Lab Safety and WHMIS

Safety in the Classroom
In the below picture, you can see many of the common tools used for safety and accident handling procedures. Sinks are located throughout the classroom, and there is soap on the east counter.

Several rules are enforced for the safety of everyone during experiments, some are listed below:

• No Running
  
• No Open-toed Shoes
  
• No Eating or Drinking
  
• No Messing Around in General
  
• Do Nothing Involving Reactions Without Permission
  

Other ways to stay safe in the Chemistry classroom is knowing basic procedures. For example, if you're on fire, stop, drop, and roll! Common sense is also required to minimize bodily damage. If you're burning from acid on your skin, wash it off first, then tell the teacher.


W.H.M.I.S.

An acronym for "Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System". It is a system to help workers recognize safety and health hazards. Below is a chart identifying the hazards, along with their symbols.

  

Similarly, there are International Safety Symbols representing Poison, Flammable, Explosive, and Corrosive hazards, all having 3 degrees (Danger, Warning, and Caution).

Conclusion
The Chemistry classroom can quickly become a dangerous place to be, but this can be avoided given that everyone does their part to ensure their own and others' safety. Use your common sense and follow proper procedure. If everyone does this, it will be very unlikely someone loses an eye, a finger, a toe, or some other arbitrary body part.