Laboratory safety 2 min read
What every laboratory needs, from fire extinguishers and first-aid kits to waste containers and the right gloves, plus the fire classes from A to E and what each one means.
A safe laboratory needs good planning, but also essential safety equipment that is ready for use at any moment. The list below summarises what every laboratory should have and what everyone should know about fire.
Essential Safety Equipment
Fire Extinguishers
Provide 6 kg fire extinguishers of a suitable type: at least one for every separate section, plus one more for every 200 m² of floor area. Place them inside the laboratory or immediately outside it, where they are easy to reach.
First-Aid Kit
Every laboratory should have a first-aid kit. According to ANSI, the minimum contents are:
- 1 absorbent compress (no side shorter than 10 cm)
- 16 adhesive bandages (2.5 × 7.5 cm)
- 1 roll of adhesive tape (5 m)
- 10 single-dose antiseptic applications (0.5 g)
- 2 cold packs
- 2 pairs of disposable examination gloves
- 4 sterile gauze pads (7.5 × 7.5 cm)
- 1 triangular bandage (10 × 10 × 140 cm)
Spills
Keep highly absorbent powder absorbents and absorbent cloths for spills.
Signage
Display signs outside laboratory doors showing the hazards inside. Mark stock solution and waste containers with labels carrying hazard pictograms.
Waste Containers
- Sharps container
- Hazardous waste collection container
- Container for contaminated disposable items
- Container for contaminated reusable items
- General waste bin
Pipetting
Always use a mechanical pipetting aid; mouth pipetting is strictly forbidden.
Personal Protective Equipment
- Respiratory protection: choose a mask suited to the work: FFP1, FFP2, FFP3, or a half or full face mask with the appropriate filters.
- Workwear: choose caps, laboratory coats, coveralls and footwear according to the work.
- Gloves: thin latex, vinyl or nitrile gloves are not suitable for highly toxic chemicals or for very hot or cold conditions. Check the chemical’s safety data sheet to choose the right glove.
Fire Classes
- Class A: organic solids (paper, wood, fabric, rubbish). They form embers and retain heat.
- Class B: flammable liquids (fats and oils, paints, petrol). They burn at the surface for as long as they give off vapour.
- Class C: flammable gases (methane, propane, CO, H₂). They burn for as long as they escape from the container.
- Class D: metals (Mg, Al, U, P, Ti and their alloys, Na). They give off intense heat.
- Class E: electrical (installations and electronic equipment). There is a risk of electric shock while current is flowing.
Preventing Fire
The most important cause of fire is a spark or heat. Areas where highly flammable substances are used or stored carry the greatest risk; “no smoking” signs must be observed there without exception, and dust and rubbish must not be allowed to build up.
Fire is prevented in three ways: by controlling the fuel (removal), the oxygen (smothering) and the heat source (cooling).
Emergency eye and body showers are covered within the infrastructure and services scope of KRCLAB’s turnkey laboratory projects.
