Safety Procedures within a LaboratoryCategory: Business
Article posted by: Jon Richards
In a laboratory setting, safety is of the utmost importance. All sorts of potentially hazardous chemicals and materials can be located in a science lab, many of them combustible, corrosive, radioactive, or biologically hazardous. It is therefore most important for scientists to be aware of the hazards and take preventative action as they go about their daily activities.
It is customary for experiments and tests to be under constant supervision to ensure they are going according to plan.
Scientists must be aware of the substances they are working with and never use any substance which is unlabelled or unknown. Lab coats, gloves and safety goggles must always be worn in the laboratory to ensure protection to skin and eyes. Work areas must be kept clean at all times, and it is important to ensure the area is thoroughly cleaned after an experiment or test to ensure it is ready for the next experiment and that no dangerous traces of material are left behind.
Walkways within the laboratory should always be clear, as should exits and doorways, to ensure an easy escape in the event of an emergency. As well as ensuring that the laboratory is always clean and clutter free, safety also depends on the proper storage of dangerous chemicals and substances.
All chemicals must be labelled correctly and dated to ensure their contents and expiry date is known. They should be on easy to reach shelves where they will not tip over or fall off easily.
Chemicals which have a chance of reacting with each other should never be stored near each other. Lids and caps should always be kept tightly on all chemical containers, as well as specimen containers and vials of biological materials. Anything that has a chance to cause a hazardous effect if left open needs to be securely covered. By doing this, the spread of poisonous gasses, biological diseases, potentially combustible fumes, and other dangerous hazards is minimised.
Spillages should always be attended to immediately if it is safe and you have been trained to do so. Otherwise the lab should be evacuated and the appropriate authorities alerted.
In the case of fire, an extinguisher can be used according to fire safety training, however if the fire is large and not containable, the lab should be evacuated, the fire alarm sounded, and the Fire Brigade called. All laboratories have instructions and a detailed plan in what to do in case of emergency. All employees are made familiar with these plans when they are first employed, and then on a regular basis each year. As long as all instructions for preventative safety measures as well as emergency procedures are followed, laboratories can be fairly safe to work in.
Posted By: Jon Richards
Web: http://www.bristoljobs.co.uk
Contact: e-mail
| Another articles posted by Jon Richards: |
|
|
|
|
|
