Chemical lab handbook

Good laboratory practice (GLP) and good hygiene standards shall be adhered to in chemical labs at all times, including:

• Safety glasses, protective gloves and lab coat shall be worn.

  

• Additional personal protective equipment shall be worn as directed by signage or risk assessment (face shield shall be worn for splash risks).
• Prescription safety glasses, or over-specs shall be worn by spectacle wearers. 
• Prescription safety glasses, free from contamination, can be worn outside the lab.
• Other PPE shall be removed before leaving lab and suitably stored, laundered or disposed of, as appropriate.
• No eating, drinking, chewing or applying cosmetics within the lab.
• Hands shall be washed with soap and running water after handling chemicals and before leaving the laboratory.
• Do not handle contact lenses (unless in emergency).
• Long hair shall be tied back.
• Loose clothing and dangling jewellery items shall  be removed, tied or covered.
• Cuts and sores shall be covered with suitable dressing (a plaster).
• Footwear shall be sturdy, closed toe, cover the top of foot, and protect from chemical splashes. Ballet pumps, flip-flops, sandals, and similar type footwear are prohibited.
• Mobile phones, earphones, earbuds shall not be used or handled to limit potential contamination spread. 
• Personal items (coats, bags, etc) shall not be taken into labs.
• Operatives shall have suitable skills, knowledge and experience for the designated activities.
• High standards of cleanliness and housekeeping shall be maintained at all times.
• The instructions of the lab manager or supervisor shall be followed. 
• All incidents shall be reported to the lab manager or supervisor or local contact.

 

Hazardous substances

All processes using or generating hazardous substances require a COSHH assessment prior to starting the work. For users, this can generally be covered in the experimental risk assessment and lab assessment forms.

 

Fire prevention and precautions

• Quantities of flammable substances in-use shall be minimised as low as practicable.
• Bulk reagents stored away from the lab in the external chemical store.
• Flammables and oxidising substances shall be segregated from each other and other substances and stored in metal chemical or flammables cabinets.
• Ensure appropriate spillage control measures are in place, eg secondary containment, spill trays or bunded cabinets.
• Control ignition sources; restrict naked flames; select hot plates and heating mantles as a safer alternative, keep flammable materials away when working with ignition sources.
• Minimise the amount of combustible materials (eg cardboard packaging) in the laboratory.
• Clean up spills of substances immediately with suitable absorbent materials. Ensure the correct storage and disposal of this collected waste.
• Ensure understanding of the compatibility of wastes with other substances.
• Ensure that you are aware of the locations of fire escape routes and extinguishers.

 

Heat sources

• Avoid the use of naked flames. Use heating mantles or hotplates in preference. Where heating, for example round bottom flasks, the use of shaped metal heating blocks, water baths or sand baths are recommended.
• When using oil baths, an external thermocouple shall be used. The hot plate shall not be left unattended or otherwise unsupervised.

Where furnaces are used, the following precautions must be taken:

• Use tools to remove hot items from the furnace.
• Wear suitable PPE when handling hot items, such as heat resistant gloves.
• Use heat resistant mats for hot items.
• Maintain a clear area around the furnace to prevent fire.

 

Storage of substances

Storage of hazardous or dangerous substances must be in accordance with the hazard classes and the compatibility of classes. 

 

Lab equipment general considerations

• Only use equipment which you are authorised and trained to use. Only use equipment as the manufacturer intended.
• Make sure that use of the equipment has been risk assessed and that you understand the controls to ensure safe operation and the required action in case of emergency.
• Visually inspect all equipment before use – check for obvious damage including to power leads. Do not use equipment which is faulty or unsafe. Report defects to the lab manager or local contact.

 

Local exhaust ventilation

Fume cupboard working practice

Fume cupboards provide ventilation and partial containment of substance risks. Risk and COSHH assessments will inform you of when a fume cupboard is required.

Before use

• Check that the fume cupboard has been inspected and tested within the last 14 months – do not use if it is out of date. Report this to the lab manager or local contact.
• Before starting using the fume cupboard, make sure that the air flow is working by checking the air flow indicator at the side of the unit.
• Avoid the use of large items in the fume cupboard which can disturb the airflow. Consider raising larger items on lab jacks to improve airflow.
• Minimise the equipment in the fume cupboard.
• Do not use them as storage for reagents or wastes.
• Maintain an area of free space of 150mm inside the front of the fume cupboard to prevent air being drawn out of the fume cupboard.
• Do not raise the sash front more than 500mm.
• Lower the sash whenever possible.
• Secure light weight items to prevent them from being drawn into the duct work and secure equipment.
• Keep heat sources at least 100mm away from the sides and back of the fume cupboard to prevent heat damage.
• Do not use naked flames inside a fume cupboard as they affect airflow.
• Avoid rapid movement, sudden releases of gas or rapid movements of the sash.
• Never put your head inside a fume cupboard.
• Clear up spillages as soon as it is safe to do so.
• Record the substances used, and the amounts in the fume cupboard using the LEV logbook sheets provided on the fume cupboard.
• After use, leave the fume cupboard in a clean and safe condition, returning any equipment or reagents and disposing of wastes.
• Emergency: if the ventilation fails or stops working – make safe inside the fume cupboard (only if safe to do so) then immediately close the sash as far down as it will go and move away from the fume cupboard.  Inform other lab users. Contact the lab manager immediately and report the occurrence.

 

Chemical spills

• COSHH assessments and safety data sheets (SDS) provide the information needed to deal with chemical spills. Ensure that you have access to them.
• Make sure that you have the appropriate spill kit, equipment and reagents to hand and that you know what to do with them.

For hazardous spills (less than 1 litre) you should take the following action:

• make safe, leave the area and warn others
• get advice from the Experimental Hall Coordinators (EHCs) or the lab manager
• plan the response
• clear up the spill in a safe way with assistance as needed

For larger spills (greater than 1 litre):

• make safe, leave the area and warn others
• contact the EHCs 8787

 

Security

• Lab access is controlled by swipe access granted by the Diamond laboratory manager, supervisor or local contact.
• Do not allow other people rsons to enter the laboratory if they have not been authorised. Do not loan others your access card to others allow them access.
• You are responsible for the safety of any person that you allow to enter the laboratory.