0% found this document useful (0 votes)
34 views20 pages

Laboratory Safety Guidelines and Protocols

This document outlines safety guidelines and procedures for students working in the Mechanical Technology Lab 1. It identifies the members of the lab and provides information on laboratory safety, emergency response, common sense safety practices, personal protective equipment, electrical safety, chemical safety, laser safety, and additional general safety guidelines. Students are responsible for understanding and following all safety instructions to minimize risks while conducting experiments and operating equipment in the lab.

Uploaded by

Yam Black
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
34 views20 pages

Laboratory Safety Guidelines and Protocols

This document outlines safety guidelines and procedures for students working in the Mechanical Technology Lab 1. It identifies the members of the lab and provides information on laboratory safety, emergency response, common sense safety practices, personal protective equipment, electrical safety, chemical safety, laser safety, and additional general safety guidelines. Students are responsible for understanding and following all safety instructions to minimize risks while conducting experiments and operating equipment in the lab.

Uploaded by

Yam Black
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

MECHANICAL TECHNOLOGY LAB 1

DMM1911

MEMBERS:
1. MUHAMMAD DANIAL IQMAL BIN ZAINUDDIN
MB17108
2. ZUL AIMAN HAKIMI BIN ZULAILI
MB17249
3. MUHAMMAD AFIFUDIN BIN MOHD TAJUDIN
MB17174
Laboratory safety
All students must read and understand the information in this document with regard to
laboratory safety and emergency procedures prior to the first laboratory session. Your
personal laboratory safety depends mostly on YOU. Effort has been made to address
situations that may pose a hazard in the lab but the information and instructions provided
cannot be considered all-inclusive.

With good judgment, the chance of an accident is very small. Nevertheless, research and
teaching workplaces (labs, shops, etc.) are full of potential hazards that can cause serious
injury and or damage to the equipment. Working alone and unsupervised in laboratories
is forbidden if you are working with hazardous substances or equipment. With prior
approval, at least two people should be present so that one can shut down equipment and
call for help in the event of an emergency.

Safety training and/or information should be provided by a teaching assistant, technician,


or staff member at the beginning of a new assignment or when a new hazard is introduced
into the workplace.

Emergency Response
1. It is your responsibility to read safety and fire alarm posters and follow the
instructions during an emergency
2. Know the location of the fire extinguisher, eye wash, first aid and safety shower in
your lab and know how to use them.
3. Notify your instructor immediately after any injury, fire or explosion, or spill.
4. Know the building evacuation procedures.
Common Sense
Good common sense is needed for safety in a laboratory. It is expected that each student
will work in a responsible manner and exercise good judgment and common sense. If at
any time you are not sure how to handle a particular situation, ask your Teaching
Assistant or Instructor for advice. DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING WITH WHICH
YOU ARE NOT COMPLETELY FAMILIAR!!! It is always better to ask questions
than to risk harm to yourself or damage to the equipment.

Personal and General laboratory safety


1. Never eat or drink while working in the laboratory.
2. Read labels carefully.
3. Do not use any equipment unless you are trained and approved as a user by your
supervisor.
4. Wear safety glasses or face shields when working with hazardous materials and/or
equipment.
5. Wear gloves when using any hazardous or toxic agent.
6. Clothing: When handling dangerous substances, wear gloves, laboratory coats, and safety
shield or glasses. Shorts and sandals should not be worn in the lab at any time. Shoes are
required when working in the machine shops.
7. If you have long hair or loose clothes, make sure it is tied back or confined.
8. Keep the work area clear of all materials except those needed for your work. Coats
should be hung in your room or placed in a locker. Extra books, purses, etc. should be
kept away from equipment that requires air flow or ventilation to prevent overheating.
9. Disposal - Students are responsible for the proper disposal of used material if any in
appropriate containers.
10. Equipment Failure - If a piece of equipment fails while being used, report it immediately
a technician. Never try to fix the problem yourself because you could harm yourself and
others.
11. If leaving a lab unattended, turn off all ignition sources and lock the doors.
12. Clean up your work area before leaving.
13. Wash hands before leaving the lab and before eating.
Ethics of wearing

GOGGLE
JACKET

GLOVE

SUITABLE
PANTS
SAFETY
BOOTS

Electrical safety
1. Obtain permission by the safety coordinator before operating any high voltage equipment
(voltages above 50Vrms ac and 50V dc are always dangerous, extra precautions should
be considered as voltage levels are increased)
2. Maintain an unobstructed access to all electrical panels.
3. Avoid using extension cords whenever possible. Extension cords should not go under
doors, across aisles, be hung from the ceiling, or plugged into other extension cords.
4. Never, ever modify or otherwise change any high voltage equipment.
5. before attaching the power supply to your setup make sure there are no “live” wires
which can be touched when possible use a box with an interlock
6. when attaching a high voltage power supply ALWAYS switch off the supply
7. When you are adjusting any high voltage equipment or a laser which is powered with a
high voltage supply, USE ONLY ONE HAND. Your other hand is best placed in a
pocket or behind your back. This procedure eliminates the possibility of an accident
where high voltage current flows up one arm, through your chest, and down the other
arm.

Chemical safety
1. Fill in an “experiment information chart” before conducting an experiment in the
chemical lab and let it check and sign by the safety coordinator (Remco Sanders).
2. Treat every chemical as if it were hazardous.
3. Make sure all chemicals are clearly and currently labeled with the substance name,
concentration, date, and name of the individual responsible.
4. Never return chemicals to reagent bottles. (Try for the correct amount and share any
excess.)
5. Comply with fire regulations concerning storage quantities, types of approved containers
and cabinets, proper labeling, etc. If uncertain about regulations, contact the safety
coordinator.
6. Use volatile and flammable compounds only in a fume hood. Procedures that produce
aerosols should be performed in a hood to prevent inhalation of hazardous material.
7. Never allow a solvent to come in contact with your skin. Always use gloves.
8. Never "smell" a solvent!! Read the label on the solvent bottle to identify its contents.
9. Dispose of waste and broken glassware in proper containers and report it to a lab
technician.
10. Clean up spills immediately.

Nanoparticles safety
1. Always talk to the safety coordinator (Remco Sanders/Thijs Bolhuis). When you
plan to conduct new or chanced experiments with nanoparticles

Cryogenics safety
1. Always talk to the safety coordinator (Thijs Bolhuis). When you plan to conduct
new or chanced experiments with liquid nitrogen or liquid helium.

Magnetic safety
1. Always talk to the safety coordinator (Thijs Bolhuis). When you plan to conduct
new or chanced experiments with strong magnetic fields. 

Lasers safety
1. Before building up a new setup with a laser, check your plans with the laser safety
coordinator (Henk v Wolferen).
2. NEVER, EVER LOOK INTO ANY LASER BEAM, no matter how low power or
"eye safe" you may think it is.
3. Always wear safety goggles if instructed by your Instructor or Teaching Assistant.
4. The most common injury using lasers is an eye injury resulting from scattered
laser light reflected off of mountings, sides of mirrors or from the "shiny" surface
of an optical table. The best way to avoid these injuries is to always wear your
goggles and NEVER LOWER YOUR HEAD TO THE LEVEL OF THE LASER
BEAM! The laser beam should always be at or below chest level.
5. Always use "beam stops" to intercept laser beams. Never allow them to propagate
into the laboratory. Never walk through a laser beam. Some laser beams of only a
few watts can burn a hole through a shirt in only a few seconds.
6. If you suspect that you have suffered an eye injury, notify your instructor or
teaching assistant IMMEDIATELY! Your ability to recover from an eye injury
decreases the longer you wait for treatment.

 Additional Safety Guidelines


 Never do unauthorized experiments.
 Never work alone in laboratory.
 Keep your lab space clean and organized.
 Do not leave an on-going experiment unattended.
 Never taste anything. Never pipette by mouth; use a bulb.
 Never use open flames in laboratory unless instructed by TA.
 Check your glassware for cracks and chips each time you use it. Cracks could
cause the glassware to fail during use and cause serious injury to you or lab mates.
 Maintain unobstructed access to all exits, fire extinguishers, electrical panels,
emergency showers, and eye washes.
 Do not use corridors for storage or work areas.
 Do not store heavy items above table height. Any overhead storage of supplies on
top of cabinets should be limited to lightweight items only. Also, remember that a
36" diameter area around all fire sprinkler heads must be kept clear at all times.
 Areas containing lasers, biohazards, radioisotopes, and carcinogens should be
posted accordingly. However, do not post areas unnecessarily and be sure that the
labels are removed when the hazards are no longer present.
 Be careful when lifting heavy objects.
 Clean your lab bench and equipment, and lock the door before you leave the
laboratory.

MACHINE SAFETY

Introduction
Unguarded moving parts of machines/equipment and the sudden or
uncontrolled release of their power systems can result in serious injuries.
Personnel working with machines must be aware of the risks involved and
follow safe work practices.

CAUSES OF ACCIDENTS WHILE


WORKING WITH MACHINERY

 Loose clothing, hair, jewellery being caught in moving parts.


 Materials ejected from the machine when it is operational.
 Inadvertent starting of the machine.
 Slipping and falling into an unguarded nip.
 Contact with sharp edges, e.g., cutting blade.
 Making adjustments while the machine is operational.
 Unauthorized operation of machines.
 Lack of preventive maintenance.

HAZARD
- Rotating machine parts give rise to nip points. Examples are
• Rotating gears
• Belt and its pulley
• Chain and sprocket
• Between grinding wheel and tool rest
• Between rotating and fixed parts

- Rotating parts operating alone


• Shafts
• Couplings

- Reciprocating and sliding motion

Dangerous parts of machinery


-Running nips between parts rotating in opposite directions, for e.g., gear
wheels.

Rotating parts operating alone e.g., couplings.


Between rotating and tangentially moving parts e.g., belt drives

Wherever there is a rotating part operating close to a fixed structure there is


a danger of trapping or crushing.
Reciprocating and sliding motions.

Machine Guarding
Any machine part which can cause injury, must be guarded.
Machine guards help to eliminate personnel hazards created by points of
operation, ingoing nip points, rotating parts and flying chips.

Types of guards
Commonly used machine guards are
• Fixed guard
• Interlocked guard
•Adjustable guard
• Self adjusting guard
• Pull back device
• Two-hand control

Type of Guards
Fixed guard- is kept in place permanently by fasteners that can only be
released by the use of a tool.

• Interlocked guard- shuts off or disengages power to the machine and


prevents it from starting when the guard is removed/opened.
• Adjustable guard- provides a barrier which can be adjusted to suit the
varying sizes of the input stock.
• Self adjusting guard-provides a barrier which moves according to the size
of the stock entering the danger area.
• Two hand control - concurrent use of both hands is required to operate the
machine, preventing the operator from reaching the danger area.
• Pull back - the device is attached to the wrist of the operator which pulls
the operator's hands away from the point of operation or other hazardous
areas when the machine operates.

Miscellaneous safe guarding aids


• Shields can be used to provide protection from flying particles, splashing
metal working fluids or coolants.
• Holding tools can be used to place and remove stock. Example, reaching
into the danger area of a power press.
• Holding tools must not be used as a replacement of machine guards.

Safety precautions while working with


machinery
• Ensure that the guards are in position and in good working condition
before operating.
• Know the location of emergency stop switch.
• Do not wear loose clothing or jewellery that can be caught in the rotating
parts.
• Confine long hair.
• The keys and adjusting wrenches must be removed from the machine
before operating it.

Safety precautions while working with


machinery
• Stop the machine before measuring, cleaning or making any adjustments.
• Do not handle metal turnings by hand as they can cause injury. Use brush or rake to
remove turnings.

• Keep hands away from the cutting head and all moving parts.

• Cutting tools and blades must be clean and sharp, so that they can be used without
force.

• Avoid awkward operations and hand positions. A sudden slip could cause the hand
to move into the cutting tool or blade.

• Keep work area clean. Floors must be level and have a non-slip surface.

• There must be enough space around the machine to do the job safely.

Safety precautions while working with


machinery
• The person working with the machine must not be distracted.

• Machines must not be left unattended. Switch off the machine before leaving.

• Rotating parts of machines must not be stopped with hands after switching off.

Safety precautions while working with


machinery
• Compressed air must not be used to clean machines, as this can force small particles
to fly off and can cause injury.

Personal protective equipment


• Safety glasses must always be used while working with machinery for protection
from flying particles.

• Safety glasses must be worn by all personnel entering an area where machines are
operated.

• Ear protection must be worn for protection from high noise.

• Safety shoes must be worn if there is handling of heavy materials.

• Hand gloves must NOT be used while working with machinery, due to the chances
of getting caught in the nip point.

Safe work practices – Drill press


 When making deep holes, clean the hole frequently.

 Use a clamp or drill vice to prevent work from spinning.

 The drill bit or cutting tool must be locked securely in the chuck.

 Remove the chuck key before starting the drill press.

 Lubricate drill bit when drilling metal.

 Reduce the drilling pressure when the drill begins to break through the work
[Link] prevents drill from pulling into the work and breaking.

 Do not force the drill with extra pressure.

 Do not hold the work by hand.

 Do not place hands under the stock being drilled.

 Reduce the drilling pressure when the drill begins to break through the work
piece. This prevents drill from pulling into the work and breaking.

 Do not force the drill with extra pressure.

 Do not hold the work by hand.

 Do not place hands under the stock being drilled.


Safe work practices- Lathe

• Centre the drill work deeply enough to provide support for the piece
while it is turning.
• Secure and clamp the piece being worked.

• Guard must be provided to the chuck.

• Inspect chucks for wear or damage.

• Remove chuck wrench immediately after adjusting chuck.


Safe work practices -Grinding
machine

Causes of personal injury while working with abrasive wheels are


follows:

• Holding the work incorrectly.


• Incorrect adjustment or lack of work rest.
• Using the wrong type of wheel or disk or a poorly maintained or imbalanced one.
• Grinding on the side of the wheel.
• Grinding too high above the center of a wheel.
• Incorrect mounting and exceeding speeds recommended by manufacturer can lead
to bursting of wheel.
• Using spindle with incorrect diameter.
Safe work practices -Grinding
machine
Tool/Work rest

 The work rest must be securely clamped and the gap between the tool rest and
wheel must not be more than 3mm.
 The work rest height must be on the horizontal center line of the machine
spindle.
 The rest must never be adjusted while the wheel is in motion as the work rest
may slip and strike the wheel and break it, or cause injury to the operator.

Lockout-Tagout

 Lockout-tagout or lock and tag is a system used to ensure that machines are
properly shut off and not started up again before the completion of maintenance
or servicing work.
 Hazardous power sources must be isolated before any repair procedure is
started.

 Different types of locks are used for locking the machine or the power source in
a manner that no hazardous power sources can be turned on.

 A tag is also attached to the locked device indicating that it must not be turned on.

Common questions

Powered by AI

Maintaining a clear and organized work environment is integral to laboratory safety as it reduces the risk of accidents and facilitates efficient emergency responses. A tidy workspace minimizes the likelihood of spills, falls, and other mishaps by ensuring that only necessary materials are present, reducing clutter-related hazards . Organizing materials also improves visibility and access to safety equipment, which is crucial during emergencies . A well-arranged lab environment enhances workflow by allowing clear paths and access points, contributing significantly to overall safety and operational efficiency.

Machine guarding and safety practices are designed to mitigate the risks inherent in mechanical equipment operation by preventing contact with dangerous parts. Guards such as fixed, interlocked, adjustable, and self-adjusting types obstruct access to hazardous zones, reducing the risk of injury from moving parts . Safety practices such as removing keys and wrenches before operation and knowing the location of emergency stop switches enhance operational safety by preventing accidental startups and enabling quick responses to emergencies . These measures collectively safeguard users from mechanical dangers associated with unguarded or improperly used machines.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is paramount in managing risk when working with hazardous substances or machinery as it acts as a barrier between the user and potential hazards. Safety glasses or face shields protect against chemical splashes and flying particles, minimizing the risk of eye injuries . Gloves prevent direct contact with toxic agents, protecting the skin . Suitable clothing, such as lab coats and closed-toe shoes, reduces the risk of injury from spills and physical harm . The strategic use of PPE effectively mitigates exposure to various hazards, significantly contributing to safety in hazardous environments.

Integration of safety training and supervision significantly strengthens the laboratory safety culture. Training provides personnel with knowledge about how to handle hazardous materials and equipment safely, fostering a mindset where safety is prioritized . Supervision ensures compliance with safety practices while also serving as an immediate resource for addressing uncertainties . When training and supervision are aligned, they create an environment where safety is an embedded value, reducing the likelihood of accidents and promoting a proactive approach to risk management.

Neglecting chemical labeling and storage regulations can lead to severe consequences in laboratory environments. Without proper labeling, chemicals can be misidentified, increasing the risk of hazardous exposure and accidental reactions . Improper storage may violate fire regulations, contributing to potential fire hazards or chemical spills . Additionally, failure to comply with these regulations poses significant health risks to personnel due to unrecognized exposures and contributes to environmental contamination through accidental releases, emphasizing the critical nature of adhering to safety protocols in chemical management.

Communication with safety coordinators is crucial when conducting potentially hazardous experiments, as it ensures comprehensive risk assessment and adherence to safety standards. Safety coordinators provide expert guidance on managing specific hazards, such as nanoparticles, cryogenics, or strong magnetic fields, by offering tailored safety protocols that might not be obvious to less experienced personnel . This collaboration facilitates the identification of all possible risks and the development of appropriate containment measures. Effective communication ensures that all safety requirements are met, significantly reducing the likelihood of accidents and ensuring a safe experimental environment.

Specific safety measures, such as obtaining permission from the safety coordinator and following strict procedural guidelines, are critical when working with high voltage equipment to minimize risks of electrocution and equipment damage. Adhering to safety protocols like maintaining unobstructed access to electrical panels and avoiding unauthorized modifications ensures a controlled environment . These measures prevent operational hazards and ensure personnel are safely insulated from lethal currents, reflecting the high level of danger associated with high voltage operations. Effective safety practices drastically reduce the probability of accidents and enhance overall electrical safety.

Essential components of laboratory emergency preparedness include knowing the location of emergency equipment (fire extinguishers, eye wash stations, first aid kits, safety showers) and understanding how to use them . This knowledge ensures rapid response to emergencies, minimizing injury or damage. Additionally, familiarity with evacuation procedures is crucial for orderly and safe exits during emergencies . Effective emergency preparedness also involves reading safety and fire alarm posters, providing critical information during crises . These components collectively enhance safety by ensuring both proactive and reactive measures are in place.

Equipment maintenance and failure reporting are critical for ensuring safety in laboratories and workshops because they prevent accidents caused by faulty or malfunctioning equipment . Promptly reporting equipment failures allows technicians to address issues before they lead to injuries . Regular maintenance ensures equipment functions correctly, aligns with safety standards, and minimizes unexpected breakdowns, which can cause dangerous situations . Overall, these practices help maintain a safe working environment by ensuring all tools and machines operate effectively and safely.

Lockout-Tagout (LOTO) systems ensure safety during equipment maintenance by preventing accidental activation of machinery. By isolating hazardous power sources, LOTO systems ensure that machines are not inadvertently powered on while being serviced . This involves using locks to secure the machine's energy control mechanisms and attaching tags that warn against turning on the machinery . These measures effectively eliminate the risk of unexpected machine startup, protecting workers from potential injuries during maintenance or servicing activities.

You might also like