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NIOSH Publication No. 2007-107:School Chemistry Laboratory Safety Guide
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October 2006
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Table of Contents: Main PageTeachers Responsibilities Safety Do's and Dont's for Students Chemical Hygiene Plan Material Safety Data Sheets Purchasing Chemicals Chemical Tracking System Labeling Chemical Containers Storing Chemical Containers Shelf Storage Pattern Shelf Storage Pattern for Inorganics Shelf Storage Pattern for Organics Compressed Gas Cylinders Toxicity of Chemical Waste Appendix A. Common Safety Symbols Appendix B. National Fire Protection Association Hazard Labels Appendix C. Substances with Greater Hazardous Nature Than Educational Utility Appendix D. Substances with a Hazardous Nature, But May Have Potential Educational Utility . Appendix E. Incompatible Chemicals Appendix F. Recommended Safety and Emergency Equipment for the Laboratory Appendix G. How Does a Chemical Enter the Body? Appendix H. What are Exposure Limits? Appendix I. General Guidelines to Follow in the Event of a Chemical Accident or Spill Appendix J. Understanding an MSDS Appendix K. Sample MSDS Appendix L. Web Site Resources Appendix M. Glossary Handout 1 —SAFETY DO’S AND DON’TS FOR STUDENTS Handout 2 —How Should Chemicals Be Stored? Handout 3 —Suggested Shelf Storage Pattern Handout 4 —Suggested Shelf Storage Pattern for Inorganics Handout 5 —Suggested Shelf Storage Pattern for Organics ForewordIn 1984, the Council of State Science Supervisors, in association with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, published the safety guide School Science Laboratories: A Guide to Some Hazardous Substances to help science teachers identify hazardous substances that may be used in school laboratories and provide an inventory of these substances. Because school science curricula have changed since then, the safety guide has been updated and revised to reflect those changes. This guide on safety in the chemistry laboratory was also written to provide high school chemistry teachers with an easy-to-read reference to create a safe learning environment in the laboratory for their students. The document attempts to provide teachers, and ultimately their students, with information so that they can take the appropriate precautionary actions in order to prevent or minimize hazards, harmful exposures, and injuries in the laboratory. The guide presents information about ordering, using, storing, and maintaining chemicals in the high school laboratory. The guide also provides information about chemical waste, safety and emergency equipment, assessing chemical hazards, common safety symbols and signs, and fundamental resources relating to chemical safety, such as Material Safety Data Sheets and Chemical Hygiene Plans, to help create a safe environment for learning. In addition, checklists are provided for both teachers and students that highlight important information for working in the laboratory and identify hazards and safe work procedures. This guide is not intended to address all safety issues, but rather to provide basic information about important components of safety in the chemistry laboratory and to serve as a resource to locate further information.
AcknowledgementsThis safety guide was written, revised, and reviewed by scientists from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Kailash Gupta, D.V.M., Ph.D., Directorate for Health Sciences, served as the CPSC project officer; Patricia Brundage, Ph.D., Directorate for Health Sciences, CPSC, served as author; and John Palassis, C.I.H., CSP, CHMM, Education and Information Division, NIOSH served as the project officer and a co-author. Lori Saltzman, M.S.; Mary Ann Danello, Ph.D., from the Directorate for Health Sciences, CPSC; Charles Geraci, Ph.D., C.I.H.; TJ Lentz, Ph.D.; Ralph Zumwalde; Alan Weinrich; Michael Ottlinger, Ph.D.; from the NIOSH Education and Information Division; staff from the Office of Director, NIOSH, provided critical review and input. Staff in the Office of Public Affairs at CPSC provided editorial, design, and production assistance. In NIOSH, Susan Afanuh provided editorial services, and Vanessa Becks and Gino Fazio provided desktop design and production assistance. The safety guide was reviewed with the assistance of American Chemical Society, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences/National Institute of Health, the Council of State Science Supervisors, American Federation of Teachers/AFL-CIO, Cincinnati Federation of Teachers, National Science Teachers Association, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Federal OSHA Directorate of Standards and Guidance, Federal OSHA, Region VII. IntroductionRecognition of laboratory safety and health problems has crystallized since the passage of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. This Act requires that certain precautions be observed to protect the safety and health of employees on the job. The employee designation includes all teachers employed by private and public school systems in States that have occupational safety and health plans accepted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). OSHA rules and regulations are provided to protect the employees and the facilities. The importance of laboratory safety has been recognized for many years in industry. However, educational institutions have been slower to adopt such safety practices and programs. A science program has certain potential dangers. Yet, with careful planning, most dangers can be avoided in an activity-oriented science program. It is essential for all involved in the science instruction program to develop a positive approach to a safe and healthful environment in the laboratory. Safety and the enforcement of safety regulations and laws in the science classroom and laboratory are the responsibility of the principal, teacher, and student—each assuming his/her share. Safety and health should be an integral part of the planning, preparation, and implementation of any science program. The Importance of SafetySafety and health considerations are as important as any other materials taught in high school science curricula. Occupational injury data from industry studies indicate that the injury rate is highest during the initial period of employment and decreases with experience. Similarly, in a high school laboratory setting where students experience new activities, the likelihood of incidents, injury, and damage is high. Therefore, it is essential that the students are taught what can go wrong, how to prevent such events from occurring, and what to do in case of an emergency. Teacher’s / Instructor’s ViewpointTeachers have an obligation to instruct their students in the basic safety practices required in science laboratories. They also have an obligation to instruct them in the basic principles of health hazards that are found in most middle and secondary school science laboratories. Instructors must provide safety information and training to the students for every stage of experiment planning and be there to observe, supervise, instruct, and correct during the experimentation. Teachers play the most important role in insuring a safe and healthful learning environment for the students. The ideal time to impress on students’ minds the need for caution and preparation is before and while they are working with chemicals in science laboratories. Student’s ViewpointStudents develop attitudes towards safety and acquire habits of assessing hazards and risks when they are young. Students come from diverse backgrounds and have various levels of preparation. Most of them have no previous hands on training in handling chemicals or equipment; others may come well prepared to assume personal responsibility for risk assessment and safety planning in their experiments. The school science laboratory provides an opportunity to instill good attitudes and habits by allowing students to observe and select appropriate practices and perform laboratory operations safely. Safety and health training lays the foundation for acquiring these skills. The students should think through implications and risks of experiments that they observe or conduct in order to learn that safe procedures are part of the way science must be done. Student motivation in any area of education is a critical factor in the learning process. Emphasizing the importance of safety and health considerations by devoting substantial class time to these areas should help. The current popular preoccupation with matters of industrial safety and health may also serve as motivation. Students may find a discussion of toxicology interesting, informative, and beneficial. The possibilities for working this material into the science curriculum are innumerable and limited only by the imagination of the teacher. School’s ViewpointSupport for laboratory safety programs is the responsibility of school system administrators. School system administrators should appreciate the need for establishing safety and health instruction as a fundamental part of a science curriculum and should operate their schools in as safe a manner as possible. No Federal law requires safety and health programs to protect students in schools. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 requires employers to provide safety and health protection for teachers and other school system employees. Some States (North Carolina, for example) require school systems to abide by State regulations, which are similar to the OSHA Laboratory Standard (29 CFR 1910.1450). All safety programs must actively involve the school administrators, supervisors, teachers, and students, and all have the responsibility for safety and health of every other person in the laboratory and school.
DisclaimerMention of the name of any company or product does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). In addition, citations to Web sites do not constitute CPSC and NIOSH endorsement of the sponsoring organizations or their programs or products. Furthermore, CPSC and NIOSH are not responsible for the content of these Web sites. Ordering InformationCPSCAccess through the Internet [For ordering hard copies of publications and publications: publications@cpsc.gov. Please allow 3–4 weeks for delivery.] or write to CPSC Consumer Hotline CPSC Publication No. 390 NIOSHTo receive documents or other information about occupational safety and health topics, contact NIOSH at: Telephone: 1–800–35–NIOSH (1–800–356–4674) or visit the NIOSH Web site at www.cdc.gov/niosh DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2007–107 Pull-OutsThe following pages are available at the end of the document for easy copying for distribution or posting: Safety Do’s and Don’ts for Students | |
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