Chapter 2

Test your knowledge of safe working procedures. After reading the appropriate sections of this book, can you remember the following: (a) the four main steps involved in the process of risk assessment; (b) the major routes of entry of harmful substances into the body; (c) the warning labels for the major chemical hazard symbols (either describe them or draw them from memory; (d) the international symbol for radioactivity?

Locate the relevant health and safety features in a laboratory. Find each of the following in one of the main laboratories used as part of your course (draw a simple location map, if this seems appropriate): (a) fire exit(s); (b) fire-fighting equipment; (c) first-aid kit; (d) eye-wash station; (e) waste flammable solvent container; (f) waste chlorinated solvent container; (g) broken glass container.

Investigate the health and safety procedures in operation at your university. Can you find out the following: (a) your university's procedure in case of fire; (b) the colour coding for fire extinguishers available in your department and the recommendations for use; (c) the accident reporting procedure used in your department; (d) your department's Code of Safe Practice relating to project work?

Carry out risk assessments for specific chemical hazards. Look up the hazards associated with the use of the following chemicals and list the appropriate protective measures required to minimise the risk during use in a lab class: (a) ethanol to be used as a recrystallisation solvent for a solid (about \(10 \mathrm{~g}\) ); (b) sodium oxalate to be used to make a volumetric standard solution \((250.00 \mathrm{~mL} ; 0.1 \mathrm{M})\); (c) sodium hydroxide, used in solid form to prepare a dilute solution for neutralisation.