive medical treatment.
• Swallowing or inhaling a toxic substance can cause a feeling of
discomfort. Move to a airy place and administer antidotes. In severe
cases, immediately seek medical attention.
• When clothing catches fire, STOP, do not run as this enhances a supply
of air and increases the flames. DROP to the floor and ROLL on the floor
to smother the flames.
• If a fire breaks out and a person’s clothes catch fire, take the injured
person to the emergency shower at the entrance to the laboratory and
wash them in running water. Another possibility is to use a fire
extinguishing blanket.
• A person who has been electrocuted is himself an electrical risk.
In such a case, disconnect the electrical current in the laboratory
immediately; the injured person will be treated only after he has been
disconnected from the electrical current.
Handling of Acids:
• Store strong acids separately and keep it away from volatile organic
chemicals.
• Wear acid resistant chemical gloves and aprons, when working with
acids.
• Emergency flood showers or eye wash foundation must be available.
• Dilute acids by stirring the concentrated acid slowly into the water. Do
not pour water in to acid.
• When using acids, make available suitable neutralizing agents for use in
the event of spills.
• Acids should be neutralized with weak bases such as sodium carbonate
or bicarbonate.
Handling of Ethers
• A spillage of ether must be dealt with using extreme caution because of
its extremely flammable nature.
• All ignition sources should be removed and the up as quickly as possible
using a spill pillow, absorbent mat, or an inert material such as sand .
• It should be placed in a dark area to prevent further promotion of the
peroxide-forming reaction.
• Suitable fire extinguishers must be available at locations where
flammable or combustible liquids like ethers are stored.
• When ethers are exposed to air for long periods, peroxides are formed.
• Accidentally detonation of peroxides will lead to explosions.
• This danger is more, when ether is distilled.
• When there is a doubt about the presence of peroxides in ethers, these
should not be handled without check.
Handling of toxic and poisonous chemicals:
• Do not breathe dust/fume/gas/mist/vapours/spray.
• Wash thoroughly after handling.
• Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face
protection.
• Store locked up.
• Keep only in original container.
• Wear the appropriate PPE when handling chemicals.
• Carefully read the ingredient list of any product or chemical you use.
• All chemicals must be stored in a safe, secure location.
• Hazardous chemicals must be stored below eye level.
• Do not store chemicals on the floor, window ledges, or balconies.
 • Keep containers closed unless you are dispensing a chemical or adding
to the container.
• Label all containers of hazardous chemicals.
• Highly toxic chemicals such as inorganic cyanides should be stored
in locked storage cabinets.
• Always keep the quantities of highly toxic chemicals to an absolute
minimum.
The symbol used to identify a substance that is toxic is a skull and
crossbones.
Antidotes
An antidote is a substance that can counteract a form of poisoning. It
means ‘given against’. It is a chemical,a drug that limits the effects of
poison. It is a way of preventing or acting against something bad in
our body.
Poison + antidote = Destroy poison.
Activated Charcoal- Universal Antidote:
Activated charcoal is simply burnt wood that has had all the removed oxygen
through controlled oxidation.
Activated charcoal is most efficacious when given within one hour of ingestion
of the toxin.
Preparation of Universal Antidote:
• This is prepared by mixing 2 parts of pulverised charcoal + 1 part of
magnesium oxide + 1 part of tannic acid.
• A few grams of this antidote + a cup of warm water and should be
administered.
• This is given when specific antidote is not known.
Tartar Emetic:
• This is prepared by stirring 0.006 g of potassium antimony tartrate in 25
ml of water
 • When a poison is swallowed ,we have to induce vomiting and then
administer tartar Emetic.
• It is a crystalline salt of sweetish metallic taste.
How to administer antidote?
Vomit can be induced by
 Tickling back of throat
 Using emetic such as tartar or warm salt water
Vomiting reduces the amount of poison in the stomach
Vomiting should not be induced when a person has swallowed acid or alkali
corrosives.
Antidotes:
• Acetone: Induce vomiting and administer universal antidote.
• Acids: Do not induce vomiting. Administer MgO, milk of magnesia or
limewater. Repeat the dose every fifteen minutes.
• Alkalis : Do not induce vomiting. Administer 5% acetic acid or vinegar
• Phenol : Administer immediately 50% pure ethanol and
induce vomiting .Then administer milk or egg albumin.
• Ammonia: Skin : wash with lactic acid. Throat : smell ethanol or ether
• Barium and its salts: Magnesium sulphate (25g in 250 ml water)
• Bleaching solution: Milk, icecream, milk of magnesia, aluminium
hydroxide
• Bromate: Sodium thiosulphate
• Iodine: A thin paste of soluble starch in water or milk
• Mercury and its compounds: Induce vomiting and give milk or white of
an egg and then 4 g of sodium thio sulphate
• Silver compounds: Administer 100 ml of 25 % NaCl and then milk.
• Phenol: Administer 50% pure ethanol & induce vomiting. Then give milk
or egg white
• Alkalis: Do not induce vomiting . Administer 5% acetic acid or vinegar.
Then administer milk.

Material Safety Data Sheet:

A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is a document that contains
information on the health effects of exposure to chemicals, or other
potentially dangerous substances, and on safe working procedures when
handling chemical products.
• Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) provide information to employees
about hazardous materials and chemicals in the workplace
MSDSs are important sources of chemical information in areas such as:
• Manufacturer information
• Chemical synonyms
• Physical and Chemical Health Hazards
• Spill Response
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Note: MSDS is analogous to the manual of an instrument/equipment
Material Safety Data Sheets
Include specific chemical identity and common names of chemicals
Must provide information about:
▫ Physical and chemical characteristics
▫ Health effects
▫ Exposure limits
▫ Carcinogenicity (cancer-causing)
▫ Identification (name, address, and telephone number) of the
organization responsible for preparing the sheet
▫ Must be readily accessible to employees in their work area
 LPG-Liquefied Petroleum Gas
• LPG stands for “Liquefied Petroleum Gas” and the term is used to
describe two Natural Gas Liquids: propane and butane.
Propane is a clean-burning alternative fuel that's been used for
decades.Propane is a three-carbon alkane gas (C3H8) and butane is C4H10. It
is stored under pressure inside a tank as a colorless, odorless liquid .LPG is
non-corrosive but can dissolve lubricants, certain plastics or synthetic
rubbers.It is a liquid which readily evaporates into a gas.An odorant has
been added to it to help detect leaks.LPG can cause cold burns to the skin
and it can act as an asphyxiant at high concentrations.Cylinders should be
stored preferably in the open air on a concrete or load-bearing surface.
How to handle LPG gas?
• Always ensure adequate ventilation and never use indoors or in confined
spaces.
• Always read the manufacturers operating instructions.
• Do not connect or disconnect cylinders near a naked flame.
• Do not use LPG in windy conditions.
• Always keep cylinders cool and away from flames, sparks and heat.
• The regulator must be turn off position when not in use.
• Change connection hose every one (1) year at most.
• Do not store cylinders near combustible materials or flammable liquids
corrosive, oxidising materials, toxic materials or compressed gas
cylinders
• If there is a leak replacement must be done immediately.