Recognize the Hazards
The first principle of laboratory safety is to recognize the hazards of chemicals, equipment, and procedures.
Tips
- Use Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) to identify Globally Harmonized System (GHS) hazards of the chemicals you will be using. These include physical, health, and environmental hazards. The main hazard categories are flammables, explosives, corrosives, oxidizers, irritants, and toxicants.
- Understand the nature of the hazard (its chemistry and/or toxicological/biological effects).
- Identify the most important physical hazards from equipment, conditions, and procedures. These include electrical and mechanical hazards and high or low temperature or pressure.
Establishing a Safety Culture in a School Setting
The first step toward recognizing hazards is awareness of safety to begin with.
It's the teacher's responsibility to instill a general understanding of safety in the laboratory. We recommend adopting an appropriate set of safety rules and guidelines for students that is manageable and specific for a particular class and setting.
In addition to providing students with a set of guidelines, it's also important to have them (and their parents or guardians) sign a safety contract.
Useful Resources
The links in this section provide foundational information on how to identify hazards. If you're comfortable with the concepts and information presented in this section, check out Recognize the Hazards (Advanced).
Basic Terminology and Concepts
Regulatory Agencies
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Protects public health and safety through the control and prevention of disease, injury, and disability - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Environmental, safety, and health hazards - National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
Reduces the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards - National Fire Protection Association (NIOSH)
Conducts research and recommends ways to prevent injury and illness - Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Safety and health hazards in the workplace
Hazard
Any source of potential damage or harm to a person’s health.
Get Involved with Chemical Safety Initiatives
Engage with other members of the chemical safety community. Membership provides networking opportunities, access to career advancement tools, meeting discounts, and more.
