Laboratories can be dangerous due to the presence of hazardous materials. Laboratory workers are often prone to accidents and injuries, which is why laboratory safety equipment is essential. Protective gear such as gloves, safety goggles, and lab coats should be provided. Ventilation and well-labeled containers should be present. In this article, we will discuss the best safety equipment for laboratories.
What Are Some Common Laboratory Safety Mistakes?
Laboratory safety is one of the most important things to remember when completing your chemistry lab equipment checklist. Laboratories are where new ideas, products, and treatments develop. Failure to maintain safety protocols can expose people to serious health risks or death. It’s essential to be aware of common mistakes and potential hazards that can arise to ensure everyone’s safety in the laboratory. Taking precautions to prevent an accident is critical to having a safe and productive laboratory environment.
Make sure to check off these pieces for your chemistry lab equipment checklist:
- Taps- A chemistry lab should have fixtures for easy access to water. These should be stainless steel or another corrosion-resistant material.
- Fume Hood- A fume hood is another critical piece for your chemistry lab equipment checklist. The hood should be made of corrosion-resistant material.
- Workbench- A workbench is the most crucial piece of furniture in a chemistry laboratory. It should be large enough to accommodate all the necessary equipment and devices but not so large that it takes up all the space.
Keep a Clean Working Environment
One of the vital safety regulations in a laboratory is maintaining a clean and organized working environment, minimizing the potential for accidents or contamination. Sound safety practices require appropriate protective clothing, including safety glasses, lab coats, and gloves to guard against contamination and skin exposure. Make sure spills or slips are avoided on the ground. Regular handwashing and sanitization of work surfaces should also be in place to prevent cross-contamination.
Basic Laboratory Equipment
Some essential safety equipment for laboratories is eye protection equipment. The eyes are some of the most vulnerable parts of the human body. Laboratory workers should always use proper eye protection equipment such as goggles, face shields, or safety glasses to prevent eye injuries from chemicals, particles, or radiation. Use hand protection laboratory equipment. Laboratory workers should also use gloves to protect their hands from hazardous materials. The eyes are susceptible to chemical burns. Even a few seconds of contact with some chemicals can cause permanent damage. Even tiny particles or radiation can cause serious eye injuries. Proper eye protection is essential to protect the eyes from harm. Likewise, gloves protect the hands from chemical burns, cuts, and other injuries.
Make sure to choose gloves made of nitrile, latex, or vinyl. Respiratory protection equipment is also crucial. Respirators help prevent workers from inhaling dangerous fumes, gasses, or vapors. You’ll also want to ensure that every lab worker is wearing lab coats or aprons to protect themselves from spills or splashes of hazardous materials. Lab coats and aprons should be resistant to chemicals and fire.
Safety Storage Cabinets
Including durable cabinets in your lab design is about more than finding storage solutions. It’s also about health and safety. In a lab setting, designated cabinets should be available to store flammable liquids, corrosives, and other hazardous materials. These cabinets also help reduce the risk of exposure, spills, and fires in your valuable lab space. Variations of stainless steel are some of the most common materials used to construct lab cabinetry because steel components are heavy-duty and provide maximum strength. They are also a practical material choice for laboratories that require a sterile or hygienic environment. This is important for many labs since the last thing you’ll want is liquids, bacteria, fungus, or mold to penetrate your casework.
Keep Fire Safety in Mind
When it comes to preventing potential fires, you’ll need a fire extinguisher available at all times. Regularly check your electrical equipment to ensure it doesn’t overheat, and never leave any flammable materials near sources of heat. Keep combustible materials away from ignition sources as much as possible. Make sure any type of electronic or electrical equipment is properly grounded. Regularly inspect gas cylinders for signs of corrosion or weakness, and keep all hoses and connections in good shape. Finally, in the event of an actual fire, ensure everyone there is aware of the evacuation plan.
Ensure that everyone in the lab knows how to store flammable materials correctly. If not educated on it, this can cause a greater risk of an accidental fire. Keeping fire extinguishers readily available is the best choice to prevent this. Additionally, the transport of chemicals should be safely disposed of. Make sure to use secondary containers such as acid buckets or plastic totes. Consider buying fire hoses, fire-retardant clothing, and breathing respirators. Proper fire safety protocol and education can reduce the chance of a fire.
At Singer Safety, we offer a ton of fire prevention safety equipment for laboratories. These items help provide reliable protection during operations that require exposure to potentially dangerous conditions. Chicago’s Singer Safety carries a range of first aid blankets, fire extinguisher covers, fire hose reel covers, and wheeled fire extinguisher covers. These items are vital to minimizing risk in any laboratory environment. Our products meet or exceed specific industry standards, so you can ensure you get the best products for keeping your laboratory equipment reliably safe and secure.