Lab Safety Report, Lab Report Example

Introduction

Safety and health considerations are very important in the chemistry laboratory just like in the biology laboratory, however, these considerations are very important ion the chemistry laboratory as the chemistry laboratory in composed of various chemicals that have serious effects on the handlers as well as on the tools and equipments used to handle the chemicals. The chemicals used in the laboratory have various degrees of ignition, toxicity and corrosion, the varying degree not with standing means that all chemical should be used with the utmost care. This report outlines how the following safety rules will be attended to every time a laboratory activity will be carried out:

1. Chemical hygiene safety
2. Preparing for Laboratory Activities
3. Eye safety and other personal protection equipment:
4. Emergency response:
5. Waste Chemical Handling and storage:

Chemical hygiene safety

It is necessary to be very careful while handling the tubing and the stopper as the tubing might break and results into serious injury, so using a hand towel to hold the tubing can help in reducing the impacts of the broken jugged edge. Or lubrication using glycerin, alcohol or water may help in situations where the tubing can not enter the stopper. A regular inventory inspection on the chemicals will be done and a copy of the inventory presented to the local emergency responders, no food will be stored with chemicals. No chemical will be stored in a food container because other student may ingest the contents of the food container and lead to emergency cases especially if the contents of the container were very dangerous chemicals like nitrogen dioxide or any other chemical (Bauer et al 102).

No chemical will be left on the floor, the laboratory chemical hood or on the lab bench as the chemicals have dangerous characteristics that might harm the people who come into contact with the chemicals. All reagents and chemicals will be labeled, it is also important to know tall the storage, disposal and handling requirement for the chemicals used in the laboratory. Students will put on chemical splash goggles, gloves and laboratory coats or aprons. Bauer et al, (2008) argues that, if possible, the chemical hygiene plan (CHP) will be followed to as it states the procedures, policies and responsibilities that serve to protect chemical handlers from the potential health hazards that are associated with hazardous chemicals which are used in laboratory activities. The CHP is a very important tool for the students especially those doing chemistry experiment; this will be used together with the laboratory manual to enhance safety of both the student and the teachers in the laboratory whenever there is a laboratory activity (Bauer et al 102).

Preparing for Laboratory Activities

Bauer et al, (102) states, It is imperative to know all the safety concerns and potential hazards that are related to the laboratory procedures that are conducted, before starting any laboratory activity, it is important to weight the potential risk factors so as to have an understanding of the potential hazards of the processes, materials and equipments involved in the activities used in laboratory activities. All equipment used in the laboratory will be inspected before use to prevent unnecessary injuries. Before any activity in the laboratory, it is important to weigh potential risk factors against the actual educational value. The teacher in charge of the experiment will inform the students about the nature of the chemicals they will handle before they get to the laboratory premises and the student will have to strictly follow the rules and regulation of the laboratory and refrain from mixing chemicals unless they are requested by the instructor to do so,

Eye safety and other personal protection equipment: all the approved safety goggles and glasses including face shields will be worn at all time within the chemistry laboratory. The chemical handlers know that the normal prescription lens is usually not sufficient as there are possibilities of explosions within the chemistry laboratory. Chemicals like nitric acid are very dangerous and so any kind of contacts with these chemicals should be controlled and the due diligence accorded (Bauer et al 102).

Glassware safety: all glassware will be labeled to indicate the contents and be stored in their designated places; all equipment will be stored in places to allow for easy identification, replacement and access whenever they are needed, all atmospheric pressure distillations will not be carried in closed systems as closed systems are likely to explode if heated. The laboratory windows should be opened or better still air conditioner should be left running whenever, there is a laboratory activity or experiment in progress as most chemicals are less dense than the air and so are likely to evaporate, some chemicals on the other hand, are very pungent making free circulation of air very necessary lest the chemical handlers be chocked in very dangerous fumes.

Emergency response

Emergencies usually occurs whenever there is a chemical spillage, there is a contact with the chemicals more specifically in the eye the skin or better still, a chemical handler has ingested some chemicals or inhaled the fumes produced by chemical reactions. The chemical may cause varying effects on the handlers and as such should be reported immediately while fist aid if offered to the affected person to mitigate the effect of the chemicals for example:

Chemical in the Eye: chemical splash onto the eye or evaporate into the air putting the naked eye at a lot of danger, the naked eye exposed to the chemicals may be irritating or even painful and so the best emergency response  that  is considered very important is the first aid that includes : holding the eye open while being flushed with lots of water, in case the person was wearing contacts lens, it is recommended that the lens be removed as the eye is being flushed and in the meantime medical attention is being sought (Bauer et al 67).

Acid/Base Spill: in case there is a spill on the skin, the area will be flushed with copious amounts of cold water from the drench shower for five to ten minutes. However if the spill is not directly on the skin, The acidic area will be neutralized with sodium hydrogen carbonate (baking powder) also referred to as the baking powder or use bases such as 5% acetic acid (with vinegar) It is never the less important to note that vapor will not be inhaled and any diatomaceous earth will be spread to absorb any neutralized waste. It is advisable to remove clothing in case the spill was on the clothing. Finally, will mercury spill, mercury being vary dangerous chemical will prompt the chemical handlers to evacuate the affected area. This will be the norm in the laboratory incase any chemical considered to have adverse reactions or those chemicals for which the reactions are not established at the time of spillage (Bauer et al 67). Even though the baking powder may be the best neutralizer, it can not be used to neutralize al acids so due care should be practiced whenever, chemicals spill in the laboratory.

While the presence of an instructor is very important in the laboratory and should not be overlooked, the students handling the chemicals are expected to practice caution in the laboratory when they are mixing chemicals, some chemicals are highly reactive and are wont to explode, in fact it is a requirement that any activity that involves mixing chemicals must be done with the permission form the instructor or under the watchful eyes of the teacher.

Waste Chemical Handling and storage

The recommended procedure for handling chemicals that are intended to be discarded will be followed at all times in the laboratory, wastes are hazardous because of the following characteristics, and they are ignitable, toxic, reactive and corrosive, as such they will be stored in the containers that are on good conditions and compatible with the contents. These containers will be labeled clearly and stored in designated areas. Bauer et al (67) points up that the bottles will not be filed to the brim and will always be capped to prevent spillage on the floor whenever they are knocked over, or better still to prevent their fumes from escaping onto the surrounding environment, it is also important that any accidental spillage be reported to the laboratory assistant or to the instructor as this may help in mitigating the possible effects that the chemical so spilled could have on the people or students handling the chemicals. Any waste that can not be disposed within the school premises must be disposed in the right manner as provided by the manufacturer or returned to the manufacturers as they might have adverse effect on the handlers and the general environment.

Lab Reports

Whenever writing a lab report, the report will always be grammatically correct in all aspects, as the report may be used in the court of law. The report is the only evidence that can be used to link any emergency occurrence in the laboratory or used to determine the right course of action whenever an emergency arises (Bauer et al 102).

All lab reports must contain all the pertinent issues about all the chemicals, the procedure as well as the people in charge during the experiment as the report can e used as reference source whenever anything happens that requires references to the procedures followed. Finally, all the lab reports must be certified to be correct to the knowledge of the instructor in charge as the report may have incriminating impacts on various parties associated with the report, for example the person who signs the report accepts liability and even conviction in the court of law meaning the report according to him is foolproof and can be used to establish the causes and reason of some occurrence in the laboratory. The laboratory reports must be legible, logical and coherent to enable understanding and thus quick response in case there is an emergency.

Works cited

Richard C. Bauer, James P. Birk, & Douglas J. Sawyer. Laboratory Inquiry in Chemistry 3^rd Ed.           Cangage, 2008.