Safety Procedures
No matter how insignificant some of the safety measures might seem, it is vital that you follow them while working with chemicals because they are for your own safety:
- Never pipette by mouth:
It is always advisable to use a pipette bulb or automated pipette. Even if you are pipetting just plain water you can never be sure if the glass tube you are using has traces of chemicals previously used or not. - Go through the safety information for the chemical you are using:
Usually every chemical comes with a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). If it doesn’t, then you should get it. These days the same information is also available on the internet. - Dress suitably and use protective gear:
It is advisable to avoid wearing sandals, contact lenses or short clothing. It is better to tie up long hair. Make sure you wear proper protective gloves, eye protection and aprons. - Keep safety equipment handy:
You should get yourself acquainted with the basic safety equipment like fire extinguishers, blankets and eye washers. - Do not smell or taste chemicals:
You ought to avoid smelling chemicals because there are many chemicals which have toxic effects even if you inhale them. - Do not drain chemicals casually:
Sometimes we empty the chemicals down the drain once our work is done. This can prove to be dangerous because while some chemicals can be easily washed off from the surface of the pipes, others might need to be neutralized. Improper draining of chemicals can increase the risk of unexpected violent reactions between different residual chemicals in the pipe. - Do not mix random chemicals:
Firstly, do not mix chemicals picked randomly. Secondly, even if you know what chemicals to mix for an experiment, it is important to pay attention to the order in which these chemicals must be mixed. If not done correctly, some reactions can be explosive and extremely hazardous.