Toxins and Chemicals

Precautions

• Wear safety goggles and a lab coat.
• Wear gloves when working with corrosive or toxic substances.

In the laboratory

• Mark bottles of chemicals with a sticker and provide: name of the substance, date, name of the person responsible.
• Use bottles with a screw-cap whenever possible.
• Don't use recipients meant for comestibles to store chemicals.
• Keep bottles of chemicals as far away from the edge of your workplace as possible.
• Be careful while diluting acids and bases.
• Keep your supply of solvents at a bare minimum.
• Many volatile substances (especially solvents) form explosive mixtures in air, which accumulate on the ground, since they are more dense than air. Avoid open flames and ventilate.

Glass

• Glass doesn't belong in the normal trash cans (risk of injury for cleaning personnel).
• Don't carry large glass bottles by the neck or cap, instead hold them at the bottom.
• Don't use force on stuck ground glass joints. Use a piece of wood to gently knock on the joint, or slightly heat it.

Disposal of chemicals

• Disposal
  
• Vademecum Disposal

Warning signs

The following warning and danger signs can be obtained from the D-PHYS shop: