Lab rules
Rules for Lab 137:
1. Always wear safety goggles when entering the lab! Especially if somebody is working in the lab! Do not wear contact lenses in the lab as they can absorb chemical vapours.
2. Do not wear open shoes in the lab, shoes in the lab need to closed-toe shoes and wear a lab coat.
3. When starting work in the lab, make sure that the fume hood ventilation is switched on and check that the Schlenk line manometer reading is appropriate. In case of problems, inform your supervisor or a colleague nearby.
4. If you notice something irregular – write an email to the email list about it.
5. Read the chemicals Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and make sure you understand hazards with working with the chemicals you use. Make sure to take the relevant safety precautions. All chemicals in the lab need to be considered and handled as potentially hazardous.
6. Wear gloves when handling chemicals. Do not take gloves outside the lab area.
7. In case of spillage or contact with chemicals to your eyes, wash with a big amount of eye cleaning lotion (a bottle on the wall of the lab), if needed with clean water, and inform the nearest colleague. Consult a doctor if needed.
8. In case of contact with acids or bases, wash long and thoroughly with water.
9. Do not touch your mouth, nose or face in the lab.
10. Make sure you know laboratory fire extinction measures and what you would need to do in case of a fire.
11. Wash your hands before you leave the lab.
12. Clean your used glassware and equipment and put everything away after cleaning.
13. If the cleaning solvents (deionised water, washing acetone etc.) are empty, refill them.
14. If the pipette tips boxes are empty refill them.
15. The ventilation (switch next to the door) needs to stay on overnight if a reaction is running in the fume hood!
16. If something, which is used by everybody is broken write an email to the email list.
17. Switch off the lights if you are the last one leaving.
18. If you notice that something else is still running (e.g. gas, water, pump) and you do not see the reason for that (e.g. reaction overnight) put it out or/and contact the email list or concerned person.
19. Do not touch the door handles or anything else outside the lab with your used gloves.
20. If something everybody needs (gloves, Pasteur pipettes, etc.) is empty (or soon will be empty) contact the email list to arrange who orders it.
21. If you plan a reaction that needs special precaution, make sure the others who are working in the lab are involved if something goes wrong and that all necessary equipment is available at the time you need it.
22. Store all waste in the designated containers only. If a waste container is full, arrange a new one in the fume hood, and bring the full one to waste storage.
23. Close the waste containers (solvent waste, solid waste etc.) after using.
24. Make sure the ventilation in the solvent waste fume hood is running.
25. Make sure if new students come to the lab, they read general lab safety instruction before working and explain waste management etc. to all new users.
26. The rotary evaporator is refilled with distilled water. Empty both flasks beneath the reflux condenser if they are half full and clean the reflux condenser and the large round bottom flask after using it.
27. Working outside lab hours (8:30-17:30) has to be agreed by with your supervisor to maintain safety.
28. Always consult your supervisor in case anything seems to you dangerous or hazardous, you are unsure or anything or have questions regarding working in the lab or about lab safety.
Waste disposal
1. Solvents and Liquids
Solvent waste: all solvent containing waste is disposed of in the marked solvent waste in the fume hood. If a container is full, it will be sealed and stored at storage.
Before putting all together, active reactions need to be quenched to prevent undesirable side reactions in the solvent waste.
Chlorinated solvents: will be stored in the chlorinated solvent waste.
Acids and bases: Acids and bases are not disposed of in the solvent waste!
Acids and bases can be neutralized:
• Strong, concentrated acids or bases are limited to quantities of 25 millilitres (ml) or less and must be diluted 10 to 1 before being neutralized and discharged to the sewer.
• Oxidizing acids including chromic, perchloric and nitric acids in larger amounts are to be managed by Helena.
• Acids or bases that contain heavy metals must be stored seperately.
• Perform all steps slowly and keep containers cool while neutralizing.
• Acid neutralization: Make a basic solution using a large volume of cold water and an appropriate inorganic base. Stir the solution while slowly adding diluted acid. Always put the acid in a larger amount of water, not the other way round.
• Base neutralization: First add the base to a large vessel containing water. Slowly add an appropriate inorganic acid.
• Allow the contents to react for 15 minutes to dissipate any heat before testing the pH. The container should not be hot, and the contents should not be smoking. If the container is still hot after 15 minutes, allow the reaction to continue until the heat has dissipated. Test the neutralized solution to confirm a pH between 5 and 9, and flush to the sewer with at least 20 parts water.
2. Solid waste
Chemical containing solid waste (filter cakes, powders, contaminated plastics and syringes, needles, used molecular sieves) is put in the marked solid waste containers (no glass!) in the fume hood. If the container is full it will be stored at waste storage.
Make sure that pyrophoric substances are treated and deactivated before disposal. All active compounds need to be deactivated before disposal.
3. Glass waste
Only clean glass waste (e.g. broken water bath and other clean flasks) are disposed of in the general glass waste.
All contaminated glassware (dirty flasks, used Pasteur pipettes, reaction tubes…) are disposed of in a glass waste which is only for contaminated glassware (large bucket in lab 137). If the glassware is full, it will be stored at waste storage.