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How to Stay Safe When Working With Chemicals

Written by Liam Smith

Laboratory work can be dangerous and even potentially life-threatening. This is why safety is paramount in any environment that includes work with harmful chemicals. A great majority of laboratories experience spills every single week, despite safety protocol. The reason for this is that neither personnel nor management is completely familiar with the way they should handle dangerous substances. To increase safety in the workplace, you need to adhere to a set of common-sense safety procedures that will help keep chemicals in their containers and workers safe from harm.

  • Follow procedures to the letter.

While employees are never enthusiastic about having to deal with complicated protocol, it’s an essential part of safety in the workplace. It’s especially important when it comes to dealing with dangerous substances and caustic chemicals.

Always read through the instructions that come with any new chemical that enters your lab. This will give you a good idea of what you’re up against. If it’s something particularly toxic, you’re going to be notified and you’ll know to handle it with care. Countless accidents and injuries occur due to personnel not taking new chemical shipments seriously. This is easily remedied with a little light reading. Once you’re familiar with the chemical, you can follow protocol for this type of hazardous substance.

  • Wear protective equipment

Before you even come close to being in contact with any chemical agent, you need to make sure you have adequate gear that will protect you from any potential damage. If you’re familiar with the chemical in question, you should know the exact gear you have to use to handle it. If it’s a new addition to the lab, reading the instructions will often tell you what kind of protective equipment you’ll want to use.

Personnel sometimes disregard safety gear, whether it’s because there isn’t enough gear for everyone on a given day or the substance isn’t too dangerous. However, there are protective pieces you must wear when handling specific kinds of chemicals. Safety goggles are absolutely essential when working with flammable agents like acids and bases. There’s no telling when they might react with an unexpected substance in the environment.

Spills aren’t at all uncommon in laboratories and industrial settings, which is why having a protective coat is also crucial. Without one, you constantly at risk of exposing your skin to a chemical spill.

  • Keep it clean and tidy

A clean workspace is a safe workspace. Accidents and spills don’t just happen out of the blue. There are factors that influence the likelihood that a chemical will be mismanaged. The state of the work floor is one of them. A cluttered and dirty workspace can very easily cause employees to trip and fall while handling delicate chemical containers. When this is allowed to occur, spillages become more frequent.

Make sure that the work floor is given a thorough cleaning on a regular basis. Laboratories shouldn’t be too cluttered and overcrowded, as this only further increases the risk of an accident. Have adequate storage for paperwork and materials so that they aren’t kept in inopportune places. Bio-friendly detergents are recommended for cleaning, as frequent scrubs will increase the amount of harmful fumes in the air.

  • React swiftly

Working with chemicals always entails a certain level of risk. Even when every safety precaution is taken and protective gear is applied, it’s still possible for some exposure to chemicals to occur. In these scenarios, you have to utilize your training to prevent any serious damage from occurring.

Should a chemical find its way outside of its container and near personnel, make sure that employees can quickly find their way to a safety shower. Clearing the chemical spill should be your second priority. Utilize emergency spill kits to take care of most of the hazardous spillage and clean up the remainder of the substance that is left over. It’s crucial that the spill isn’t able to cause additional harm to personnel.

  • Label items properly
  • One of the first mistakes personnel make when dealing with hazardous chemicals is to delay labelling them. A lot of times, you’ll receive a shipment of chemicals that need to be transported, but they will have scarce labels or their next container won’t have any. This is something that is very easily remedied with something as simple as a sticky note.

Optimally, proper labels should be applied, which contain a handy message or symbol that will let other personnel know what they are handling. Delaying this process will only endanger the next person that has to transport the chemical.

Conclusion

Dealing with harmful chemicals is a dangerous, but necessary job. To prevent dangerous situations from occurring, management and cleaning crews need to make sure that personnel are given ideal working conditions where they aren’t likely to be injured. Even in the unlikely case of spillage and exposure to hazardous materials, there should be precautions in place that prevent things from getting out of control and causing significant injuries.

Eye Protection, Fall Safety, General Safety Issues

SAFETY IN THE CHEMISTRY LAB (GUEST POST)

By Maree Kyle

Safety is valued in any workplace, but in areas where dangerous materials and other hazards are present, it’s essential that workers and businesses create a safe environment where accidents are mitigated. Unfortunately, even the best workplace environments boasting well-trained workers are susceptible to the occasional accident, making it crucial that emergency protocols be developed and taught alongside accident prevention measures.

In chemistry laboratories, safety considerations are amplified. Accidents when working with volatile and potentially dangerous materials can be permanently damaging and, in some cases, fatal. Good chemical hygiene is of utmost importance and this encompasses many facets of lab operations. Here are some steps every lab should take to minimize the risk of an accident and to improve emergency response when mishaps do occur.

1. Demand storeroom organization

Maintaining organization and order in a storeroom makes for more efficient lab work, but it also greatly enhances safety in the workspace. Workers need to keep track of a number of chemicals, many with expiration dates, and old chemicals need to be properly disposed of. Additionally, better organization helps ensure property inventory levels of various chemical materials. A good approach to handling the storeroom is to put one worker in charge of the storeroom, managing its contents and handling upkeep as needed.

2. Display safety signs as intended

A little signage can be very helpful for reminding workers of the dangers present in the workplace. Make sure all signage is properly displayed to maximize its efficacy in helping workers avoid accidents.

3. Demand proper attire

It’s not unheard of that some confident chemists will occasionally decline to wear certain safety gear, considering it more a nuisance than a form of protection. But that’s a risky move that’s bound to end up in failure at some point. From the lab’s perspective, a failure to wear safety gear creates extra risks that could be a liability to the facility. Outline proper attire requirements in various situations and strongly enforce the protocol for failing to follow lab rules.

4. Clean, clean, clean

According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration, the third-leading cause of workplace injuries is slips and falls. The vast majority of these are preventable by making sure hazards and obstacles are kept out of the workspace at all times. Clean floors, countertops and other workspaces frequently to eliminate fluids and other hazards that can lead to accidents. The lab should also be stocked with good materials for quickly and easily cleaning up messes. Other lab-specific safety measures include keeping clutter off of countertops, keeping excess chemicals in proper storage, and handling waste products properly and quickly.

5. Offer proper training on equipment

Greater familiarity with various lab equipment will prevent devices from being misused. Teach lab workers how to identify faulty devices, further preventing accidents resulting from equipment errors.

With so many dangerous materials present, chemistry labs can be particularly prone to serious accidents. Every lab needs to invest time and resources into educating their workers and instituting safety measures. Don’t let safety awareness be a one-time thing: Keep workers mindful of safety concerns with random inspections and continued training workshops to reduce your lab’s risk of a preventable accident.

Thanks, Maree, for this invaluable information regarding safety when working with chemicals.  Texas America Safety Company has a whole range of personal protective equipment to ensure employees’ safety at work. Pat