Laboratory Safety

Michael D. Claassen
Chemist II
Materials Testing Division
Bureau of Research and Standards
Department of Public Works and Highways
 Legal Basis
• Republic Act No. 11058 (Chapter II Section 2)
• Coverage: ..., except in the public section
• IRR: DOLE D.O. No. 198, Series of 2018 (Chapter II
Section 2)
• Coverage: This rules do not apply to the public sector
such as national government agencies, government
owned and controlled corporations with original charters,
government financial institutions, state universities and
colleges and local government units which shall be
government by appropriate rules and regulations issued
by the Civil Service Commission and other government
agencies.
 Legal Basis
• Civil Service Commission - Department of Health -
Department of Labor and Employment (CSC-DOH-
DOLE) Joint Memorandum Circular (M.C) No. 1,
Series of 2020 (Occupational Safety and Health
(OSH) Standards for the Public Sector)
 Basic OSH Training
• Basic Occupational Safety and Health
Training – 8 hours
• Basic Occupational Safety and Health
Training – 40 hours
• Construction Occupational Safety and
Health Training – 40 hours
 Advanced OSH Training
• Fire Safety Training
• Industrial Ventilation Training
• Managing Emerging Health Issues
• Industrial Hygiene
• Seminar on the Safe Use of Chemicals at
Work
• Accident Investigation Training
• Work Environment Measurement
 Introduction to OSH
• Occupational safety deals with understanding
the causes of accidents at work and ways to
prevent unsafe act and unsafe conditions in any
workplace.1
• good housekeeping
• proper materials handling and storage
• machine safety
• electrical safety
• fire prevention and control
• safety inspection
• accident investigation.
1Occupational Safety and Health Center
 Introduction to OSH
• Occupational health is a broad concept which
explains how the different hazards and risks at
work may cause an illness and emphasizes that
health programs are essential in controlling work-
related and/or occupational diseases.1
• Industrial hygiene discusses the identification,
evaluation, and control of physical, chemical,
biological and ergonomic hazards.1

1Occupational Safety and Health Center

 Hazard vs Risk
• Hazard – a source or situation with a potential to
cause harm in terms of injury, ill health, damage
to property, damage to the environment or a
combination of these.1
• Risk – a combination of the likelihood of an
occurrence of a hazardous event with specified
period or in specified circumstances and the
severity of injury or damage to the health of
people, property, environment or any combination
of these caused by the event.1
1Occupational Safety and Health Center
 Hazards

Construction Factory Hospital

Office Grocery Store Truckyard

 Accident
• Accident - unexpected and unplanned
occurrence, including acts of violence which
results in one or more workers incurring a
personal injury, disease or death
• Injury
• Temporary incapacity
• Permanent incapacity
• Fatal case

1Occupational Safety and Health Center

 Common types of accidents
• fall from height and fall from the same level
(slips and trips)
• struck against rigid structure, sharp or rough
objects
• struck by falling objects
• caught in, on or in between objects
• electrocution
• fire

1Occupational Safety and Health Center

 Unsafe / Unhealthy Acts
• Unsafe / Unhealthy Acts - any human
action that violates a commonly accepted
safe work procedure or standard operating
procedure1
• improper attitudes
• physical limitations
• lacks knowledge or skills

1American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

 Unsafe / Unhealthy Conditions
• Unsafe / Unhealthy Conditions -
physical or chemical property of a material,
machine or the environment which could
possibly cause injury to people, damage to
property, disrupt operations in a plant or
office or other forms of losses1

1American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

Identifying unsafe/unhealthy acts
and conditions should be as
specific as possible
 Unsafe / Unhealthy Acts and
Conditions
• 98% - preventable
• 88% is due to unsafe/unhealthy acts or
“man failure”
• 10% is due to unsafe/unhealthy
conditions
• 2% - non-preventable

Study of Herbert William Heinrich on the insurance claims, American industrial safety pioneer
who worked as an Assistant Superintendent of the Engineering and Inspection Division of
Travelers Insurance Company
Housekeeping
 5S
Japanese English Filipino Definition

Seiri Sort Suriin Sort out unnecessary

items & discard

Seiton Systematize Sinupin organize things

Seiso Sweep Simutin sanitize or

clean our workplace
Seiketsu Standardize Siguruhin standardize what we are
doing
Shitsuke Self- Discipline Sariling kusa do this process without
 Seiton
• Follow the first-in-first-out (FIFO) method for storing items
• Assign each item a dedicated location.
• All items and their locations should be indicated by a
systematic labeling
• Place items so that they are visible to minimize search
time
• Place items so they can be reached or handled easily.
• Separate exclusive tools from common ones.
• Place frequently used tools near the user.
 Elements of an effective
housekeeping program
• Dust and Dirt Removal
• Employee Facilities (Lockers, Comfort Room/Rest Room,
Showers, Changing rooms, Pantry)
• Surfaces
• Light Fixtures
• Aisles and Stairways
• Spill Control
• Tools and Equipment
• Equipment and Machinery Maintenance
• Waste Disposal
• Storage
 General Laboratory
Housekeeping
• Keep work area(s) clean
• Eye wash stations, emergency showers, fire
extinguishers, and exits should be
accessible
• Only materials that you require for your
experiment should be kept in your work
area
 General Laboratory
Housekeeping
• Lightweight items should be stored on top
of cabinets; heavier items should be kept at
the bottom
• Solids should be kept out of the laboratory
sink
• Any equipment that requires ventilation to
prevent overheating should always be kept
clear
 Materials Handling and Storage
• Materials Handling - moving or handling
things by lifting, lowering, pushing,
pulling, carrying, holding, or restraining
• Manual Materials Handling - using one’s
physical strength
• Accessories to secure loads and prevent
them from sliding or falling from the
equipment - ropes, chains or
steel/plastic straps
 Materials Handling and Storage
• Mechanical materials handling - rigid, manually
or mechanically-powered equipment mainly for
handling bulky and heavy items
• Manually powered materials handling
equipment
• Mechanically-powered materials handling
equipment
• lifting equipment - hoists and cranes
• transport equipment - forklifts, dump
trucks, trailers and conveyors
Materials Handling and Storage
• Workspace lay-out
• Amount of space needed
• Positioning of furniture, tools, equipment
• Any other items necessary to perform the
tasks, in respect to proper posture, access,
clearance, reach and vision of the user.
• Materials Storage
• Prevent cluttering
• Limited but easy access
Fire Triangle and Tetrahedron
 Causes of Fire (NSO 2007)
Electrical 28.9% Static electricity 1.0%

Open flames (torch) 10.5% Electrical machines 1.0%

Unattended cooking 5.3% Fireworks 0.7%

Lighted candles or oil lamp 4.3% Chemicals 0.5%

Cigarette butts/smoking 3.1% Bomb explosion 0.1%

Spontaneous combustion 2.4% Lightning 0.1%

Lighted matchstick or lighter 2.1% Unknown, others 40.0%

LPG explosion 1.2%

 Early Fire Detection
• Human observer
• Automatic sprinklers
• Smoke, flame and heat detectors
• Serves to warn the fire brigade to start
extinguishing procedure and warn
occupants to escape
 Prevent the spread of fire
• three (3) methods of heat transfer
• Conduction (molecule to molecule)
• Convection (movement of heated gasses)
• Radiation (in straight rays)
• Control using barriers - firewalls, fire doors,
shutters or louvers, fire stops, baffles, fire
dampers, fire windows, parapets, dikes and
enclosures of vertical openings
 Fire extinguisher
• Permanent or “built-in” extinguishers
• standpipe and hose
• automatic sprinkler system
• fire hydrant
• fire pump
• fire truck
• automatic extinguishing system (e.g.
sprinkler)
 Fire extinguisher
• Portable fire extinguishers
• Approved type (PS mark or UL mark)
• Right type for each class of fire that may occur
• Sufficient quantity
• Easily accessible for immediate use and clearly
identified (no obstructions)
• Mounted per Rule 1944.05 Portable Extinguisher of
the Occupational Safety and Health Standards of
the DOLE
• Maintained in operating condition
• Operable by the area personnel who are properly
trained to use them effectively and promptly
Fire Extinguisher Types
 Operating a Portable Fire
Extinguisher
•P - pull the pin
•A - aim low
•S - squeeze the lever above the
handle
•S - sweep from side to side
 Requirements when using fire
extinguisher
• The fire alarm has been pulled and fire department
has been called,
• The fire is small and contained,
• You know your escape route and can fight the fire
with your back to the exit,
• You know what kind of extinguisher is required,
• The correct extinguisher is immediately at hand, and
• You have been trained in how to use the extinguisher
 Additional Rules on Fire Safety
• If clothing catches fire – Stop, Drop and Roll (DO NOT RUN!)
• the first and foremost step once a fire is discovered in a building
is the prompt evacuation of all personnel to a safe place
• Evacuation procedures and maps should be clearly visible
• Respect “No-Smoking” signs
• Fire Exits should clearly identified and clear of any obstructions
• Regular Fire Drills should be conducted
• Building, equipment, and storage area should be regularly
cleaned and maintained to minimize their risk of being sources
of fire
• All types of equipment including lighting should be properly
grounded
 Electrical Safety
• Hazards of electricity
• Electric shock
• Burns
• Fire
• Types of injuries caused by electric currents
• electrocution (fatal)
• electric shock
• Burns
• falls.
 Electric shock prevention
• Grounding System
• Double Insulating Materials
• Appropriate Disconnecting Means (Fuse, Circuit
Breaker, Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker)
• Proper Maintenance of Portable Power Tools
 Electrical Safety
• Causes of electrical fire
• Arcs - electric circuit carrying a current is
interrupted
• Sparks - from burning combustible material
• Overheating
• Areas where explosive or flammable gases
or vapors, combustible dust, or ignitable
fibers are present or likely to become
present should be contained inside and
Explosion Proof Apparatus
 Basic electrical safety
• Inspect cords and plugs before use
• Replace worn or damaged cords and plugs
• Eliminate octopus connections
• Never break OFF the third prong on a plug
• Never use extension cords as permanent wiring
• Keep power cords away from heat, water and oil
• Do not allow vehicles to pass over unprotected
power cords
 Classification of hazards
• Direct hazards
• Physical hazards - Noise, Extreme temperature,
ionizing and the non-ionizing radiation,
Extreme Pressure, Exhessive Vibration,
Inadequate Lighting
• Chemical Hazards – Gases, Vapour, Mist, Dust,
Fume
• Biological Hazards
• Ergonomic Hazards
• Special Considerations - Confined space,
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
 Hazard Control
• Engineering method
• machine guarding
• safety devices like emergency stop, limit,
grab-wire and photo electric switches
• substituting hazardous substances with less
hazardous ones (substitution)
• isolating hazardous process (isolation)
• Wet methods - suppressing dust generation
through misting
• Industrial ventilation
 Hazard Control
• Administrative method
• reduction of work periods
• adjusting work schedules
• job rotation
• education of supervisors
• employee information and training
• emergency response training and education
• Housekeeping and maintenance
• Personal Protective Equipment
 The Hierarchy of Measures
• Fixed Enclosing Guards
• Movable (interlocked) guards or protection
devices (e.g., light curtains, presence
sensing mats, etc.)
• Protection appliances (e.g., jigs, holders,
push sticks, etc)
• Information, instruction, training and
supervision
• Personal Protective Equipment
 Machine Safety
• Machine guards
• Preventing access
• Preventing dangerous motions
• Movable guards with interlocking switches,
Two hand controls, Pullback Devices, Light
curtains, Safety mats, Pressure-sensitive
edges, Emergency stops, Grab wire
switches, Telescopic trip switches, Robotics
application
• Lock-out/Tag-out System - during
maintenance
 Requirements of effective
safeguards
• Must prevent contact
• Must be secured and durable
• Must provide protection against falling
objects
• Must not create new hazards
• Must not create interference
• Must allow safe maintenance
 Fumehoods and/or Ventilation
• Appropriate Type
• High level hazards – Ducted
• Low level hazards – Ducted
or Ductless
• Special type such as for
analyses that use Perchloric
acid
• Appropriate size
• Appropriate number of units
 Administrative Controls
• No eating/drinking in
the laboratory
• Do not use laboratory
ware as food/ beverage
containers
 Administrative Controls
• Do not use damaged
laboratory ware (e.g.
glassware) or equipment
• Do not use lab
equipment that you are
not approved to
operate.
• Report to appropriate
personnel if an
equipment has failed for
tagging and locking out
 Administrative Controls
• Do not work alone in
the laboratory
• Never leave an ongoing
experiment unattended
• Do not work in the lab
if you’re sick
• Do not lift any
glassware, chemicals,
or other types of
apparatus above eye
level
 Administrative Controls
• Report all injuries, accidents, and broken
equipment or glass right away
• If you have been injured, yell out
immediately and as loud as you can
• In the event of a chemical splashing into
your eye(s) or skin, immediately flush
affected area(s) with running water for at
least 20 minutes
• Inform your supervisor ASAP of any
unsafe conditions in the laboratory
 Administrative Controls
• Wash your hands after an experiment or
before leaving the laboratory
• When performing experiments, Avoid
touching your mouth, eyes, and face
• Laboratory equipment should be routinely
cleaned and undergo maintenance per
manufacturer’s recommendations/
instructions
 Chemical Safety
• Globally Harmonized System of
Classification and Labelling of Chemicals
(GHS)
• Safety Data Sheet
• Chemical Compatibility Chart
 Chemical Safety
• Globally Harmonized System of
Classification and Labelling of Chemicals
(GHS)
• Safety Data Sheet
• Chemical Compatibility Chart
 Safety Data Sheet
SDS Section and Heading

Physical and chemical

1 Identification 9
properties
2 Hazard identification 10 Stability and reactivity

3 Composition/Information on ingredients 11 Toxicological information

4 First-aid measures 12 Ecological information***

5 Fire-fighting measures 13 Disposal considerations***

6 Accidental release measures 14 Transport information***

7 Handling and storage 15 Regulatory information***

8 Exposure controls/Personal protection 16 Other information

 Chemical Safety
• Globally Harmonized System of
Classification and Labelling of Chemicals
(GHS)
• Safety Data Sheet
• Chemical Compatibility Chart
 Chemical Safety Rules
• Be aware of the hazards of the materials you'll be using
• Avoid skin contact with any solvent in the laboratory
• Before using a chemical from a chemical bottle, read the
label twice
• Only take adequate amount of chemicals from a bottle for
your work
• Always pour chemicals from large containers to smaller ones
• Never put unused chemicals back into their original container
• Chemicals should never be mixed, measured, or heated in
front of your face, use an appropriate fume hood
• Never take chemicals or other materials out of the laboratory
• Never mix chemicals in sink drains
 Chemical Safety Rules
• Use the appropriate type of fume hood for the
specific chemical(s) and procedure being used
• Do not pour water into concentrated acid. Instead,
pour acid slowly into water while stirring constantly
• If a chemical spill occurs, clean it up right away
using appropriate spill kits
• Wash your hands after an experiment or before
leaving the laboratory
• When performing experiments, Avoid touching your
mouth, eyes, and face
• Storage of chemicals should be based on the
chemicals compatibility list
 Chemical Safety Rules
• Never directly smell or
taste chemicals
• Do not pipette by
mouth, use aspirator or
pipetor
• Follow proper
procedures set by your
Pollution Control Officer
for disposing laboratory
waste
 Work Environment
Measurement (WEM)
• Personal Monitoring - airborne contaminants
• Area/Environmental Sampling
• Lux Meter - illumination
• Psychrometer - humidity
• Anemometer - air movement
• Smoke Tester - air direction
• Globe Thermometer - heat
• Sound Level Meter – noise
• Biological Monitoring
 Work Environment
Measurement (WEM)
• Laboratory analysis results are compared
with the Threshold Limit Values (TLVs)
• Time-Weighted Average (TLV-TWA)
• Short-Term Exposure Limit (STEL)
• Ceiling (TLV-C)
• TLVs may be found in the Philippine
Occupational Safety and Health Standards
(OSHS)
 In the Event of a Laboratory
Accident
• Secure and do not leave the victim to prevent
worsening of the accident
• Secure or shut off any equipment to prevent
additional accidents
• Immediately inform your designated safety officer,
supervisor and other personnel that need to be
informed without going too far from the victim
• Follow safety protocol depending on the type of
accident
At the End of Your Laboratory Time
• Turn off or to idle all laboratory equipment and
apparatus in the laboratory
• Turn off canopy and fume hoods
• Turn off air conditioning units and lighting
• Lock the laboratory to prevent unauthorized
access
 Personal Protective
Equipment
• only after engineering and administrative controls have
been found ineffective, not feasible or insufficient
• only as a last resort
• last line of defense
• provide limited protection
• must be combined with training and orientation on their
proper use, limitations and advantages
• proper usage and maintenance of PPE should be
monitored
• Choosing appropriate PPE is based on hazards in the
workplace
PPE for Mechanical Laboratory

Eye Protection Ear Protection ≥ 85 db Respiratory Protection

Hand Protection Foot Protection Body Protection

PPE for Chemical Laboratory

Eye Protection Respiratory Protection

Hand Protection Foot Protection Body Protection

 PPE for Laboratories with Suspended
Particulate Matter or Dust (Mixing Rooms,
Sampling Rooms, etc.)

Eye Protection Respiratory Protection

Hand Protection Foot Protection Body Protection

PPE for Laboratory Hot Room

Eye Protection Eye Protection Respiratory Protection

Hand Protection Foot Protection Body Protection

 PPE for Inspection of Private
Testing Laboratories

Eye Protection Ear Protection ≥ 85 db Respiratory Protection

Hand Protection Foot Protection Body Protection

 PPE for Inspection of Concrete
and Asphalt Batching Plants

Head Protection Eye Protection Ear Protection ≥ 85 db Respiratory Protection

Hand Protection Foot Protection Body Protection

 PPE for Electrical Related
Activities

Head Protection Eye Protection Respiratory Protection

Hand Protection Foot Protection Body Protection

 Laboratory Dress Code
• Tie back hair that is chin-length or longer.
• Loose clothing or dangling jewelry should
secured
• Footwear should cover the foot completely.
• Never wear shorts or skirts in the lab.
 Emergency Exit/ Evacuation Map

• Evacuation
procedures and
maps
• Fire/Earthquake
drills participation
 Laboratory Display
• Emergency phone
numbers should be readily
available to call in case of
an accident
• Warning signs and/or GHS
labels on hazard areas of
the laboratory
• Awareness of safety signs
and evacuation procedures
and maps
Remember…
Safety First!