Lower Columbia College Chemistry Department
Student Laboratory Safety Manual
Purpose & Scope
Lower Columbia College Chemistry has established this safety manual to assist in providing the maximum
protection to students handling chemicals in the laboratory. This manual shall be followed by all students engaged in
the laboratory use of hazardous chemicals.
Introduction
Since chemistry is an experimental science, the education of a chemist necessitates exposure to many potentially
hazardous situations in the laboratory. Students who work under such circumstances must recognize that potential
hazards exist and, therefore, must have a thorough understanding of and follow the safety information and
procedures described in this manual.
Students who plan to use the Chemistry Department's laboratory facilities must read and understand this safety
manual, sign the "Student Laboratory Safety Manual Acknowledgment" form (attached to this document), and turn
in the signed form to their lab instructor prior to being allowed to begin any laboratory work.
Before beginning a given experiment, students must read the safety information detailed in the text of each
experiment's lab handout (as available). Examples of this information are the hazards associated with the chemicals
to be used and special precautions or methods to be employed to avoid chemical exposure. For the safety of all lab
students, the Chemistry Department reserves the right to ask you to leave if you are engaging in dangerous or
reckless behavior. This type of behavior includes horseplay, mixing chemicals when you have no understanding of
their properties that could result in a hazardous situation, and repeated disregard for department rules (see Two
Strikes Rule, below).
Two Strikes Rule
After any two violations of safety rules in a given lab period you will be asked to leave the lab for the day without
the opportunity to finish or make up the lab work. If this happens, you must meet arrange to meet with the instructor
before returning to lab the following week.
Attire
Since work in a chemistry laboratory involves the use of a wide range of chemicals with an equally wide range of
associated hazards, all students must be in appropriate attire. Attire requirements are as follows:
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No sandals or other open-toes shoes are allowed. High heel and open-heeled shoes are strong discouraged.
Long hair must be confined.
Shorts and tank tops are not allowed. You must be covered from shoulder to toe.
Lab coats are not required, but are an option.
Safety goggles are required any time work is being performed in a laboratory (see the "Personal Protective
Equipment" section for more information)
Chemistry Building Policies & Regulations
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No experiment is to be undertaken without prior approval by the instructor. No chemicals or equipment are to
be removed from the chemistry building without prior approval from an instructor. No student should attempt to
use a piece of equipment with which he or she is unfamiliar until having been instructed how to use it.
No storage of coats or backpacks on laboratory desks is permitted. All backpacks will be stored against the
south wall and coats will be hung up on the racks provided.
No food or drinks are allowed in the laboratories.
WORK AFTER NORMAL HOURS
A first-year chemistry student ("General Chemistry" series) may work in the laboratory only during the student's
scheduled lab section. The only excepted times and conditions are:
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In a different scheduled lab section with the pre-arranged permission of both instructors involved
A second-year student and above ("Organic Chemistry" series and above) may work in the laboratory only
during the student's scheduled lab section. The only excepted times and conditions are:
In a different scheduled lab section with the permission of both instructors involved
Outside of normal lab hours with the instructor's permission
When a faculty member is present to supervise their activities
Although the chemistry faculty recognize that students sometimes find it necessary to work outside normal lab
hours, and although they will often attempt to make arrangements to meet the needs of those students,
instructors may at their discretion decline to issue permission for such work.
Personal Protective Equipment (Ppe)
EYE PROTECTION
No work will be carried out in any laboratory unless eye protection is worn. Eye protection is defined as safety
goggles and provides both impact and splash protection. Safety goggles provide the most complete eye protection
and must be worn if the potential for splashes of corrosive chemicals or organic solvents exists. Contact lenses
should not be worn in the laboratory. If their use is unavoidable, be sure to inform the instructor each time you enter
lab.
SKIN PROTECTION
The best way to prevent skin damage from chemicals is to avoid skin contact. Gloves provide a good protective
barrier for the hands and are recommended when working with hazardous chemicals.
At the end of each laboratory session prior to leaving the lab, students should wash their hands thoroughly. Be sure
to wash your hands before you leave for the restroom.
Safety/Emergency Equipment
Part of the lab safety material covered by your instructor in the first lab session will include the locations and proper
use of the following safety and/or emergency equipment:
Emergency/Safety
Equipment
Location
Emergency/Safety
Equipment
Exit
Safety Shower
Second Exit
Eyewash
Fire Extinguisher
Fume Hood
Main Gas Shut-off
First Aid Kit
Location
Working in fume hoods provides respiratory protection against chemicals used in student experiments. For this
reason, students should always use fume hoods when working with inhalation hazard chemicals. The large fume
hoods provide much better respiratory protection than the desktop versions. When using the fume hoods, be sure to
verify the equipment is on.
ASSIGNMENT: Draw a map of the lab and label the location of safety all
equipment on the inside front cover of your laboratory notebook.
Emergency Procedures & First Aid
In the event of any laboratory emergency, IMMEDIATELY notify the instructor or another member of the
Chemistry Department.
In the event a student spills a chemical on his or her skin, or gets a chemical into his or her eye(s), follow one
of the following procedures immediately. This will help to minimize any damage done to the eye(s) or skin.
EYE EXPOSURE
IMMEDIATELY rinse the eye(s) in the nearest eyewash by holding the eye(s) open and continually flushing with
water for at least 15 minutes.
The eyes should then be checked by a medical professional (i.e. at the Student Health Center).
SKIN EXPOSURE
IMMEDIATELY rinse the affected area in the nearest sink (if practical) or in the nearest safety shower for at least
15 minutes. Examples of chemicals for which this procedure is most critical are contact-hazard chemicals such as
acids and bases.
FIRES
DO NOT attempt to fight an unconfined fire. In this case, notification and evacuation of building occupants is your
primary responsibility. The person discovering an uncontrolled fire should pull the nearest wall alarm and evacuate
the building. The alarm sound will be the signal to all building occupants to immediately evacuate and congregate
east the Physical Science building in the parking lot. Do not leave the area – we need to verify that everyone is ok.
CHEMICAL SPILLS
If a chemical is spilled, immediately notify the lab instructor.
Since mercury is a toxic metal with a highly toxic vapor, if a student breaks a thermometer or any other mercurycontaining device, immediately notify the lab instructor for prompt cleanup.
EVACUATION
If the chemistry building is evacuated for any reason, such as a fire or chemical spill, the congregation point is east
the Physical Science building in the parking lot. During normal working hours, your instructor or other university
personnel will inform you if evacuation is necessary. If you are unsure if evacuation is necessary and it is after hours
or chemistry personnel is unavailable, evacuate and call 9-911 and/or Safety & Security at x2911.
Other Hazards
WATER OVERFLOW
Common sources of water overflow in the laboratory include condenser hoses, steam baths, ice baths, steam line
hoses, stopped-up sinks, and a too-high delivery rate of water. Overflow is not only a nuisance, but can become a
serious hazard if it occurs near electrical equipment.
Always use reasonable flow rates in condensers and sinks. A high flow rate does not increase the condensation rate.
When using an aspirator, however, the flow rate should be turned as high as possible.
Steam baths should be connected such that the steam enters the top hose and exits out the bottom hose. Steam baths
can overflow if the drainage hole becomes blocked. When operating the steam valve, do not run the steam at any
more than a low flow rate. (Once a steam bath reaches 100 º C, it will not get hotter with a faster steam flow.)
Excessive steam can contaminate the lab experiment.
SUPERHEATED LIQUIDS
Liquids will not boil smoothly (except water) unless a nucleation site is present on which the bubbles of vapor can
readily form. Upon heating a liquid can become superheated above the boiling point and suddenly vaporize,
expelling hot solution out of the container. Boiling chips or stones are used to avoid superheating; their use will
be addressed by the lab instructor.
FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS
Since a large number of organic liquids have flash points (the lowest temperature at which enough vapor of a liquid
is present to ignite in air) at or below room temperature, it is imperative to follow the lab instructor's direction
regarding the use of Bunsen burners when these chemicals are being used.
CHEMICAL COMPATIBILITY
For any given lab, chemical compatibility will have already been considered during the experiment design. It is to a
student's benefit, however, to be aware of basic compatibility rules. These include not mixing strong acids with
strong bases, strong oxidizers with organics, or acids with cyanides or sulfides.
WASTE
The lab handouts include information on disposal of the waste generated in the lab experiments. Be sure to follow
the instructions given in the handouts and by the lab instructor. If a waste chemical is put into the wrong collection
container, a reaction could occur; therefore, BE SURE to inform the instructor immediately if you have disposed of
a chemical incorrectly.
Labeling
For all reagent bottles, the label will indicate the contents and the hazard(s)
associated with the compound. The hazard warning may simply be a key
word, such as "flammable", or may be in the form of an NFPA (National
Fire Protection Association) diamond.
All other containers, such as beakers or vials, must be labeled with the
contents and hazards unless the container is to be used within the class
period.
NFPA DIAMOND
The NFPA diamond looks as follows and is composed of four color-coded
sections:
Health (blue)
This section contains a rating from 0 to 4 with
these meanings:
Flammability (red)
This section contains a rating from 0 to 4 with
these meanings:
4 deadly
3 extreme danger
2 hazardous
1 slightly hazardous
0 normal material
4 flash point below 73° F
3 flash point below 100° F
2 flash point below 140° F
1 flash point above 200° F
0 will not burn
Reactivity (yellow)
This section contains a rating from 0 to 4 with
these meanings:
Special cautions (white)
This section contains other hazard warnings as
follows:
4 may detonate
3 shock and heat may detonate
2 violent chemical change
1 unstable if heated
0 stable
OX
ACID
ALK
oxidizer
acid
alkali
COR
W
corrosive
use no water
radioactive
Chemistry Safety Quiz
1. Whom should you call in case of an emergency in
the lab?
a. Instructor
b. Nobody
c. A friend
d. Anybody
2. Why is smoking not permitted in the lab?
a. It is inconvenient
b. It is bad for your health
c. The lab could be blown up
d. There are no ash trays in the lab
3. What would immediately be used if your clothing
caught fire or if a large chemical spill had occured on
your clothing?
a. Fire extinguisher
b. Safety shower
c. Laboratory sinks
d. Eye-wash fountain
4. What should be worn in a laboratory at all times to
decrease the likelihood of eye injury?
a. Corrective lenses
b. Safety Glasses
c. A mask
d. Nothing
5. What should be done if a chemical gets in the eye?
a. Notify the Instructor; then use the eye-wash
fountain
b. Use the eye-wash fountain; then return to
the experiment
c. Use the eye-wash fountain; then notify the
instructor
d. Nothing, unless the chemical causes
discomfort
6. Why is it not advisable to wear contact lenses in
the lab?
a. Lenses could inadvertently fall out of the
eye
b. Chemical vapor could become trapped
between the lenses and the eye
c. Chemical vapor could literally react with the
lenses
a. All of the above
7. What precautions are needed with long hair and
beards?
a. Keep long hair tied back/keep hair away
from flames
b. Must be shampooed
c. No long hair and/or beards allowed in the
lab
d. No precautions are necessary
8. What type of footwear is required in the lab?
a. Shoes are optional
b. Hard-soled, covered shoes
c. Sandals
d. Something in a low heel
9. Eating and drinking is not permitted in the lab
because:
a. There would not be enough time to finish
the experiment
b. The storeroom serves terrible appetizers
c. You could be poisoned
d. The lab would become quite messy with this
type of activity
10. Are there any conditions under which a student
may work alone?
a. Yes
b. No
c. Maybe
d. Students may work unrestricted, at their own
convenience
11. Why are no unauthorized experiments permitted
in the lab?
a. The student lacks experience in the lab
b. Most professors love to see only their
selected experiments performed
c. The stockroom may not have the reagents
that you need
d. It may take more time to perform than
expected
12. What should be the very last function performed
in the lab before you leave?
a. Bid the instructor farewell
b. Make sure that your locker is secure
c. Wash your hands
d. Arrange a time with your lab partner for
lunch
COMPLETE THIS QUIZ, SIGN THE SAFETY ACKNOWLEGDEMENT, AND FILL OUT YOUR LAB MAP.
TURN IN THIS SHEET BEFORE LEAVING THE LAB.
Student Laboratory Safety Manual Acknowledgment
This form serves as an acknowledgment of and agreement to abide by the contents of the Lower
Columbia College Chemistry Department Laboratory Safety Manual. Students must complete
this form and submit it to their chemistry instructor before any laboratory work is carried out.
I, ________________________________(print name) have read the Summer 2003 revision of
the Lower Columbia College Chemistry Department Laboratory Safety Manual and understand
its contents. I agree to follow all rules and requirements set forth in the manual, including proper
eye protection and laboratory attire.
I agree not to remove chemicals or equipment from the chemistry building and not to undertake
any experimental work without prior approval of my instructor.
_____________________________________________
(signature)
_____________________________________________
(date)