“Working Safely in the Laboratory” quiz
EHS Awareness
1. What government agency directly regulates laboratory safety practices?
a. The National Chemical Safety Board (CSB)
b. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
c. The Department of Transportation (DOT)
d. The Federal Highway Administration (FHC)
2. Which of these are not a chemical from a regulatory point of view?
a. Gasoline
b. Milk
c. A new flammable liquid storage can
d. Benzene
Hazard Recognition: Labeling
3. Which of these terms are NOT included in the internationally-recognized GHS system of
chemical hazards?
a. Flammable
b. Corrosive
c. Explosive
d. Organic
4. Which of these audiences rely on labels on laboratory chemicals to protect themselves?
a. Laboratory workers
b. Emergency responders
c. Co-workers in the laboratory
d. All of the above
5. What chemical property can tell you whether a liquid is flammable at room temperature?
Hint: it’s used by the GHS system to determine the chemical’s flammability classification.
a. Lower Explosive Limit
b. Flashpoint
c. Upper Explosive Limit
d. Autoignition temperature
Hazard Assessment: Training and Oversight
6. What property of a substance is most important in determining how quickly a chemical
penetrates your skin, which is primarily made of lipids?
a. Water solubility
b. Oil solubility
c. Flashpoint
d. pH
7. If you’re not sure how to perform a chemical process in your lab safely, where is the best
place to get more information?
a. Your laboratory supervisor
b. Your college chemistry textbook
c. A google search
d. The primary scientific literature
8. What route of exposure probably presented the least serious exposure for the Radium Girls
of New Jersey? Hint: Radium is a solid material in liquid solution.
a. Inhalation
b. Ingestion
c. Passage through the skin
d. Skin exposure
Hazard Management: Chemical Storage and Compatibility
9. What chemical hazards increase with the concentration of the chemical?
a. Flammability
b. Toxicity
c. Corrosivity
d. All of the above
10. True or False: 100% Ethanol is a flammable liquid, therefore wine (which is about 10-15%
ethanol) should not be stored in a household refrigerator.
11. What is the primary goal of a flammable liquids storage cabinet?
a. Make flammable liquids easy to find in case of fire
b. Contain flammable liquids in case of a spill
c. To protect the chemicals in the cabinet from a fire outside the cabinet
d. To contain a fire inside the cabinet
Emergency Preparedness
12. What is the fastest way to get help in an emergency situation?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Call 911 and identify your location
Call the laboratory supervisor
Use the askEHS web site
Laboratory emergencies are minor enough to be handled by the person on the scene
Green Laboratories
13. Who assures the safe and legal disposal of chemical wastes from Cornell laboratories?
a. The Cornell Environmental Health and Safety Department
b. Laboratory workers
c. The EPA
d. A partnership between Cornell EHS and the laboratory workers
14. What equipment is the largest user of energy in a modern laboratory?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Laboratory ventilation, including fume hoods
Computers
Biosafety cabinets
Centrifuges
15. As used by the American Chemical Society and the Environmental Protection Agency,
“Green Chemistry” refers to
a.
b.
c.
d.
The study of the biochemistry of plants
Using chemicals in less environmentally harmful ways
Identifying ways to alter the reflective characteristics of green paint
Using organic chemicals