Working in a laboratory can be quite dangerous. You often have to work with flammable and unstable materials that can harm you if they are not handled well. That is why there are certain rules that need to be followed. These are for your own safety. These are just some of them as well as certain safety tips that you should follow when working in the lab.
Wear Proper Lab Clothing
Working in the lab can be quite risky and dangerous sometimes. Making sure that your body is well protected should be your number one priority. For that reason, you need to make sure you are wearing appropriate attire when you’re working in the lab. Think of these clothes as your defense system that is protecting you from any possible injuries. When you’re in a lab make sure you are wearing closed-toe shoes, disposable gloves, safety goggles, and a lab coat. These clothes are meant to protect you from toxic chemicals as well as tissue samples from clients.
Apart from wearing clothes that will protect you, you should also tie your hair back. Pull it away from your face. This is very important because you don’t want your hair to end up causing contamination of the testing material. You should also pull your hair back to protect yourself from any flammable materials.
Handle Chemicals with Care
If you want to stay protected in the lab, you need to handle chemicals with care. You need to read and follow the rules clearly to prevent any injuries. When you’re handling any dangerous and flammable chemicals you need to wear protective gloves in order to protect yourself from exposure and accidental spills. You may also wish to invest in some pipettors from somewhere like SciQuip (https://www.sciquip.co.uk/
Properly Care for the Equipment
Taking proper care of the chemicals and materials you work with in general is very important. Handling these possibly dangerous materials is necessary if you want to protect yourself and other people working with you. However, your job doesn’t stop there.
Apart from having to handle chemicals with care, you also need to properly take care of the equipment as well. There are plenty of heavy-duty pieces of lab equipment that can be quite dangerous if not handled properly and carefully. All of these pieces of equipment are necessary for testing samples, which means that they are used pretty often. In addition to that, the more advanced and high-quality lab equipment you have, the higher the safety of this equipment is. Read the instructions on how to use them and try to train yourself to use this equipment in the most careful way possible.
Don’t shy away from asking questions if there is anything you are confused about. It’s better to ask questions and make sure you know what you are doing than accidentally harming yourself and others in your vicinity. Also, make sure you are always using tongs when handling hot glassware and use both of your hands when carrying testing samples.
Always Locate Emergency Equipment
All labs have supplies that are meant to counteract any exposure to toxic chemicals and flames. Among these pieces of equipment, there are eye rinse, shower, overhead sprinklers, and fire extinguishers, etc. To make sure you are able to quickly react in case of emergency, you need to get familiar with these pieces of emergency equipment. You need to be able to quickly locate them if you need to use them in the lab. Make sure you are trained to handle these pieces of equipment so that if the situation arises, you are ready.
Keep Food and Drink Out of the Lab
Lastly, when you are in the lab, make sure to leave the food and drinks outside. You don’t want your food or drinks to accidentally contaminate or pollute the chemicals and testing samples. This kind of accident can cause inaccurate results and in the end, you will have to retake the testing. Not only that but if you bring food and drinks in the lab, you risk having them spilled and making a mess. This can create a tripping hazard in the lab and nobody wants that.
Conclusion
No matter in what kind of lab you work, rules must be followed. They are not there to restrict you. The rules exist for your and other workers’ safety. These are just some of the basic and most essential ones that you simply have to follow when you are working in the lab. To prevent any potential injuries or even damages to the lab, strictly following these rules and being familiar with the place and the placement of emergency equipment is what can potentially save your life. So, make sure you know how to prevent a catastrophe, and if it occurs you need to know how to quickly deal with it.
