Safety First: examples of what NOT to do

Posted on by Jason Hughes Posted in lab safety, TopicsTagged , , , , , , ,

Being safe in a science lab is not much different than keeping safe in your everyday life. Your goal is to learn how to see dangerous situations before they arise and take precautions to keep you and your neighbors out of harm’s way. As you gain more life experiences you build a “common sense” of what is unsafe and what you should do instead. Let’s look at some things that could easily go badly.

Always wear the correct protective gear.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is a must during science labs but you should wear protective gear any time there is a chance for permanent injury.

If it’s dangerous enough for four workers to have full HAZMAT suits, then it is unwise to be without.
Here’s an example of why we wear our safety goggles. Accept the fact that tools will break on us and don’t gamble with your eyesight. Projectiles and chemicals have much less chance of blinding you when you wear Personal Protection Equipment (PPE).

What NOT to wear…

This picture is from a WWII safety pamphlet that reminded workers to not wear ties next to machinery. This is why we tie back our long hair and fix our loose clothing. Open flames, chemicals, and machinery are all ready to ruin your day if you don’t prepare.

Think BEFORE you act.

In these next pictures we’ll ask you to fully think through the natural consequences of your actions.

Being curious is an essential part of science but it is important to try new things safely.

Think through your actions BEFORE you act. For example, if he cuts the limb that he is sitting on it won’t end well.
It’s easy to forget that objects can burn you even if they aren’t “red hot”. A hot crucible in lab or a hot cookie sheet in the kitchen can be dangerous if you aren’t paying attention. In science lab and life in general we use hot pads or tongs to keep the heat away from us.

Use the right tool for the right job

There are many safe ways to work under a truck and this isn’t one of them. It would not take much for the boards to move and truck to fall down on the mechanic. Lifting a truck requires a jack and jack stands to be safe.
Sometimes a car is not the right tool for the job and you’ll need to borrow or rent a truck. Impairing your vision while you drive is illegal and isn’t going to end well for anyone.

Work SMART with your partners.

When you are working with a partner, make sure you are not in a compromised position. Don’t go along with a decision without considering safety. If you feel something is unsafe, speak up.
A suggested idea isn’t necessarily a GOOD idea. These guys on the bottom are likely going to learn about force and momentum a bit more than they anticipated. Using moving straps will help you get furniture down the stairs without getting crushed.

Never taste, touch, or smell unknown chemicals.

Just because a liquid looks like water it doesn’t mean it is safe to drink. We check labels twice and keep food and beverages out of the lab to keep from being confused. While it may seem creative to drink your soda that you poured in glassware from the lab it is a bad habit to build.

Some chemicals are even toxic to smell. We use the technique demonstrated above to “waft” the odor of the chemical to your nose. NEVER fully inhale the fumes from chemicals in lab.

Ladders are helpful tools but they must be used properly.

Placing the ladder on a solid structure is the only way to be safe. Make sure the structure you build to support you and your work will actually hold you. Bails of hay or straw are NOT going to be stable.

Similar to the bales of hay, building a stable structure to support your ladder is extremely important.

A man is supporting the back of a ladder while a teenager climbs up the ladder

This is going to end badly. Right now the climber is almost directly above the holder. A few steps up from that will cause the ladder to act like a lever. The climber will fall down while the end of the ladder will likely hit the second holder on its way up.

a painter is painting the crown molding while standing on three stacked 5 gallon buckets of paint.

I’m somewhat impressed that he was able to climb up three buckets while holding his painting equipment. That said, buckets are not a stable place to stand.

When the ladder says “NOT A STEP” it is reminding you that you have NOTHING to hold on to. A person that stands on “NOT A STEP” must display perfect balance while they are working. It is not worth betting your life and limb…do the job correctly!

Now let’s combine “NOT A STEP” with the paint buckets from before to make an incredibly unsafe ladder…even if the bucket is being held.

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