Within the article you will find some health and safety tips alongside the reasons for them, some general rules regarding science labs safety and a little bit of background that goes into the planning and carrying out of laboratory experiments.
It is well known that activities such as eating and drinking should not be performed in a lab. During the day the lab is used for numerous experiments each of which contain their own risks ans some of which utilize a variety of chemicals which may be harmful when ingested, an assortment of organisms if the lab is used for Biology which carry their own forms own bacteria and equipment that has been exposed to other forms of bacteria. If you ingest food that has come into contact with these surfaces there is a chance that you could find yourself with a bad illness.
Drinking as mentioned is also not allowed due to the ease at which it is to spill liquid. If a liquid is spilled and not cleaned, there is the potential for someone to slip up injuring themselves or if they slip whilst carrying a chemical or piece of apparatus the injury could be even more serious.
Running is also not allowed due the hectic atmosphere of the lab environment, at any time someone could move surprising you and without enough time to stop you may find yourself in a collision which may injure yourself or the other person against this could be worsened if they are carrying a hazardous material.
The most commonly known rule regarding lab safety is that safety spectacles must be worn at all times and there is usually a class set within each lab.
For every experiment that is undertaken in a science lab a risk assessment is always performed prior to the date of the experiment. Most experiments are deemed safe to be performed by students providing the room is supervised by a teacher. More dangerous experiments are only to be demonstrated by the teacher such as those involving LASERs or where high currents of electricity are to be used. Most experiments are suggested by the examining body, in the event that an experiment that has not been verified is requested to be performed a request must be made to the relevant safety board governing the school to allow permission.
For every piece of equipment that has an increased hazard risk a risk assessment card needs to be attached to it. This card providing details of the operating variables required by the device and what kind of output effects to be expected along with guidelines to ensure the safety of the experimenter and any observers.
Radioactive sources are also common place in most schools, these are much more tightly controlled and must be stored in a locked compartment at all times when not in use. The whereabouts of these samples must always be known and a signing in/out sheet is usually attached.
All labs will have a gas supply for those lovely experiments with Bunsen burners, all of the gas taps must be connected to a main tap which in the event of an emergency can be quickly closed. Unlike in DT labs the electrical points do not have a safety cut out switch but circuit breakers are in place to ensure the current flow is disconnected as quickly as possible.
High-quality science lab equipment is a great way to spark the imagination of children and adults alike. Perhaps these future generations will discover alternative wind energy technologies and be able to harness its power.
