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| S C I E N C E S A F E T Y O V E R V I E W |
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| science lab safety |
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| Read the Instructions Before You Start Be sure that you understand each lab before you begin. If you have questions, or if you are not sure how to handle a chemical, complete a lab sheet, or accomplish some part of a lab, ask for help from you teacher. If yuo don't feel comfortable doing something, then don't do it. Better safe than sorry. You'll have fewer scars and better eyesight in the end. |
| Clean Up All Messes Immediately This is no time to act like a pig. Your lab area should be clear of clutter and debris when you start experimenting and spotless when you are done and ready to leave. If not, clean it before you do anything else. If you are not sure how to handle a particular mess or problem, ask for help. |
| Organize Your Lab All of the equipment in the lab area has a specific place where it is stored. Follow direction and learn how and where everything goes. If you put the materials and equipment back in their proper places, the next lab group will be able to find them easily and quickly. |
| Handle Chemicals Properly If a poisonous compound or material is use or created any time during the lab activity, the instructions will clearly notify you. Be sure to handle and dispose of chemicals carefully. Read the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) if the lab does not tell you how to do this. Avoid breathing or coming into contact with these substances, as they may be easily absorbed through the skin and mucus membranes, and can make you feel light-headed or nauseous. And, of course, gloves and goggles on, please. |
| Practice Good Fire Safety Skills If there is a fire in the room, notify your teacher or another adult immediately. If they are not in the room and the fire is manageable, smother the blaze with a fire blanket or use a fire extinguisher in an emergency. Immediately send someone to find an adult. If for any reason you should happen to catch on fire, REMEMBER: Stop, Drop, and Roll. Never run! It adds oxygen to the fire, making it burn faster, and also scares the bat guano out of the custodians to see kids they know running down the halls imitating a bonfire. If the fire alarm happens to ring during a lab, remember to extinguish any open flames that you are working with (if any); exit the building quickly, quietly and in an orderly manner; and meet at your predetermined location. |
| Protect Your Skin - Wear Gloves It is a good idea to always wear protective gloves whenever working with chemicals. We incorporate only safe, household chemicals for our labs, but if you do happen to spill a chemical on your skin, notify a teacher immediately and then flush the area with water for 15 minutes. It's unlikely, but if irritation develops, have the school nurse or your parents look at it. If it appears to be serious, contact a physician. Take any information that you have about the chemical with you. |
| Save Your Nosehairs - Waft If you need to smell a chemical to identify it as a part of a lab activity, hold it six to ten inches below and away from your nose. Wave your hand over the opening of the container, "wafting" some of the fumes toward your nose. This allows you to safely smell some of the fumes without exposing you to a large dose of anything noxious. This technique will help prevent a nose bleed or your lungs from accidentally getting burned from chemicals. |
| Loose the Comedy Routine Horseplay can lead to injuries to your classmates. Chemicals may be spilled leading to random genetic mutations, accidental fires may be started, glass may get broken, and equipment may get damaged or destroyed. non of which looks good on a resume`. No running, punching, or shoving during lab time . . . save that for your first date. |
| Wear Goggles if Appropriate If the lab calls for you to heat or mix chemicals, be sure to wear protective eye wear and make sure an eyewash station or running water is immediately at your disposal. You never know when something is going to spatter, splash, or react unexpectedly, and its better to look like a nerd and be prepared than schedule a trip to pick out your seeing eye dog. If you do accidentally get chemicals in your eye, flush the area with water for 15 minutes. If irritation or pain develops, immediately see a doctor. |
| No Eating During Lab It's not a good idea to eat or drink when you are working on a lab activity. When you put food in your mouth that has been lying around in the lab area, you run the risk of possibly ingesting a poison. If the lab does call for you to eat, be sure that the lab area, your hands, and the equipment that you are using are clean. |
| F I R S T A I D O V E R V I E W |
| First Aid for First Degree Burns First degree burns are the mildest and cause the least amount of damage to the skin. A sunburn is a typical first degree burn. The skin is red, tender to the touch, and feels warm. In the lab first degree burns occur when bare hands pick up or touch objects that have been heated over an open flame. You can also experience first degree burns by having hot liquids spilled on your skin. First aid for this kind of burn is to relieve the pain by applying an ice pack, wet cloth, or dipping the skin in cool water. Do not break any blisters, that may lead to an infection. let the affected area dry and cover it with a damp cloth. Do not apply creams, ointments, greases (absolutely no butter) to the burn area. |
| Fire Blankets Fire blankets are just what they sound like: blankets that can be removed from their hooks and used to smother a person or area that is on fire. The blanket is made of a fire retardant material so you are not adding fuel to the proverbial fire. To use a fire blanket you simply spread it out, wrap the person who is on fire with the blanket, kock them to the ground and roll them around. Slightly painful for theperson on fire, but better than becoming a burnt biscuit. Better to be bruised up than burnt up! |
| First Aid for Second Degree Burns Second degree burns exhibit blistering on the surface of the skin. There will most likely be tears, weeping and the skin will be bright red. These are the most painful kinds of burns. Cover the affected area with a clean, damp cloth and get medical attention as soon as possible |
| First Aid for Third Degree Burns Third degree burns are the most sever burns. The skin is charred or non-existent, exposing the muscle and fat layers below the skin. Often times the damage to the nerves is so extensive that the person who is burned feels no pain what-so-ever. They are also usually in shock. Cover the burn with a light, sterile cloth to prevent further contamination and take the perons to the emergency room immediately. Do not attempt to clean the burn or remove the charred skin or cloth from the area. |
| Fire Extinguisher A fire extinguisher is a can of pressurized carbon dioxide. At the top of the extinguisher there is a handle with a pin that locks the handle in place to prevent any accidental firing of the extinguisher. To use the fire extinguisher, slide the pin out of the handle, point the nozzle at the base of the flame, and squeez. Once the carbon dioxide gas starts to flow, make sideways sweeping motions back and forth over the area where the fire is located. |
| First Aid for Chemical in the Eye Sometimes goggles, despite their best efforts, fail and chemicals get in your eye. If this happens do three things immediately: 1) Remove the goggles and glasses or contact lenses, if any. 2) Hold your eyelids open and gently and continuous flush the eye with water for 10-15 minutes. 3) If irritation or pain persists, head to the emergency room with a sample of the chemical and an MSDS, if you have one. |
| Eye Wash Bottles/Stations Some labs have eye wash stations available. These are bottles full of sterile water. If you accidentally get some chemical in your eye you zip over to the eye wash station, grab the bottle, and squirt water into you eye to rinse the chemical out. Commercial labs have eye wash stations that provide a contiuous, 15 minute spray of water to thoroughly rinse the eye. Thankfully we are not going to be working with chemicals quite that nasty. |
| First Aid for Chemical on the Skin Sometimes Your skin or clothing, despite your best efforts, get exposed to chemicals. If this happens do three things immediately: 1) Remove any clothing that you may have on that is wet from chemicals. 2) Rinse the affected area gently and continuous with water for 15 minutes. 3) If pain, irritation, or a rash starts to form, head to the emergency room with a sample of the chemical and an MSDS, if you have one. |
| First Aid for Chemical Inhalation Some compounds give off poisonous gases, other compounds can give off chemicals that are not too dangerous by themselves, but can form mild acids or bases when they hit the back of your throat and mix with water. If someone is having a hard time breathing take the following steps: 1) Remove them from the room and get them fresh air. 2) If they stop breathing administer CPR. 3) If irritation persists or they ahve a hard time getting their breath take them to the emergency room with a sample of the chemical and an MSDS, if you have one. |
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