(a) Chemicals. A number of chemicals used in the laboratory are hazardous.
All manufacturers of hazardous materials are required by law to supply the user with pertinent information on any hazards associated with their
chemicals. This information is supplied in the form of Material Safety Data
Sheets, or MSDS. This information contains the chemical name, CAS#,
health hazard data, including first aid treatment, physical data, fire and
explosion hazard data, reactivity data, spill or leak procedures, and any
special precautions needed when handling this chemical. In addition, MSDS
information can be accessed on the Web on the Biological Sciences Home
Page. You are strongly urged to make use of this information prior to using
a new chemical, and certainly in the case of any accidental exposure or
spill.
The following chemicals are particularly noteworthy:
Phenol—can cause severe burns
Acrylamide—potential neurotoxin
Ethidium bromide—carcinogen.
These chemicals are not harmful if used properly: always wear gloves
when using potentially hazardous chemicals, and never mouth-pipette
them. If you accidentally splash any of these chemicals on your skin,
immediately rinse the area thoroughly with water and inform the instructor.
Discard waste in appropriate containers.
(b) Ultraviolet Light. Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light can cause acute eye
irritation. Since the retina cannot detect UV light, you can have serious eye
damage and not realize it until 30 minutes to 24 hours after exposure.
Therefore, always wear appropriate eye protection when using UV lamps.
(c) Electricity. The voltages used for electrophoresis are sufficient to cause
electrocution. Cover the buffer reservoirs during electrophoresis. Always
turn off the power supply and unplug the leads before removing a gel.
(d) General Housekeeping. All common areas should be kept free of clutter and
all dirty dishes, electrophoresis equipment, etc., should be dealt with
appropriately. Since you have only a limited amount of space of your own,
it is to your advantage to keep that area clean. Since you will use common
facilities, all solutions and everything stored in an incubator, refrigerator,
etc., must be labeled. In order to limit confusion, each person should use his
initials or another unique designation for labeling plates, etc. Unlabeled
material found in the refrigerators, incubators, or freezers may be discarded.
Always mark the backs of the plates with your initials, the date, and
relevant experimental data, e.g., strain numbers.
All manufacturers of hazardous materials are required by law to supply the user with pertinent information on any hazards associated with their
chemicals. This information is supplied in the form of Material Safety Data
Sheets, or MSDS. This information contains the chemical name, CAS#,
health hazard data, including first aid treatment, physical data, fire and
explosion hazard data, reactivity data, spill or leak procedures, and any
special precautions needed when handling this chemical. In addition, MSDS
information can be accessed on the Web on the Biological Sciences Home
Page. You are strongly urged to make use of this information prior to using
a new chemical, and certainly in the case of any accidental exposure or
spill.
The following chemicals are particularly noteworthy:
Phenol—can cause severe burns
Acrylamide—potential neurotoxin
Ethidium bromide—carcinogen.
These chemicals are not harmful if used properly: always wear gloves
when using potentially hazardous chemicals, and never mouth-pipette
them. If you accidentally splash any of these chemicals on your skin,
immediately rinse the area thoroughly with water and inform the instructor.
Discard waste in appropriate containers.
(b) Ultraviolet Light. Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light can cause acute eye
irritation. Since the retina cannot detect UV light, you can have serious eye
damage and not realize it until 30 minutes to 24 hours after exposure.
Therefore, always wear appropriate eye protection when using UV lamps.
(c) Electricity. The voltages used for electrophoresis are sufficient to cause
electrocution. Cover the buffer reservoirs during electrophoresis. Always
turn off the power supply and unplug the leads before removing a gel.
(d) General Housekeeping. All common areas should be kept free of clutter and
all dirty dishes, electrophoresis equipment, etc., should be dealt with
appropriately. Since you have only a limited amount of space of your own,
it is to your advantage to keep that area clean. Since you will use common
facilities, all solutions and everything stored in an incubator, refrigerator,
etc., must be labeled. In order to limit confusion, each person should use his
initials or another unique designation for labeling plates, etc. Unlabeled
material found in the refrigerators, incubators, or freezers may be discarded.
Always mark the backs of the plates with your initials, the date, and
relevant experimental data, e.g., strain numbers.
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