Organic Chemistry
Initial Safety Briefing
1. General. Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF): Be safe or die. Failure to observe safety rules can result in
injury or death to you or others. Do not take unnecessary risks in the lab that put you or your fellow
students in danger. By the same token, accidents will happen, but keeping a cool head will minimize
injury, damage, or loss.
a. Eyes. Always wear goggles. The person across the bench may have the accident that gets you, so
always wear goggles and note the location of the nearest eyewash station. Immediate flushing with copious
amounts of water (at least 20 minutes) is the best first aid in case of chemical contact with the eye(s). Do
not hesitate if you have any suspicion of chemical eye exposure. NO CONTACTS WILL BE WORN IN
THE LAB! Contact lenses trap chemicals and hold them right against the eyeball, greatly increasing
damage to eye tissue.
b. Spills. NOTIFY THE INSTRUCTOR! Neutralize all acid/base spills with the appropriate
powdered chemical. You can still save your organic compound. DON’T THROW ANYTHING AWAY
UNTIL THE INSTRUCTOR AGREES THAT IT IS HOPELESS.
c. Chemicals. Always wear your lab coat and use the disposable gloves. Chemical burn scars are not
attractive, so don't get chemicals on you. If you do, NOTIFY YOUR INSTRUCTOR! Wash the exposed
area thoroughly, and use the safety shower if a major accident occurs.
d. Solvents. Most solvents have hazardous vapors, are volatile, and many are flammable. Always
use them near your bench hood or in the lab hood.
e. Flames and heating elements. Before you ignite a flame, ensure that no volatile, flammable organic
compounds are in use around you. Know the location of the nearest fire extinguisher and shower. Thermal
burns are the most common laboratory accident. Be very careful with gas burners and other hot objects
such as glassware. For minor burns, apply ice to the burn area until more thorough treatment is available.
f. Hygiene. At the end of each laboratory period, thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water at
the washbasins at the end of each lab bench. During the lab, avoid touching your face, especially eyes and
mouth, since your fingers may have small amounts of chemicals on them. It may not be noticeable on your
fingers, but the eyes are much more sensitive. Wash thoroughly whenever you even suspect chemical
exposure. Eating, drinking, and chewing gum chewing in the classroom and lab are forbidden; any
foodstuff can absorb organic vapors in the air, which you will then ingest. Don’t poison yourself.
2. Text Warnings. Always pay strict attention to text safety warnings; in the Table of Reagents and
Products, you will include hazard risks and safety warnings, as appropriate, for each compound you use.
Refer to the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for particular safety considerations.
3. Bench Areas. Keep your area as clean as possible; clean as you go. Keep all books and non-reaction
related material away from the bench-top work area.
a. Hoods. Conduct all reactions at your hood or with an exit hose passing into the hood.
b. Steam Lines. Steam burns can be very painful. Keep steam flow rate to a minimum and ensure the
hoses run from the valve to the top of the steam bath, and the exit hose goes to the sink.
c. Vacuum Lines. Do not use without permission. Do not use without a trap. Imploding glassware is
just as dangerous as exploding glassware.
d. Gas Lines. Turn gas valves fully off (horizontal) when not in use, and fully on (vertical) when in
use. Adjust the flame height at the burner. Don't reach across burners, don't leave the burner lit when not
in use, don't light the flame if there is a local vapor hazard, and use the minimum flame to accomplish the
task.
CHEM 2211L/2212L
Georgia Gwinnett College
Page 1 of 2
2/12/2016
School of Science & Technology
Organic Chemistry
Initial Safety Briefing
e. Bench Top. Keep your bench top clean and thoroughly clean up chemical spills. Non-volatile
reagents may linger long after they are spilled.
4. Instrument Areas. Keep these clean and thoroughly clean up chemical spills. Push chairs in when done
using instruments.
a. Melting Point Apparatus. Use care when heating; the heating element gets very hot. Always turn
these instruments off after use. Dispose of capillaries in the broken glass containers. Do not leave
capillaries inside the melting point instruments.
b. Balances. Check for cleanliness prior to use. Corrosive materials left on the balances will damage
this instrument; materials left on the weighing pan will cause inaccuracy in your measurement of mass.
c. IR Spectrometer. Check for cleanliness prior to use. Corrosive materials left in the sample holder
could damage this instrument; materials left in the sample holder will cause inaccuracy in your
measurement of a compound’s IR.
5. Waste Disposal. Containers will be provided for the disposal of hazardous waste, solvents, and broken
glass. Their use and location will be described in the prelab briefing. All organic solid and solvent waste
will be disposed in the solid and liquid waste containers, respectively, in the Solvent and Wastes Hood.
Non-hazardous solid waste may be disposed of in the wastebasket. Non-hazardous aqueous waste may be
disposed of in the sink. All broken glass and used pipettes will be discarded in the designated waste glass
receptacles. IF YOU ARE IN DOUBT AS TO THE CORRECT METHOD OF DISPOSAL FOR A
MATERIAL, DO NOT MIX WASTES - ASK YOUR INSTRUCTOR!
6. Storage of Experimental Material. You may need to store your reaction mixture or product between lab
periods. You will seal and label (name; hour; laboratory notebook page number; chemical structure) the
container in which your material is stored and leave it in the lab. Under no circumstances will you
remove any reagent, intermediate, product, or chemical from the organic lab. You endanger your own
health and the safety of your fellow cadets by exposing untrained and unwarned individuals as to the
hazards of this material. Hazardous material (HAZMAT) storage has its own set of Federal and State
regulations, and you do not want to be the individual who violates one of them on behalf of GGC.
7. Common Laboratory Accidents. Undue haste and carelessness most commonly lead to accidents. A
thorough understanding of the prescribed procedures allows you to work quickly and confidently. Your
laboratory notebook will be prepared beforehand, so you will be familiar with what apparatus and
glassware you will use for the experiment. Clamp and secure all apparatus that is above the level of the
bench and all glassware used in vacuum filtration. Most glassware, e.g., round bottom flasks, funnels,
conical vials, test tubes, and stirring rods, will roll off the table or tip over and spill your reaction mixture;
stand them up in beakers. Mercury and glass from broken thermometers represent one of your greatest
hazards. Take special care to ensure that thermometers do not break. Always secure thermometers to keep
them from rolling off the bench top or snapping off in the heating block. Avoid potential burns and fire
hazards by turning off the melting point apparatus after your temperature readings are obtained.
CHEM 2211L/2212L
Georgia Gwinnett College
Page 2 of 2
2/12/2016
School of Science & Technology