safety

Safety in the High School Science Laboratory

by Ron Swindall

What's wrong with this picture?

(Not much!)

We certainly want to practice safety always in our daily lives, and nowhere is it more important than in the high school chemistry laboratory. We try to spend approximately 40% of our classtime doing hands-on scientific investigations. The federal Office of Safety and Health Administration guides safe practices in schools and workplaces for our protection. Our state supports the safety laws and requires instruction in safety throughout all science courses. Specific VA SOL's for safety are outlined in CH 1 of the Standards of Learning. Students are expected to know the rules, practice them and to expect to be tested on them by the SOL tests given at the end of each course.
We will approach our safety tutoring with a set of questions which might be similar to the ones you would expect to find on the state test. You might consider copying and pasting these questions into a word processor and printing it out... OR print this entire page. Then answer all of the questions by circling the correct answer on the printed sheet.

1. When making an aqueous acid solution,
    a. water should always be poured slowly into the acid
    b. the two liquids should be poured together at the same time into a thind vessel
    c. the acid should always be poured slowly into the water
    d. the resulting mixture should not be stirred

2. If an acid is spilled on the skin,
    a. It should first be neutralized with baking soda
    b. You should do nothing until the teacher is told
    c. The skin should first be flooded with copious amounts of water
    d. It is best to first dry the affected area with a towel

3. When a strong base is spilled on the skin, we should always
    a. Tell the teacher first
    b. Flush the skin with alcohol
    c. Flush the skin first with water, then apply vinegar
    d. Wipe it off first with a dry cloth

4. If a drop of chemical is accidently splashed into the eye, which of the following is best?
    a. Tell the teacher first
    b. Flush it with alcohol
    c. Wait to see if it burns
    d. Flush the eye with copious amounts of water

5. If a student's hair or clothing catches fire, the best reaction would be to
    a. Wrap the student in a fire blanket to smother the fire
    b. Douse the student with lots of water
    c. Take them out of the room
    d. Not get near them

6. What should be done with broken glass in the lab?
    a. It should be placed in the trash can immediately
    b. It should be placed in the chemical waste container
    c. It should be wrapped in paper and placed in a special container for broken glass
    d. none of these are good solutions

7. Any accident which occurs in the lab should be
    a. reported to the teacher as soon as possible
    b. a reason to evacuate the room
    c. does not necessarily need to be reported

8. Which of the following is not necessarily a potential hazard in the science lab?
    a. open-toe shoes
    b. long hair
    c. very short hair
    d. baggy clothing and big wide loose sleeves

9. What should James do if he finds and unlabeled container with contents that look like table salt
    when he is collecting chemicals for an experiment?
    a. Notify the teacher of the unlabeled container
    b. First smell, then dip his finger in the chemical to do an informal taste test
    c. Label the container as NaCl and put it back where it was
    d. Remove the container from the storage container and place it in the trash

10. Which of the following is NOT the accepted procedure when working with corrosive chemicals such as
      strong acids?
    a. Pour chemicals over a lab sink, not over a workbench
    b. Wear apron and safety goggles
    c. Pour water into acids, not acid into water
    d. Notify the teacher if a spill or other accident occurs

11. What does this safety symbol mean?

    a. WARNING: open flame
    b. WARNING: toxic chemicals
    c. WARNING: proper apron and safety goggles required
    d. WARNING: corrosive chemicals

12. How can most chemicals used in a high school chemistry laboratory safely be disposed of?
    a. Thrown in the trash
    b. Poured down the drain in the laboratory sink
    c. Collected in a special container and later buried in the ground near the school
    d. None of these is an appropriate way to dispose of chemicals

13. Denesha is heating chemicals in a test tube. Which one of the following is an example of good
       laboratory practice?
    a. She holds the test tube so that the top is pointing away from her face.
    b. She holds the test tube so that she can look into the open top to observe the chemical reaction.
    c. She puts a rubber stopper into the top of the test tube to stop harmful gases and liquids from
        escaping.
    d. She vigorously shakes the heated test tube to make sure the chemicals are mixed thoroughly.

14. If a student working on a chemistry laboratory experiment accidently spills a liquid chemical on the
      lab bench, what should the student do?
    a. Spray the chemical with a laboratory fire extinguisher
    b. Follow established laboratory procedures
    c. Mop up the liquid with a paper towel and place it in the trash
    d. Notify all students of the accident and immediately evacuate the lab

15. Which action is required in the event of ANY accident in the high school chemistry laboratory?
    a. Perform first aid
    b. Call the fire department
    c. Notify the teacher
    d. All of these are necessary

16. What should you do if a corrosive or other harmful chemical is spilled on your skin?
       I Rinse off your skin with water   II Wipe off as much of it as you can with a paper towel and throw the
       towel in the trash   III Use the shower if the spill is on your pants or some area that will not fit under
       the sink   IV Use some absorbent lab powder on your skin, then wipe off the powder   V Notify your
       teacher
    a. I, III, and V
    b. II and III
    c. II, IV and V
    d. all of these

17. What is the best thing to do when an acid is spilled on the skin... after it has already been flushed with water? a. wash with soap b. make a paste with sodium bicarbonate c. nothing d. both a and b

18. What should be your first action after burning your hand? a. scream b. place in water c. look for help d. place it back in the fire e. put salve on it

Now, check your Answers here.

Some Good Links:
Oxford University Chemical and Safety Page
Hazardous Chemical Database