Safety and ethics
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Explainer Video
Summary
Safety and ethics
In a nutshell
When conducting experiments it is extremely important that all hazards and ethical issues are considered and measures are put in place to ensure the experiment is safe. The safety measures required will change depending on the method, equipment and reagents and products that will be handled.
Definitions
Key Word | Definition |
| Hazard | A hazard is something that may cause harm to a person or damage something, either straight away or later. |
| Risk | The chance that the hazard may cause harm. |
Safety measures
When conducting an experiment there are some general rules that should be followed:
- Always wear a lab coat, gloves and protective goggles.
- Do not touch chemicals with your hands, whether you are wearing gloves or not.
- Always mix chemicals slowly and carefully, as reactions can occur.
- Be careful when handling glassware.
- Be careful when using hot equipment.
Using equipment in the correct way is a good way of lowering the risk of a hazard.
Example
Using a clamp and clamp stand to hold glassware securely, reduces the risk of any glassware dropping.
In the following table, some hazards, risks and the appropriate safety measures are displayed:
Hazard | Risk | Safety Measure |
| Corrosive chemicals | Corrosive chemicals can burn the skin and eyes and sometimes burn through clothing. | Avoid skin contact and ingestion, by wearing lab coats, gloves and safety goggles. |
| Flammable chemicals | Flammable chemicals are at risk of igniting, when near an open flame. | Keep any flammable chemicals away from ignition sources. |
| Nature polluting chemicals | Nature polluting chemicals can cause harm to aquatic organisms or have long lasting environmental effects. | Dispose of these chemicals, responsibly. |
| Acutely toxic chemicals | Acutely toxic chemicals can have life threatening effects, sometimes even after limited exposure. | Avoid skin contact and ingestion, by wearing lab coats, gloves and safety goggles. |
| Compressed gas | Containers with compressed gas in them may explode when heated. | Compressed containers should not be heated. |
| Explosive chemicals | Explosive chemicals may explode as a consequence of heat, fire, friction or shock. | Keep explosive chemicals away from ignition sources and handle with care. |
| Oxidising chemicals | Oxidising chemicals can burn even in the absence of oxygen and can intensify fires. | Keep oxidising chemicals away from ignition sources. |
| Health hazard | Chemicals may cause serious long term health effects, after short term or long term exposure. | Avoid skin contact and ingestion, by wearing lab coats, gloves and safety goggles. |
| Moderate hazard | Chemicals may irritate the skin or be slightly toxic. | Avoid skin and eye contact. |
Hazard signs
When you are working with certain hazards, you will see the following signs.
 |  |  |  |  |
| Corrosive | Flammable | Nature polluting | Acutely toxic | Compressed gas |
 |  |  |  |
| Explosive | Oxidising | Health hazard | Moderate hazard |
Ethical issues
Some experiments might involve the use of organisms, if so, there are ethical considerations that need to be looked at:
- Animals should be handled with care.
- If wild animals are captured, they must be returned to their habitat once the experiment is complete.
- Humans involved in the experiment should be happy to do so.
FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions
What protective clothing should always be worn in a laboratory?
You should always wear lab coats, gloves and protective goggles in a laboratory.
What does risk mean?
A risk is the chance that a hazard may cause harm.
What does hazard mean?
A hazard is something that may cause harm to a person or something, either straightaway or later.