5 Safety in the Chemical Laboratory

A considerable part of the work in an organic chemistry laboratory

involves using materials and processes that can be dangerous if not properly
handled. With careful preparation beforehand and careful use of chemicals
and equipment, accidents can be avoided. Lack of intelligent preparation and
careless use of chemicals and equipment can be extremely hazardous, even
fatal. Therefore, you must learn to work intelligently and take the proper
precautions for each experiment. Specific safety precautions are given for
each experiment. Be sure to check both the text and the manual for this
information. The following are some general rules for safe laboratory
practice.

Preparation

Before coming to the laboratory, study the experiment and try to

understand the procedure that you will be performing. Make a special note of
any safety precautions. At times there will be parts that you don’t
understand. Be prepared to ask your instructor about these.
You need to prepare for each experiment in order to start the notebook
writeup and to be ready for the quiz that is given before the experiment. A
more important reason for adequate preparation is to be able to work
efficiently in the laboratory. However, the most important reason for
adequate preparation is so that you can work safely in the laboratory. As you
prepare for the experiment you should have all of these things in mind, not
just the quiz.

Protective Wear

All students in the laboratory must wear safety goggles at all times.
Much of the danger of injury to the eyes from spattering reagents or flying
glass fragments from your own or your neighbors’ accidents can be eliminated
by this simple precaution. Another important protection for your eyes is to
avoid rubbing your fingers in or near your eyes. Chemicals can easily be
transferred from your hands to your eyes in this way.
All students are required to wear a lab coat at all times. A lab coat is
more than a uniform identifying you as a scientist; it affords you some
protection from spills of hot or corrosive materials as well as protecting your
regular clothing. Use common sense in choosing the clothes that you wear
to the laboratory. Loose clothing may be more susceptible to catching on fire
and may also cause accidental spills.
Never wear sandals or open-toed shoes in the laboratory. This is a
requirement. Feet are especially vulnerable to anything that falls.
There is some controversy about wearing contact lenses in a chemical
laboratory. In general, it is better to wear eyeglasses if you have them. Be
sure to change from contacts to glasses in enough time to allow your eyes to
adapt to the glasses by the start of the lab. If you must wear contacts, let
your instructor know that you wear them and be especially careful to wear
goggles at all times. Chemicals can get behind the lens, between it and your
eye. This is very dangerous because the lens holds the chemical in contact
with the eye. The lens also obstructs the cleaning of the eye and becomes
difficult to remove because the eye muscles tighten in this situation. In
extreme cases the contact lens can fuse to your eye.

Hazardous Chemicals

There are many different kinds of hazards associated with various

chemicals. Many chemicals are flammable; that is, they can catch on fire.
(Note that the term inflammable does not mean not flammable as you might
expect. It means the same thing as flammable.) Some flammable chemicals
catch fire rather easily; others are not so susceptible. Some common
flammable chemicals include low molecular weight ethers, alcohols, and
hydrocarbons.
Some chemicals are carcinogens or cancer-causing agents. Mutagens
cause mutations, inheritable changes in the genetic material. Teratogens
cause birth defects. Lachrymators cause crying and eye irritation. There are
chemicals that are explosive. Some are corrosive and can cause visible
destruction of skin and clothing. Others irritate the skin in other ways.
Some chemicals that are relatively harmless individually become hazardous
when mixed together.
Many common chemicals have one or more of these properties, so treat
any chemical that you do not know about as potentially dangerous.
Nevertheless, do not let the hazards scare you unduly. Chemicals are safe
when handled in the right way, and even water is unsafe when handled the
wrong way. The key is to look up chemical hazards ahead of time. Use your
textbook, this lab manual, or (even better) the Material Safety Data Sheet
(MSDS) of each individual compound. A binder with MSDS is available in the
laboratory. Handle chemicals in accordance with the information you find,
and be especially cautious with unknown materials.
In this laboratory we have reduced the possibility of fire by eliminating
the use of open flames for heating. The sand baths, Mel-Temps, and hot
plates that we use can become extremely hot, however. So, beware of
touching the surfaces of these items and of spilling flammable solvents or
solutions on them. Be especially wary of the sand. Hot sand can cause
severe burns and it does not look any different from cold sand. Although we
do not use open flames in this laboratory, you must be aware of the hazards
involved in using them. Never use an open flame in an organic chemistry
laboratory in which flammable solvents are in use.
Do not allow any laboratory chemicals to come in contact with your
skin. If you do get a chemical on your skin, immediately wash with large
quantities of water. Clean up chemical spills on bench tops and balances as
soon as they occur. These are common sources of chemicals that get on the
skin. (Besides that, the balances are sensitive electronic instruments that
are easily damaged by spilled chemicals getting into their interiors.) Be
especially careful of concentrated acids and bases. Mercury spills from broken
thermometers are especially dangerous. Notify your instructor when these occur.
If any chemicals get into your eyes, flush them out immediately with
large quantities of water from the eye wash fountain or saline solution from
an eye wash bottle. Flushing should be continued for fifteen minutes and
then prompt medical attention should be obtained.
Some chemical operations produce poisonous or irritating gases.
When this is the case, the operation should be carried out in a working fume
hood or with an appropriate trap. In this class you will be instructed when
this is required. The hoods in our labs are most effective when the sash is
closed. Only open them high enough to work in and lower them when you
finish.
Never eat or drink in the laboratory. Do not even bring food or
beverages into the laboratory. Federal inspectors even consider a food
container found in a lab trash can as sufficient evidence of eating in lab and
can levy heavy fines.

Electrical Hazards

Open flames have been eliminated from our organic chemistry

laboratories, but the amount of electrical equipment has increased. Be
especially careful of the equipment on your lab bench. This includes sand
baths and their controllers, Mel-Temps, and hot plates. There are burn
hazards associated with all of these (as mentioned above). There is also the
danger of electrical shock. Make sure that your hands are dry when handling
this equipment. Clean up water spills as soon as possible, and if water has
spilled on the equipment notify your instructor immediately.
Another potential hazard with the electrical equipment comes from
damaged insulation on power cords. If you notice exposed wires on any of
this equipment, notify your instructor immediately so it can be repaired. Do
not use it until it is repaired. Much of this kind of damage is caused by the
cord coming into contact with the hot surfaces of the equipment or with hot
sand. Please be aware of this possibility and try to keep the cords away from
harm.
Disposal of Excess or Used Materials

One of the reasons that many teaching laboratories have converted to

microscale methods is to reduce the amount of chemical waste. However,
there are still excess and waste chemicals, and it is important for the safety
of individuals and the environment that the disposal of this material be done
safely.
The laboratory text gives specific instructions for disposal of chemicals
from each experiment. Follow these instructions unless this manual or your
instructor gives you other directions. The following are some general
guidelines regarding the handling of surplus materials.
One of the simplest ways to reduce the amount of waste is: take no
more material than you need from the container. Once you have removed
a chemical from its original container, it must be considered contaminated
and should not be returned to the container. Therefore, take only what you
need. If you should take too much of a reagent, see if anyone else in the
class needs some. If not, the reagent must be properly disposed of. Do not
leave the excess lying around near the balances or elsewhere in the
laboratory. Also, to minimize contamination as well as unpleasant odors,
put the lids back on all reagent containers immediately.
Never put any solids in the sink. This includes filter paper, litmus
paper, boiling chips, and sand as well as surplus solid chemicals. Dispose of
paper, sand, and other harmless materials in the waste basket. Some
nonhazardous chemicals can also be placed there. However, never put any
chemical in the waste basket unless specifically instructed to do so by the
text, manual, or instructor.
Place most waste solid and liquid chemicals and reaction products in a
container placed in a fume hood for that purpose. Find the appropriate
container and place the chemical in that container. If you don’t find such a
container or if it is already full, consult your instructor. Do not place the
material in another container unless your instructor tells you to do so. It is
dangerous to mix certain reagents, so don’t place the material in the wrong
container.
Glass is in a class by itself. Never put any broken glass item in a sink
or waste basket. Special boxes are provided in the laboratory for glass that
is broken or must be disposed of for other reasons. Put glass in these boxes
only, and only put glass in these boxes.
A few liquids can be disposed of in the sink. Small samples of dilute
acids and bases are in this category. Concentrated acids and bases must be
diluted and neutralized, if necessary, before disposing of them in the sink.
When diluting acids or bases remember to add them to water, not vice versa.
In all cases in which materials can be disposed of in the sink, they must be
flushed down the drain with a large quantity of water.
Safety and First Aid Equipment

The laboratory is equipped with several pieces of safety equipment.

During the first laboratory session, your instructor will point out all of their
locations and demonstrate the use of some of them. This equipment
includes fire extinguishers, a safety shower, one or more eye wash fountains,
and first aid supplies. Know where all of these items are located and how to
use them. It is too late to learn at the time that they are needed. You must
know ahead of time.
Immediately report all accidents, no matter how minor, to your
instructor. In the event that your instructor is unable to assist you in an
emergency, contact the stockroom supervisor, the department chairperson, or
another chemistry faculty member.

Assignment

Before the first experiment, in addition to preparing for that

experiment, read the inside cover, first page, and the first two chapters in
Williamson. These contain important instructions on laboratory safety
practices and first aid. Two thirds of the quiz before the first experiment, in
each semester, is on safety. You will also be tested on laboratory safety on
the final exam. There may be safety questions on any quiz.

A student who is familiar with the material on Introductory Laboratory

Safety should be able to:

1. Define, recognize, and give examples of each of the following: carcinogen,

teratogen, mutagen, lachrymator, corrosive; flammable, inflammable,
nonflammable.
2. Describe when and how each of the following should be used: safety
goggles, lab coat, fume hood, eyewash fountain, safety shower, fire
extinguisher; always work in your assigned laboratory section with your
instructor's supervision.
3. Identify the procedures for disposal of waste in the laboratory.
Classifications can include: Halogenated and nonhalogenated organic liquids,
halogenated and nonhalogenated organic solids, broken glass, acids and
bases, and ordinary (nontoxic) trash. (Additional classifications may be added
for subsequent experiments).
4. Give and recognize the procedures for dealing with the following laboratory
emergencies: fire, whether on a person or not; chemical spills on the floor or
desktop, on a person's skin or lab coat, and in a person's eyes; cuts; burns.
5. Carry out all of the assigned experiments in this laboratory safely, with
knowledge of the material in this section in mind.
A Final Caution

The most important test of your knowledge of laboratory safety is not

your responses on a quiz, but your actions in the lab. If you continuously
disregard safety rules and practices, your instructor cannot allow you to
remain in the laboratory since you will be a danger to yourself and others.