Project Lab Safety

A safe working environment for students, faculty, and visitors in the Projects Lab is of the utmost concern. Failure for follow laboratory rules regarding health and safety may result in loss of points for lab projects or the loss of lab privileges.

All those who work in the lab must follow these safety regulations:

Chemical Engineering Safety

  1. Safety glasses must be worn at all times.
  2. Food or beverages are not allowed in the lab.
  3. Closed-toed shoes and long pants are required in the lab.
  4. Do not pour any chemicals down the drain without prior approval from your instructor or the lab manager.
  5. Proper hand protection must be worn when working in lab.
    1. Nitrile gloves are supplied for routine protection when working with dilute acids and bases.
    2. Chloroflex II gloves are provided for working with concentrated acids, bases, alcohols and other hazardous chemicals.
    3. More detailed information on proper glove use may be found here: Glove Information (Chad Curvin, Author)
  6. Face masks, lab coats and Chloroflex II gloves must be worn while working with concentrated acids and bases.
  7. Mixing chemicals must be done in a fume hood unless the lab manager or lab instructor instructs otherwise.
  8. All chemical waste must be stored in a sealed and labeled container. Labels must describe the waste chemicals, the lab group and their concentrations.
  9. All beakers, flasks and any other container holding chemicals must be labeled with  a description of the chemical or solution, the date on which it was placed in the container, and the name of the person responsible for its creation and disposal.
    • Even if you believe a substance is completely harmless, it must be labeled. Otherwise it is assumed to be abandoned and harmful. It will be disposed of as an unknown chemical hazard.
  10. Chemical solutions intended for use at a later date must be stored in a sealed container and clearly labeled with the contents, name of owner and lab group.
  11. Once filled and properly labeled, all chemical waste containers must be placed in the hazardous waste satellite accumulation point located just outside room 3520-A.
  12. Glassware must be cleaned and restocked after use.
    1. Scrub glassware with soap and water until no chemical residue remains.
    2. Rinse at least three times with tap water to remove all soap.
    3. Rinse at least twice with DI water.
  13. Students may not work in the lab unsupervised.
    • You must receive permission from the lab manager or your instructor before you may begin work in the lab.
    • An instructor or the lab manager must be in the vicinity of your work area while you are working in the lab.
    • Senior lab closes at 5:00 pm. All equipment should be properly shutdown and work areas cleaned by that time.
  14. When working on equipment that incorporates rotating shafts such as the extruder or any equipment with a motor, insure that long hair is securely tied back. Check for loose clothing and rings, watches, jewelry that might get caught in moving machinery.
  15. Work areas must be clean and organized upon completion of lab.
  16. Prior to beginning your lab assignment each student must attend a safety orientation and sign a safety training log for each experiment.
  17. Compressed gas cylinders must be properly secured at all times.
  18. Students are not allowed to move compressed gas cylinders.
  19. Students are not allowed to remove gas regulators.
  20. Immediately notify the lab manager of any spilled chemicals or hazardous materials.
  21. Do not attempt to clean up chemicals or hazardous materials without first notifying the lab manager.
  22. In the event of a fire or emergency, notify the lab manager and vacate the lab immediately.
  23. Place all broken glass in the glass waste containers, not in the trash receptacles.
  24. Never leave experiments unattended!
  25. Do not install software on lab computers.
  26. The standard operating procedures for each piece of equipment must be followed. A list of each piece of equipment may be found here, and most equipment pages have a link to their standard operating procedures.
  27. The Chemical Hygiene Plan, available in the lab, must be followed at all times.
  28. Each person working in the lab must be familiar with the Emergency Procedures posted within the lab.