Laboratory

Safety

Introduction to
Laboratory Safety,
Emergency Response,
and Accident
Reporting

Laboratory
Safety

John Herrington
Health and Safety Officer
College of Math and Physical Sciences
Ohio State University

herrington.5@osu.edu
http://www.chemistry.ohio-state.edu/ehs

Laboratory
Safety

Class Format
Lecture
Video/Demonstration
Questions
Frequent Breaks

Laboratory
Safety
Objectives:
Raise your Awareness of Safety
Present the Fundamentals of
Laboratory Safety
Complete Awareness-Level
Training in the Hazard
Communication and the
Laboratory Standards

Laboratory
Safety
Objectives
What We CANNOT Provide:

In-Depth or Detailed
Information
SOPs for Specific Processes
or Equipment
Certification

Laboratory
Safety
Questions:
1. What are the top three leading causes of death
for U.S. workers (while on the job)?
2. How many worker deaths were there in 2000?
3. How many occupational injuries and illnesses
were there in 1999?
4. How many unintentional deaths took place in
the home?
5. Which industry is the most dangerous?
6. How much did worker injuries cost Americans in
2001?

Laboratory
Safety
Emergency Response:

Medical
Fire
Chemical
Building
Evacuations

Laboratory
Safety
Emergency Response-Medical
Common Laboratory Accidents:

Burns (Chemical and Thermal)

Cuts and Punctures
Inhalation of Hazardous
Materials
Contamination of Skin and
Clothing
Ingestion of Hazardous

Laboratory
Safety
Emergency Response-Medical

Call 911 to Report the

Emergency
Provide the Minimum FirstAid Necessary
Follow Other Departmental
Procedures
Complete Recordkeeping
Requirements

Laboratory
Safety
Emergency Response-Medical

Sign Up for CPR

Training
First Aid in the
Workplace Through
BWC

Laboratory
Safety
Emergency Response-Medical-Calling 911

Report the Location

Nature of the Emergency
The Dispatcher May Ask
Questions
Hang Up After the
Dispatcher Has

Laboratory
Safety
Emergency Response-Medical-Chemical
Splashes

Get Victim to Safety Shower

or Eye Wash Unit
Flush for 15 Minutes or Until
Help Arrives
Have MSDS Handy
Remove Contaminated
Clothing

Laboratory
Safety
Emergency ResponseMedicalChemical Splashes

Laboratory
Safety
Emergency Response-Chemical Splashes-

EYES

Quick Response Is
Important
Flush for 15 Minutes
You May Have to Force
the Eyelids Open
Have the Victim Roll Their
Eyes Around In the

Laboratory
Safety
Emergency ResponseMedicalChemical Splashes

Laboratory
Safety
Emergency Response-Medical-Chemical
Splashes

Laboratory
Safety
Emergency Response-Medical Emergencies

Become Aware of
Emergency Equipment
Locations (Eye Wash
Units, Safety Showers,
etc)
Inspect Equipment
Regularly

Laboratory
Safety
Emergency Response

Laboratory
Safety
Accident Reporting

Required By OSHA
(unless exempt)
OSHA 300 Log and Form
301 (or equivalent)
Sign Up for:
1.Accident Analysis
2.OSHA Recordkeeping

Laboratory
Safety
Accident Reporting

Useful for Workers Comp

Sign Up for:
1.Controlling Costs
Through Claims
Management
2.Controlling Workers
Compensation Costs

Laboratory
Safety
Fire Emergencies

Pull the Fire Alarm

to Evacuate the
Building
Call 911 to Report
the Emergency

Laboratory
Safety
Fire Emergencies

Follow
Departmental
Procedures
The Fire Alarm
May Only Notify

Laboratory
Safety
Fire Emergencies-

If You Can Do So Without Endangering

Yourself:

Isolate Fire (close lab

door or sash)
Isolate or Eliminate
Ignition or Fuel Sources
Use an APPROPRIATE Fire
Extinguisher

Laboratory
Safety
Chemical Emergencies

Pull the Fire Alarm

to Evacuate the
Building
Call 911 to Report
the Emergency

Laboratory
Safety
Chemical Emergencies

The Release of a Large

Quantity of Hazardous
Material
Small Quantity of an
Acutely Dangerous
Material
Chemical Unknown

Laboratory
Safety
Chemical Emergencies-

If You Can Do So Without Endangering

Yourself:

Isolate the Area

Warn Others About
the Danger
Follow Departmental
Procedures

Laboratory
Safety
Building Evacuations

Unless specifically requested and

considered advisable by those providing
the assistance, moving persons in
wheelchairs down a stairway is not
recommended. One individual should
remain with the disabled person, if this
can be done without unreasonable
personal risk. Others should evacuate the
building and advise of the location of the
persons remaining in the building so that
the evacuation may be completed by the
emergency personnel. Elevators should
not be used to move persons with

Laboratory
Safety
Building Evacuations

The building should not be reentered unless indicated safe by

fire officials or Safety Personnel
at the scene.

Laboratory
Safety
Why Should I Be Concerned About Safety?

To Protect the Health

and Safety of Yourself
and Your Colleagues

To Comply With the

Law(s)

To Avoid Lawsuits

Laboratory
Safety
How Do I Reduce or Minimize My Exposure?

Planning, Planning, Planning

Engineering Controls (Fume

Hoods)

Administrative Controls
(Plans, Policies, SOPs, etc.)

Personal Protective
Equipment (Gloves, Goggles,

Laboratory
Safety
Case Study

A Graduate Student was distilling a

mixture of dichloromethane and crude
material from an ozonolysis of Allyl
Bromide, which he mistakenly thought
was Bromoacetaldehyde. Unknown to
the student, he was trying to distill a
mixture of peroxides (that resulted from
the ozonolysis). An explosion occurred
when the temperature reached 50

Laboratory
Safety
Case Study

The explosion destroyed the heating mantle

and the ceramic top of the stirrer/hot-plate.
The ceramic top fragmented and sent chards
into the face, chest, shoulders, and hands of
the student. Fortunately, the student was
wearing safety glasses: one chard hit the left
lens with such force that it shattered (but
remained within the frame). Without the
safety glasses, the student would have lost
an eye (or worse).

Laboratory
Safety
Case Study

What could have been done to prevent the

accident?

Laboratory
Safety
1.The top three leading causes of
death for U.S. workers (while on the
job) are:
Highway incidents followed by
falls and homicides
2.How many worker deaths in 2000?

5,915

Laboratory
Safety
3.How Many Occupational Injuries and
Illnesses in 1999?
5.7 Million
4.How Many Unintentional Deaths Took
Place in the Home?

33,200

Laboratory
Safety
5.Which Industry Is the Most
Dangerous?

Agriculture
6.How Much Did Worker Injuries Cost
Americans in 2001?

$137 Billion or $970 Per

Worker