What You Need To Know About Staying Safe in the Laboratory

The laboratory can be a dangerous environment, with hazards ranging from toxic chemicals to fragile glassware. Therefore, it's vital to follow safety precautions to protect yourself and ensure that your experiment runs smoothly. Here are a few tips on how to stay safe in the lab.

Use a Bio-Safety Cabinet

A bio-safety cabinet is a ventilated area that uses a HEPA filter to remove bacteria and viruses from the air, therefore allowing you to work safely with pathogens. Bio-safety cabinets are more effective than fume hoods because they provide environmental protection, while fume hoods merely limit contact with hazardous vapors. By regularly conducting bio-safety cabinet testing, you can ensure that your cabinet is functioning properly.

Familiarize Yourself With the Layout

In an emergency, it's easy to become flustered and not know how to respond. However, if you familiarize yourself with the lab layout before conducting any experiments, you'll know what steps to take if a crisis does arise. This includes acquainting yourself with the locations of the shower, eyewash stations, and nearest fire alarms and exits. It's also important to never work alone in the lab in case you need assistance in an accident.

Dress Appropriately

Following the lab dress code is one of the easiest and most effective ways to protect yourself from potential accidents. To safeguard your skin from chemical spills, be sure to wear a long-sleeve shirt, long pants and close-toed shoes. It's also important to tie your hair up to prevent it from catching fire. Depending on the type of experiment, you may also need to wear eye protection and gloves.

Conducting an experiment in the lab can be a fun experience, and you don't want an unfortunate accident to interfere with the process. Follow these steps to ensure that you stay safe in the lab.