Safety first, chemistry second
A working chemist treats safety as part of the experiment, not an obstacle to it. This module covers the personal protective equipment, hazard signs and equipment names you’ll see on day one of any lab.
Personal protective equipment (PPE)
Goggles or safety glasses (always); lab coat or apron over closed-toe shoes; nitrile gloves when handling chemicals. Tie back long hair, no loose sleeves, no food or drink. Eye protection alone is non-negotiable — even brief splashes can cause permanent damage.
GHS hazard pictograms
The Globally Harmonised System uses nine red-bordered diamond pictograms. Recognising them at a glance — flame, exploding bomb, skull-and-crossbones — is the first defence against an unfamiliar chemical.
Reading an SDS
Every chemical comes with a Safety Data Sheet in 16 sections. The most consulted: §2 hazards, §4 first-aid, §7 handling/storage, §8 PPE/exposure limits, §10 reactivity, §13 disposal. Read sections 2 and 8 before you open the bottle.
Standard responses
Fire: alert, evacuate, fire blanket then extinguisher; never water on a metal or oil fire. Spill: warn, contain, neutralise (acid → bicarbonate, base → boric acid). Eye splash: 15-minute eyewash, then medical. Cuts: rinse, pressure, first-aid kit.
Twelve rules of thumb
- Goggles on before any work begins.
- Always add acid to water — never the reverse.
- Never pipette by mouth.
- Smell vapours by wafting toward your nose, never deep sniffs.
- Heat test tubes pointed away from yourself and others.
- Label every container, even if it just contains water.
- Keep flammables away from open flames; check the room for ignition sources.
- Know where the nearest eyewash, shower, fire extinguisher and exit are.
- Keep workspaces clear; broken glass goes in the dedicated sharps bin.
- Dispose of waste by category — never down the sink unless told to.
- Tell your instructor about any incident, however small.
- Wash hands before leaving the lab.
Hands-on tools
Recognise pictograms, identify glassware, and decide what should and shouldn’t happen in a lab scene.
The nine GHS hazard pictograms
Red diamonds with black symbols on white. Tap a tile for the meaning and a real-world example.
Common laboratory glassware & tools
Tap an item to see what it’s for.
Equipment ID drill
Look at the picture, name the piece.
What did the student do wrong?
Read the scenario. Pick the safety issue.
PPE selector
Pick a task. The selector lists the minimum PPE required.
Quiz
Flashcards
Tap a card to flip. ← / → keys to navigate.
Daily challenge
Five questions, one shot. Same set worldwide, refreshes at midnight UTC.
For teachers
Print-ready worksheet, answer key, teaching tips and standards alignment.
Teaching tips
Standards alignment
Reference
SDS sections cheatsheet
Glossary
Photo gallery — real lab settings
Images sourced from Wikipedia.