Safety

Personal Protective Equipment

Safety glasses must be worn in the laboratory. A face shield must be worn handling or working with corrosive liquids, including base baths, concentrated acids, bromine, hydrazine, etc. Face shields must also be used in operations that might result in sprays or splashes, like separatory funnel extractions.

Wear cut-proof gloves when working with glass tubing, stoppers, razor blades, broken glass, knives, or other things that might cut you.

Legs and feet must be fully covered while working in the lab. No sandals, no shorts, etc. Fire-resistant laboratory coats (the blue ones) should be worn when working the laboratory.

We have permission from EHS to use the washer and dryer in ARF-011 during business hours. Detergent is available in the laboratory. Enter you through the basement entrance on the east side of ARF (unlocked during normal business hours).

Important Links

• EHS Lab safety training. Complete “Laboratory Safety Online Training (Part 1 of 2)” and then register for and attend “Laboratory Safety Hands-On Training (Part 2 of 2)”
• UNR’s chemical hygiene plan.
• Chemical inventory ChemTracker.
• UNR’s safety data sheet repository

Laboratory Inspection Checklists

• EHS’s checklist
• Monthly Lab Inspection Form
• Weekly Self-Inspection Form

Laboratory Specific Training

• labeling
  • chemicals
  • reactions
  • storage
  • digital records
• laboratory infrastructure
  • desks
  • hoods
  • chemical storage
  • flammables storage
  • refrigerators
  • cleanliness
  • organization
• potentially dangerous reactions, reagents, apparatus
  • oxidations including Jones
  • reductions: hydrides and reactive metals
  • diazomethane
  • nitric acid
  • hydrazine
  • bromine
  • triptycene preparations
  • photoreactions
  • pressurize and closed containers
  • hydrogenations
  • pyrophorics including alkylithium reagents
  • quenching reaction
  • syringes and needles
  • open flames
  • compressed gas cylinders
  • liquid nitrogen
  • oil baths
  • radiation safety: lasers and X-rays
  • razor blades, knifes, broken glass, glass tubing, tubing onto glass stubs

EHS provides a form to document lab specific training, and we have our custom version here.

Introduction of New Risks

Any time a new reagent, solvent, or procedure is introduced, the details should be reviewed by BTK before carrying out the experimental work. In particular, this applies to strong oxidants (peroxides, nitric acid, oxone, etc), strong reductants (hydrides, metals), and pressurized/sealed reactions.

We will conduct safety assessments early each semester (late August; late December) and early in the summer (late April).

Safety Assessment

The continual monitoring of safety will improve the safety of our laboratories. We have three main levels of inspection.

Week (individual)

Each researcher could complete their weekly inspection form and submit it with their weekly report.

Month (group safety officer)

In the first week of each month, the group safety officer should complete and submit to BTK a completed inspection form.

Semester (September, January, May) (King)

See also EHS’s checklist.

• Is lab-specific training up to date? Is it clearly documented for all current lab members?
• Review SOPs. Are they appropriate? Easily accessible? Do they need updating? Any new SOPs?
• Supervision – UG working with someone, nobody works alone.
• New procedures checked by BTK.
• Door signage?
• PPE? Lab coats, glasses, goggles, face masks, dust masks, glove. Are rules clear and posted?
• Document improvements in laboratory safety
• Are injuries documented and reported?
• Special regulations: lasers and X-rays!
• Review any incidents
• Write and file report based on the points above

Near Misses

Sometimes we get lucky and a potentially bad situation becomes apparent but never materializes. We will discuss and record these events here so that we and others in the group can learn from them.

• 2 April 2021: Oil baths should not be taken above 150 °C without prior approval. Be careful not to confuse °F with °C units.

Lab Organization

• label drawers. We are using the font Calibri (Body) at 72 point
• chemical must be returned to their appropriate storage location

Labeling

All containers, vials, flasks, with something in them must be labeled. For short-term use, where the sample is used/transferred/disposed before you leave for the day, writing on the glass with a marker can suffice. For samples kept longer, use a proper label. Rolls of adhesive labels and label tape are available in the labs. I recommend writing in pencil or a pen with solvent-resistant ink (e.g. uni-ball pen with Super Ink). You can also generate a label with a word processor, print it, and affix it with clear packing tape.

The University of Illinois has a nice page on what should go on a label. Their description of the labeling requirements for synthesized compounds is especially useful:

All newly synthesized compounds should be labeled with the notebook number and page where a description of the synthesis can be found. If no name exists, draw the structure onto the label instead of a name. If the identity is not fully known, list the reactants, the expected structure, or the expected chemical class of the product (e.g., ester, aliphatic alcohol, aromatic amine). List your name, tared container weight, and synthesis date. If the product is expected to be hazardous, list potential hazards (e.g., may be explosive, toxic).