Vital Chemical Safety Practices
Channel: Universität Bern
Date: 30/06/2021

You can minimize the risks at our university by following these safety practices. Before any activity with chemicals, you must contact them for a risk assessment and instructions.

Chemicals pose potential physical, health, and environmental hazards, such as explosion, fire, oxidation, corrosion, poisoning, irritation, cancer, pollution, and more. To use a chemical in your work, you must follow the instructions given on the container label and the corresponding Material Safety Data Sheet.

The safety measures are governed by four principles. The first is substitution: whenever possible, replace the hazardous substance with a safer alternative. The other principles concern technical arrangements, organizational practices and instructions, and personal protective equipment.

When working in the laboratory, you must be familiar with the safety symbols and be able to locate and use all emergency facilities. Store chemicals from the same storage class together. Chemicals that can react with each other must be stored separately.

Containers must always be labelled with the name, concentration, and preparation date of the chemical, the corresponding hazard pictograms, and the name of the person responsible. Unlabeled products must not be used and must be reported immediately to the Chemical Safety Officer.

With gas cylinders, it is crucial that there is no damage or leakage. They pose hazards, such as suffocation, flammability, explosion, and poisoning.

Hazardous waste should be avoided or kept to a minimum. When purchasing chemicals, be aware of sustainability. Think about the risks they pose, as well as how to safely dispose of them. Label hazardous waste and follow the university's disposal guidelines.

We want to protect your health and the environment. 
We are here to make your workplace safer.

https://www.risiko.unibe.ch