Laboratory Safety Regulations
1. Laboratory coats have to be fully buttoned-up, long hair should be confined. Protective
equipment as gloves, safety glasses, shields or face-mask should be used when appropriate. The
gloves have to be used in all cases if a biological material (blood, serum, plasma, urine) is
processed.
2. No eating, drinking or smoking in the laboratory is permitted. These activities should be carried
out only in designated rest areas completely separated physically from work areas.
3. No matter what type of work is done in the laboratory, the hands should always be washed with
soap before leaving the room.
4. Work areas should be kept uncluttered and clear of chemicals.
5. Every bottle or other type of container (inclusive of test tubes) must be clearly labelled so as to
prevent mistakes.
6. Solid chemicals are never handled with fingers; the clean laboratory spoons or spatulas are used.
Bottle stoppers must be put on the table such manner to cause no contamination of working
place.
7. Reagent solutions are poured off the bottle on the opposite side to label.
8. Direct pipetting of toxic, irritant and caustic liquids by mouth is forbidden; safety pipette or
rubber bulb must be used.
9. Heating of liquid in the test tube must be practised carefully and slowly, from the surface to the
bottom. The test tube must be moved to reach uniform warming of liquid and to prevent of
outburst of a hot liquid. The nose of the test tube must be directed aside himself or other person.
10. Odours of chemicals should never be detected by the direct sniffing; the vapours can be wafted
by moving of open hand. Never taste the chemicals!
11. Concentrated acids are diluted by a slow interrupted addition the acid to water. Dissolving of
solid NaOH or KOH must be done by the small portions of solid under continuous stirring and
cooling. It is necessary to wait till the previous portion has been dissolved.
12. Spilled concentrated acids should be first cautiously diluted by water and then neutralized using
soda ash or diluted solution of disodium carbonate; strong solutions of NaOH or KOH are
diluted with water. After this, they are moped up cautiously with plenty of water-run to waste,
diluting greatly with running water. Using of gloves is necessary.
13. Small quantities of less hazardous chemicals can be flushed away to the drain with copious
quantities of water but if larger quantities are involved the local authority must be consulted.
14. Avoid inhalation even small quantities of chemicals. Some compounds (e.g. HCN, H2S, Cl2)
may cause death after a single breath. Mercury, benzene, tetrachloromethane, 2-naphtylamine
etc. may give rise to serious effects after exposure to small concentrations after a very long
period.
15. The work with toxic, irritant and malodorous chemicals (e.g. Cl2, COCl2, CHCl3, CCl4, CS2) or
highly flammable liquids (e.g. diethyl ether, petroleum ether, CS2, benzene, acetone) must be
done in a fume cupboard.
16. Flammable liquids and gases must be handled in such a manner to prevent their ignition from
open flame, electrical equipment, static electricity and hot surfaces. It is necessary to keep in
mind that all organic compounds containing less than 70 % of halogens are combustible.
Spillage disposal: Shut off all possible sources of ignition. In the case of water-miscible liquids
mop up with plenty of water and run to waste, diluting greatly with running water. In other
cases apply non-flammable dispersing agent if available and work to an emulsion with brush
and water - run this to waste. If dispersing agent not available, absorb on sand, shovel into
bucket and transport to safe open area for atmospheric evaporation. Ventilate area to evaporate
remaining liquid and dispel vapour.
17. Oxidising agents and reducers must not be pulverized together because of possible exothermical
reaction and dangerous explosion may occur.
18. Alkali metals must not come in contact with water or moisture. These metals alone even the rest
of them must be kept under the kerosene or naphtha.
19. Mercury should be handled carefully over the basin. Because of the high toxicity of mercury
vapour it is important to clean up all spills of mercury as thoroughly as possible without delay.
A small aspirator with a capillary tube and connected to a syringe or to a pump can be used for
sucking up droplets. Remaining droplets can be treated with zinc dust to form the amalgam and
then cleaned up.
20. Damaged glassware must not be employed in experiments as it may crack and spill the contents
during experiment. It must not be given to wash together with other glassware. Glass splinters
must be carefully removed into the special container.
21. The breakage of equipment by localized overheating using direct gas flames is a hazard which
can be easily avoided by using water bath, hot plates, heating mantles a sand bath. Usage of
boiling chips prevents bumping and overheating.
22. It is necessary to consider all hazards involved before starting the work.
HAVING ANY DOUBTS ABOUT THE HAZARD POSSIBLE NEVER HESITATE TO
CONSULT A TEACHER