Ways To Promote Safety for Students in Laboratories

Academic laboratories are wonderful opportunities for students to learn about working in a professional laboratory setting. However, laboratories require working with many chemicals and substances that can be dangerous if proper safety precautions aren’t implemented and followed.

As the head of the laboratory, it’s your job to ensure all students use safe practices while present. Learn some ways to promote safety for students in laboratories by reading below.

Make Sure Students Wear Appropriate Gear

When students are working in the laboratory, they’re always going to need specific protective gear to prevent exposure and harm from certain materials. Laboratories generally involve work with potentially hazardous chemicals and substances.

These could cause harm if you get them on your skin, in your eyes, or breathe in any fumes. Some of the common safety gear students should be expected to remember includes gloves, goggles, gowns, and masks.

Implement Thorough Training

Every student that’ll work under you in a laboratory should go through thorough training. New students cannot be expected to know their way around a laboratory, let alone keep themselves safe without guidance.

Substantial amounts of training will help students stick to proper practices consistently. This must be upheld as an expectation that students will complete a certain level of training to meet regulatory requirements and provide proof they understand the proper practices in a laboratory setting.

Label Everything Thoroughly in the Lab

This is one of the most vital ways to promote safety for students in laboratories. Labeling everything in your laboratory is important—but labeling potentially dangerous chemicals and substances is absolutely vital.

Clear labels and proper signage will be important for alerting those working in the labs of biohazards, cancer hazards, and reactive chemicals. Signage should direct them to safety areas such as emergency eyewash stations and showers.

Use Proper Disposal Methods for Materials

With so many types of materials that can be used and procured in laboratory settings, it’s important to have a clear plan worked out for safe and correct disposal of waste, especially materials that are categorized as hazardous waste.

Managing hazardous waste in academic laboratories is a culture you should instill in students as early as their training. The only way everyone on the premises will remain protected is if everyone follows regulations and holds each other accountable.

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