HAZARDS IN ORGANIC CHEMISTRY LABORATORIES

It is emphasised in Sections 2.1 and 2.2 that all workers in a laboratory must act responsibly in the interests of their own safety and that of their colleagues. These 

In teaching laboratories, and in laboratories concerned with routine work, the practical courses and operations will have been assessed for inherent hazards, appropriate cautionary advice provided, and periodic checks on the effectiveness of such advice made. In research and other laboratories, workers should always consult senior staff and the Safety Officer responsible for the laboratory or laboratory complex in those cases involving chemicals or operations that represent a departure from previous experience. 

Each laboratory must be equipped with a first-aid box of a size and content appropriate to the number of members of the laboratory and the nature of the work being carried out. The HSE publishes guidelines on the contents of such boxes.6 A wall chart of emergency treatment should be located adjacent to the first-aid box and all members of the laboratory should be familiar with this information. Furthermore, the members of the laboratory should be aware of the name or names of the nominated trained first-aiders and where they may be contacted. A trained first-aider should be summoned in all cases of personal injury. 

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Fire hazards in organic chemistry laboratories are often considerable due to the quantities of volatile and flammable chemicals, particularly solvents, which are commonly used. Specific methods for dealing with the more notable hazards are given below. 

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