Safe Chemical Handling Practices

Safety Equipment

Be sure that you are familiar with all safety equipment in your building, and there very well could be more safety equipment present than you think.  For example, make sure you know where all of the fire alarms are, and all of the fire extinguishers.  Make sure you know how to use the fire extinguishers (see below).  Be sure you know how to read MSDS’s (included on this web site), as well as their location.  Also, for a chemical spill, there are VERY few times when water makes matters worse; if you spill a chemical on yourself, the nearest sink or even drinking fountain serves as very important safety equipment. 

If a fire is large enough to warrant the use of a fire extinguisher, the proper use of the extinguisher is as follows; (1) be SURE there is an exit BEHIND YOU so you can get out of the room in case the fire extinguisher fails; (2) pull out the restraining pin (which requires breaking the plastic seal); (3) point the extinguisher hose at the base of the fire; (4) holding the extinguisher UPRIGHT, squeeze the handle to release the extinguishing media; (5) sweep the spray back and forth at the front of the fire.  There are two important things to remember when using a fire extinguisher.  (1) You may only have about a 30 second blast of extinguishing media, so extinguishers are only for use on relatively small fires;  (2) Some fires may be inappropriate for a fire extinguisher.  Be sure you have the right rating of the extinguisher, and never try to extinguish a fire on a vertical surface!

NEVER use a fire extinguisher on a person.  Carbon dioxide fire extinguishers (distinguishable by their flared out nozzles) are extremely cold and may cause shock to the person or frostbite of the eyes.  Chemical fire extinguishers cause excessive scarring by mixing of the chemical in the extinguisher with the damaged skin.  All fire extinguishers have the potential of causing asphyxiation.

Take the time to inspect the safety equipment in your building; if you notice something is wrong, make sure you notify your supervisor immediately.

As odd as it seems, a broom and dustpan is important safety gear.  Never pick up broken glass with your hands as it is too easy to cut yourself.  Always use a broom and dustpan, and be very careful when removing any containers with broken glass from the building, as even something as small as bumping it against your leg could potentially cause serious injuries.