Science Laboratory Safety, Part 1 (1970s)

[Music] this science laboratory provides an excellent opportunity for Learning and at the same time demands a high degree of responsibility a responsibility which must include the rigid laws of science laboratory safety [Music] as a young adult safety is not for you A New Concept for it has from the beginning been an integral part of your life when you came into this world people were practicing safety on your behalf had someone not been looking out for your safety you might not be here to say the demands of safety sometimes restricted your freedom but to your parents' dismay they often found that their restrictive measures were somewhat inadequate some safety factors of course prevent access accidents that are only messy others prevent accidents that can be fatal when you were children your parents were constantly concerned for your safety but by the time you enter a science lab safety must be a very personal matter as students you are in many ways already safety conscious for example a person who participates in Active Sports practices safety in a variety of ways safety is a subject hard to get away from you deal with it in every area of life [Music] of course there are still people around who have not developed the maturity to recognize the importance of safety or the discipline to practice it some people like this student in the red Hawaiian Church lack the kind of responsibility and discipline necessary for safe conduct for themselves and others they can often be identified as accidents looking for a place to happen a student is not ready for responsible experimentation until he has developed a respect for the laws of safety which surround him a science lab is no place for children rather it calls for strict adherence to the laws of safety on the part of people mature enough to act with responsibility and discipline a modern science lab however contains items which can be dangerous only if they are improperly used [Music] since improper use of the lab equipment may be dangerous the student finds that his introduction to responsible scientific experimentation begins with safety instructions the instructor will first show his students the proper equipment which is essential to laboratory safety a working knowledge of this equipment is vital to the students health and wellbeing but this student is ignoring this instruction in safety just as he ignored the laws of safe driving maybe you thought traffic patterns were strictly for automobiles and airplanes the instructor however will convince you that the traffic flow pattern of the lab can be just as important accidentally bumping someone carrying acid might call for more than an apology freedom of choice is a condition for learning but an environment of safety must surround that freedom to enhance this environment the instructor may substitute the materials required in the experiment he may restrict the amount of a reagent that is to be used or he may suggest an alternate procedure which will provide a safer climate for the experiment proper safety procedures are designed to leave both the student and the instructor comfortable in the experimental situation this Comfort can make the lab experiment a pleasant experience and provide for maximum learning when the student is not sure his uncertainty can set up an uncomfortable feeling which may hinder learning thus he must be allowed to question so that by the end of this session every student will know exactly how to perform the experiment he is about to undertake remember accidents do not just happen when they do someone has created the conditions which caused them it is possible that someone in this class might by his irresponsible attitude be setting up the conditions for an accident the instructor will set up the class period so there is adequate time to observe safe procedures both in setting up equipment for the experiment and in dismantling early in his introduction to the science lab the student will learn to use proper safety equipment girls and boys with long hair should wear hair nets and all students must wear aprons and goggles when handling hot or highly corrosive materials the student must also wear suitable protective gloves unless care is exercised at the storage areas accidents can happen before the experiment starts the instructor and his conscientious students will help other students learn in the very beginning the correct approach to storage areas instructors will limit the number of students in their lab to the structure of the experimental area a careful instructor knows that crowded conditions must be avoided if an experiment is to be safe he will stress that the aisles be kept clear so that a student can pass quickly in case of an emergency in this lab I have a good group of careful and conscientious students many of them have learned well as I have tried to teach them the principles of lab safety this is supposed to be simple if I just follow [Music] instructions the teacher said to cut the glass tube by making a notch with a file and then using a towel and holding the cut Edge away from the body snaps the tube with the knot how about that of course I'll have to cut larger size tubes with the nchrome wire Loop or cutting wheel I'll bet there would be a lot of cut fingers around here if we didn't fire polish the ends of these tubes and you would be surprised how quickly you learn that just just because the glass looks cool does not mean it's cool enough to pick up but I guess the only way some people learn is the hard [Music] way I've taught these students how to handle chip or broken glass wear and soft glass that has become crystallized most of them know the best way to pick up splinters of glass is with a moist piece of cotton one thing we have learned is that safe lab procedures include returning equipment we are not using to the storage shells too much glass were on a working surface is just an accident waiting for a time to happen in bending a glass tube I must form a smooth rather than a sharp angle so that all the glasswar in my experiment will form an open rather than a closed system it sure took a while for me to realize how important it is to set up glasswar properly for an [Music] experiment now before inserting glass tubes into rubber or cork Stoppers I carefully checked the tubing size I've also learned that applying a lubricant to the [Music] tubing and using the tow can Aid insertion and protect me if the tube [Music] breaks since a gas flame is essential in a lab a student must learn to use it correctly take care that the flame does not get under a shelf or a cabinet or is not positioned too near the edge of a surface for obvious reasons never reach over the flame adjust your flame for maximum efficiency and never leave it on when it's not in use read the label right our instructor has said this over and over again these labels tell me which reagents are potentially dangerous and they tell me which ones to use in my [Music] experiment I read this label before I took the bottle from the shelf and now I must read it before I open the [Music] bottle and I must read it again before I use the [Music] reagent since some labels are paper I always pour away from the label so that the reagent won't drip and blot it out it's not hard to see how I could set myself up for an accident if I ignored this simple safety practice of reading every label three times as an added precaution many of the reagents I use are colorcoded now that they have prepared the glassware and selected their reagents they are ready to experiment [Music] I hope they were all listening when I stressed the importance of lab safety this one learned how to heat a test tube he knows he must not hold it still in the flame and this one knows to use a wire asbest Gau under any glasswar that is to be heated my students have learned that water should never be poured into acid the acid is added to the water it is done slowly with stirring during the [Music] process but what about this one wait a minute hey just because you saw a late movie showing a mad scientist putting his mouth on the end of a pipe bet doesn't mean that you should do it don't you remember what I said to be safe you must use a rubber bulb or other mechanical device for pipetting any liquid poor safety procedures may be why that scientist became mad in the first place now what did my instructor say about these leftover reagents my lab partner just isn't always with it doesn't she know that leftover reagent should never be put back in the supply bottle pour it [Music] out and you don't put that back in the supply bottle either Wash It Away with plenty of water so it won't damage the plumbing often during the course of his experiment a student will want the instruct at his side the instructor is a part of lab safety and when in doubt the student should always consult him he will discuss the experiment and its safety factors and will wear the same safety equipment that the student is required to wear the student finds early in his experimentation that others are also concerned about the safety of the lab the fire Marshall and the principal of the school will make sure that the lab is properly equipped with the necessary safety items an eye Fountain can mean the difference between sight and blindness a shower can make the difference between a serious acid burn and a minor irritation a fire blanket can be the difference between life and death and no lab is safe without a fire extinguisher and fire bucket a fume hood is required for experiments involving toxic gases What happens if a fire alarm is sounded while the lab is in session each student is responsible for turning off all gas and water before he leaves the room exploding equipment could make the real thing out of what was meant to be a practice drill after the fire drill the students return and upon completion of their experiment they carefully clean their lab stations soap and towels are provided so the student can wash the equipment correctly and thereby protect himself and the next student the cleanup is vital and no experiment can be concluded until this task is complete remember in the beginning of our Lives we had other people providing for our safety [Music] [Music] but as young adults we must learn to provide for our own [Music] safety accidents are preventable they happen because somebody created the conditions which make them possible you can learn correct safety techniques by observing your instructor who for his his own sake as well as for his students will practice safety procedures and exhibit attitudes that his students should follow but the techniques of laboratory safety are ultimately learned by experience this means practicing safety from the first day in the lab thus in the final analysis you are the only person who can provide a safe Pleasant and productive environment in which to carry out your scientific experimentation [Music]