Page 79 - OHS, July/August 2021

Lab coats can protect against minor chemical splashes and solid contamination, while plastic or rubber aprons are best for protection from corrosive or irritating liquids. Ensure that your protective clothing keeps you safe from all hazards, especially if employees will be working around an open flflame, as flflame- resistant options are available.
Foot Protection: It is important to wear closed toe shoes at all times when employees are in buildings where chemicals are being used or stored. Workers should avoid perforated shoes, sandals or cloth sneakers when in laboratories or where mechanical work is being conducted. This kind of footwear offers little protection against chemical and physical hazards.
Information is Power
You will notice on Sang’s list of fundamental lab safety practice, several of them are aimed to generate more education for employees. This knowledge can give employees the basis of information that they need to go into the workplace with a confident outlook to perform their job tasks safely and effectively.
The first on the list is to, “read the lab safety manual.” This cannot be stressed enough. While every lab varies their manual based on the duties performed and hazards present, there is still a lot of powerful information inside these safety manuals to arm employees with the knowledge they need to mitigate potentially dangerous situations. Safety manuals may include, but are not limited to:
PERFORMANCE SAFETY FOOTWEAR
■ Lab safety practices
■ Chemical hygiene plans
■ Emergency procedures
■ Health hazards of chemicals
■ Electrical Safety
■ Lab ventilation practices
Sang also mentions that it is important to, “maintain an easily
accessible safety library with relevant resources.” It is important that if employees have a question, or do not know what to do in a high stress moment, that they have a place they can go to easily and quickly pull information. The more information employees have, the better prepared they will be if the worst happens.
Lab Safety is Human Safety
It is imperative that scientists, researchers and others who might find themselves working in laboratories make safety a continuous theme in their day-to-day work, wear appropriate PPE for the job and arm themselves with as much information as possible to protect themselves.
While there are many safety practices that are important when it comes to lab safety, I do hope that you’ll find Sang’s list of fundamentals useful and thought provoking for the next time you step into the lab.
Sydny Shepard is editor of Occupational Health & Safety magazine.
CORPORATE PROFILE
PUMA SAFETY
www.puma-safety.com
5126 South Royal Atlanta Drive Tucker, GA 30084
Contact Information
orders@puma-safety.com Tel: 770-349-6332 Opt 1
As a leader in the personal protective equipment industry, PUMA Safety provides customers with technology-based products and innovative solutions that enhance safety and productivity. Our highly trained sales staff works closely with customers across a wide range of industries to produce measurable results.
We have long been recognized for products that defend against workplace injuries by assuring exceptional levels of protection. Today’s workplace has created many new challenges for our customers, such as the growing con- cern about nanotechnology and respiratory hazards.
Circle 21 on card.
www.ohsonline.com JULY/AUGUST 2021 | Occupational Health & Safety 75