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PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENTS

1. Name the protective clothing used in each of the following

Protecting the palm from corrosive acid

1. Gloves
2. Stopping dust particles and fumes from being inhaled.

             Face and nose mask

2. List the type of protective clothing used when handling
   1. Radiation material

• They can be prevented by using  proper protective clothing , radiation indicators  e.g. pocket dosimeters which measures  the amounts of radiation  one have taken   or gadgets  which are photographic films  placed on the laboratory coats. The pocket dosimeters and gadgets are then taken for development in special laboratories in order to determine the amount of radiation one has taken in from the laboratory.
• Can also be prevented by simply avoiding being near a radioactive material e.g. microwave oven, lesser beams and UV sources.
• Only well trained laboratory personnel should be allowed to operate in such radiation laboratories, should use protective clothing, and must always undergo medical examination.
• Radioactive materials must be stored in a restricted access conditions in a block of lead that is surrounded by a thick wood and be clearly labeled.
• There should be radiation warning signs placed on the laboratory
• The use of radioactive materials should be carefully controlled.

3. State four importance of laboratory safety clothing

• They protect against harmful body contact with corrosive chemicals
• They prevent against contamination by harmful microorganisms
• They protect against injury when using hand tools or when handling laboratory animals.
• They protect against contaminating those other persons not in the laboratory (lab clothing must be removed immediately one walks out of the laboratory)

4. Describe six safety devises that should be provided to a laboratory staff.

• Gloves
• Face mask
• Eye googles
• Safety boots
• Laboratory coat
• Helmet

5. Explain the problems which may be associated with wearing contact lenses in a chemical laboratory.
   • If chemicals should enter the eye, these can be held against the eyeball and not washed free due to contact coverage.
   • Soft contacts will often absorb organic vapors like MeOH, CHCl3 or serious lachrymators. If you should be unconscious after a laboratory accident, the people attending you may not know that you wear contacts and may not be able to tell easily of the lenses are displaced to the side of your eye so that serious damage could result.
   • Contacts should never be worn in the lab and should be replaced by corrective glasses made of impact resistant material and equipped with solid side shields.
6. State four functions of laboratory clothing

• Provide protection of skin and personal clothing from incidental contact and small splashes.
• Prevent the spread of contamination outside the lab (provided they are not worn outside the lab.)
• Provide a removable barrier in the event of an incident involving a spill or splash of hazardous substances.
• PPE such as face masks or respirators may be needed for specialized tasks

7. State factors to consider when choosing appropriate PPE  for the laboratory  work

• Type of protection required-  To choose the right type of equipment, it is important to have a full understanding of the hazard under consideration. For example, before protective footwear is selected for use in a chemical enivorment, the corrosive or solvent nature of the chemicals encountered must be known,so that the chosen footwear is not made from materials that will be adversely affected.
• Level of protection required- the PPE chosen must be able to reduce the hazard to an acceptable level.
• Duration of work- Consideration must be given to the duration of work which will be undertaken as this will affect the length of time the PPE is exposed to the chemical substance.
• Dexterity and Durability – sometimes the most durable PPE may not be the most appropriate for a task.
• The  user- Users must be trained in the correct use of fitting of PPE. They must be able to fit and comfortable to wear. Furthermore PPE must be selected with the individual in mind. There may be many reasons why certain PPE is not suitable for a particular individuals. There may also be instances where the requirements of the workplace run contrary to the ability of individuals to wear certain PPE. in these circumstances, the individual may be excluded from certain areas/processes or prohibited from entering the workplace.
• Compatibility- the PPE chosen must not interfere with or impede the use of other PPE that also has to be worn at the same time.
• For example oil refinery or airport fire services the growing and wearing of beards may be forbidden due to the possible need to wear emergency breathing apparatus.
• Quality – PPE purchased must be of a suficeintly high quality to offer the desired level of protection. There are international quality standards which can be used when purchasing PPE, such as the European EN standards.

8. Give two reasons why nylon fabric is not preferred for making laboratory coats

Clothing made of synthetic fibers should not be worn while working with flammable liquids or when a hazard is present as these materials tend to melt and stick to exposed skin.

9. Describe how to safely remove contaminated gloves

Step 1

Grasp the outside of one glove near your wrist.

Carefully pull the glove off, turning it inside out.

Step 2

Two fingers of one hand pulling surgical glove off other hand.

Hold the glove in the palm of the still-gloved hand.

Slip two fingers under the wrist of the remaining glove.

Step 3

Hand pulling surgical glove off other hand.

Pull the glove until it comes off inside out.

The first glove should end up inside the glove you just took off.

Dispose of the gloves safely.

Step 4

Hands washing with soap in sink.

Always wash your hands after removing gloves and before touching any objects or surfaces. Gloves can have holes in them that are too small to be seen.

10. The clothing you wear in the laboratory is a factor which will influence your safety. Outline the do’s and don’ts of the clothing worn in a chemical laboratory.
    • Loose clothing should not be worn since it may be accidentally exposed to chemical contact or become caught in machinery. It also presents a greater fire hazard. Long hair can also be a problem by easily catching fire or becoming entangled in equipment. Skimpy clothing will offer little protection in the event of a chemical spill or splash. Shoes must be worn at all times. Perforated shoes or sandals should not be worn in lab.
    • Synthetic clothing material (i.e. nylon, dacron, etc.) should not be worn since it will “melt” upon contact with acid and some chemicals. The “melted” synthetic fabric and chemicals trapped in it could adhere to the skin and are likely to increase the severity of the chemical burns.
11. Outline the major classes of gloves and their usage.

• Leather gloves – for handling broken glassware or glassware or glassware under strain (pressure vessels, tubing being inserted into stoppers, etc.). They do not provide protection from chemicals.
• Insulated gloves are useful for working with temperature extremes but cannot provide protection from chemicals.
• Rubber gloves or synthetic composition gloves which are intended to give protection from chemicals. Of the varieties available, the nitrile materials offer the best all around chemical protection but other materials may be more suitable to specific situations. Latex surgical gloves offer little or no protection against most laboratory chemicals. Care should be taken not to spread contamination with your gloves — door handles and water or utility handles should not be contacted with contaminated gloves. Other workers contact those surfaces with their bare hands

12. Explain the explosion protection afforded by your hood.

The doors to the hood are made of laminate safety glass to be blast resistant. There is also a blast vent on the top front of the hood which will be blown open during an explosion, thus providing an outlet for the blast force while directing it up and away.

13. What kinds of eye protection are available for optical hazards commonly encountered in a research lab?
    • Laser light can be partially blocked with specially designed goggles which absorb at specific wavelength regions. Different goggles are designed for each type of laser.
    • Glass lenses with side shields provide moderate UV protection, but plastic safety glasses cut off at longer wavelengths and are preferred.
14. As with other special hazards, it is important to have warning signs at the entrance doorways for optical light hazards. Not all laser light or other potentially dangerous light can be seen by the human eye. What other precautions should you take when working with optical light?
    • Eye and skin protection should be used when operating UV light sources (including UV absorbance, LC detectors, and hollow cathode lamps)
    • Mark the paths of intense laser light. Anticipate and examine projected light paths before adding or removing optical components.
    • All reflective jewelry should be removed before working with lasers (a laser reflected off a ring while changing samples can permanently blind you).
    • Keep laser beams at or below chest height.
15. Due to the building’s ventilation system, the internal pressure of the building is less than the outside pressure. Since the drainage system is vented to the atmosphere on the roof, it is easy for odors and noxious gases to be swept back into your lab through open sinks and floor drains. How can this be avoided?

Keep all sink traps filled with water and regularly check infrequently used floor drains and cup sinks. Do not pour noxious substances with high vapor pressure down the drains (solutions of H2S, mercaptans or HCN, for example). Add a bit of mineral oil to unused sinks. The layer of oil will retard evaporation of water in the traps.