SAFE PRACTICE in Chemical Laboratories

IN MANY industrial chemical laboratories, untrained or only partially trained persons are depended upon to perform a variety of operations, ranging from general laboratory cleanup to the preparation, analysis, and testing of chemical compounds. Such persons, when they first enter the employ of the laboratory, have little conception of the dangers involved in the reactions and chemicals with which they are working. In laboratories where routine analytical work is done, this lack of appreciation of chemical hazards is not so serious as in research laboratories where new chemicals and new types of reactions are encountered each day. Not only are there hazards associated with the use of strong acids and other corrosive materials, but there are hazards involved in the handling of chemical compounds which may be toxic or flammable. Many accidents in chemical laboratories are caused by lack of experience and knowledge on the part of the untrained worker. Every possible means should be ...