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Safe Storage Of Laboratory Chemicals
All chemicals prepared in the laboratory must be labeled. Labels alert people to the dangers of the product and basic safety precautions.
Label must contain the following information:
- Product name.
- Information for the safe handling of the product.
- Hazard symbols.
- Risk phrases (words that describe the main hazards of the product).
- First aid measures (what to do in an emergency).
NB; for chemicals samples prepared in the lab, they must have the following additional details
- Date of preparation.
- Concentration prepared.
- Name of the person who prepared it.
The single largest problem facing the laboratories is that concerning storage, handling and disposal of chemicals. These is mostly due the uncontrolled purchase of large chemical stocks and poor chemical inventory management. There is need for planning stock of chemical and ways of minimizing chemical wastage.
Chemical disposal is also a necessary part of laboratory activity.
Waste resulting from laboratories creates serious problems to the soil, air and water which can have negative impact to both animals and plants if they are not properly disposed away. Proper methods must therefore have devised for safe disposal of laboratory waste without endangering the personnel or polluting the environment.
The following are steps that if carefully followed will help to reduce the amount of chemical wastages and enhance their disposal.
- Maintain up to-date inventory – these will eliminate buying excess or unneeded chemicals.
- Purchase chemicals carefully – purchase smaller size packages of chemicals that is only enough for the next 2 years.
- Date label your chemical and only by from chemical suppliers that label their chemicals, these will help in determining the expiry of the chemicals.
- Use older stock first before they decompose.
- Provide good climate control in your storeroom i.e. the store should be cool and dry to avoid deterioration of chemicals.
- Ventilate the storeroom.
- Label all chemicals and laboratory solutions.
- Prepare only enough solutions for immediate intended use
- Never store chemicals or solutions in ‘homemade‘containers or bottles, These will lead to shorter shelf life of laboratory chemicals and these bottles may not be compatible with the chemicals stored in them
- Store hygroscopic and deliquescent chemicals in chemically safe bags
- Follow good laboratory practice, never allow students to place chemical back into the reagent bottles because these can result into contamination
- Never accept donation of chemicals because most donations are of unknown age and unknown purity, instead by your own fresh chemicals for best results and long shelf life.
- Microscale your lab by only preparing the exact quantity of chemicals you can handle and dispose.
- Dispose of chemicals immediately after they are generated.
- Keep waste solutions from every lab separate and do not mix them