Notes on Laboratory Safety for Writers
I've been working for an Environmental Laboratory now for over a year, and while I'm not a lab tech myself, there are still a few things I've seen on TV that seem to get things a bit wrong. A lot of this might seem obvious, but people can still get hurt because they're not being smart.

LAB SAFETY

What not to wear:

So, since it's TV there has to be a sexy babe wearing smart business suits, kick-ass peek toed shoes, and have their awesomely curled hair hanging around their shoulders, and they're definitely wearing contacts. The guys are in business suits, minus the coat.

Probably the worst attire for a lab. For one, chemical splashes happen, and those chemicals seep into your nice fancy clothes. Lab coats are designed to help keep chemicals off of you, but it still can seep through. If you love the clothes you're wearing, and you desperately want to look fantabulous--don't wear them to work in a lab! Most of our techs wear old attire that's worn and faded and probably looks like it's been through the wash too many times with accidental bleach splatters, which are really the result of spills. Even with an full lab apron, you might still ruin your clothes. You can't say you'll never drop chemicals, because chances are you will, and even if you don't, chances are that your co-workers will. If your lowly lab tech character doesn't dress almost like a bum, I won't believe you.

Open toed shoes are a very, very big no no. Not only can you drop glassware on your delicate little toes, but most chemicals can burn (or at the very least irritate) the skin, some severely. Exposing a lot of skin is not the best idea, so shorts and short skirts are also not recommended. I may mention here that some of our female machine operators do wear skirts and revealing clothing sometimes, but they are in the extraction labs less often, and thus are away from the nitty-gritty chemicals of everyday use.

As chemicals can burn--and melt through a various amount of products, especially plastics--contacts are generally banned from the lab. Soft contacts can actually absorb solvent vapors, which if you're a lab tech, you'll be around all day, every day. Also, if you spill chemicals in your eye, contacts can makes things worse in the attempt to flush it out.

Having your long hair down is a nuisance. I'm also sure dipping your hair in a test tube would be enough to put you off of the idea forever (not to mention cross-contaminating your samples). Though I have to say that there are a few women at the lab who choose to ignore this, and haven't had any problems. Still, ninety-five percent of our lab techs pull back their hair. It just makes sense.

If ever there were a Commandment for Lab Safety, it would be: Thou Shalt Wear Thy Safety Glasses at All Times! In some cases a full-face shield might be needed. I might also add that nowadays, safety glasses can actually be functional and trendy at the same time, as I've seen wrap around safety glasses that resemble ultra cool sunglasses. Don't believe me? Go here to check it out: http://www.labsafety.com/store/Safety_Supplies/Eyewear/Safety_Glasses/44034/

Case in point: One of my co-workers took off his safety glasses in one of the labs, because he was finished with his own work. Someone else, who was transporting methylene chloride, dropped it and splattered it all over said lab tech's face. Luckily, none of the solvent got into his eye, and he promptly washed it off of his face with the help of the nearest eyewash fountain. But he was lucky. Methylene chloride burns. Though I haven't had the displeasure of feeling it, the everyone I've talked to said it HURTS.

Similarly would be: Though Shalt Wear Gloves! There are many types of gloves now, so that if you're allergic to latex, Nitrile gloves are an option, and some even come with soothing aloe inside. Another thing to mention is that putting on oil-based lotions before you strap on gloves can actually compromise the integrity of latex gloves. And if you have long fingernails, they can tear through a pair of gloves easily. I actually had to cut off my fingernails with a pair of scissors once because my lovely long nails kept ripping apart every pair of gloves I put on. You should also wash your hands after you take off gloves, especially if you plan on eating or drinking afterwards. Personally, I hate the way hands smell after wearing gloves for a long period of time. Gloves don't breathe much, so your hands tend to sweat a little. So wash your hands.

Leading to: No eating, drinking, or putting on makeup in the lab. In general if you're in the lab wearing gloves, it's a good idea to keep your hands away from your face.

Spills have to be cleaned up immediately according to the chemical's MSDS, which is:

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS): MSDS are part and parcel of working in a chem lab. They clearly, and in careful detail, point out all of the hazards of whatever particular chemical you are working with including flammability, toxicity, chemical properties, health risks, what to do in case of exposure, and the correct methods of disposal.

Fume hoods:

I never see anyone on CSI ever working beneath a fume hood, even when they are working with chemicals. I'm not sure where they expect all those chemical fumes to go. What fume hoods are designed to do is to vent chemical vapors from inside the work area to an outside source, usually to the air surrounding the building. And believe me, a chem lab would reek and be unbearable and a potential health risk if there were absolutely no fume hoods present.

Speaking as someone who poked her head beneath a fume hood once (and I was new...you're not supposed to put your head under the sash) while the fan wasn't on, it resulted in a sore throat for most of the day; also as someone who was present when one of the fume hoods malfunctioned and started venting air back into the lab, I can definitely say functioning fume hoods are an essential piece of chem lab equipment. And if your tech character is a good tech, s/he'll leave the sash down when not immediately working in the hood, and keep the area under the fume hood as free of clutter as possible, since having it too messy restricts air flow into the vents. Not that everyone does this, mind you.

Want to know what a fume hood looks like? Check this out: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fume_hood.jpg

Chemical storage:

Chemical storage cabinets are for...well, storing chemicals. They're usually bright yellow with a large "flammable" warnings written on the front. This is where solvents are stored, and most fume hoods also have chem storage cabinets underneath.

Likewise, gas cylinders have to be strapped firmly to a wall, and the gages checked regularly. We have a company that we hire to refill our tanks every week.

Eye wash, showers, fire extinguishers, escape plans:

Our Head Chemist once told me, "If you see me running, you'd better learn to run faster." A lab is a breeding ground for all sorts of fire hazards, and have the potential for explosions. Having gas canisters of hydrogen, and even a sizable tank of liquid nitrogen at hand can make a fire a real hazard. Just like at any other job, you have evacuation routes out of the lab, and a warning system. Large spills with noxious vapors can be cause enough to evacuate. Fire extinguishers are set up all around the lab, and are clearly marked, and maintenanced regularly.

Eye wash stations are placed around the work areas in case of accidental spillage into the eye. Likewise, emergency showers are situated all through the lab. If you are forced to use an emergency shower, you also have to remove all of your clothes to make sure the spill is completely removed, because the chemicals will stay in the cloth. Yep, you have to get nekkid. Better to lose your dignity than be seriously injured.

Pregnancy:

Pregnant women are NOT allowed to work in the lab. EVER. End of story. In fact, if your pregnant character works in a chem lab, her baby better be a mutant, and not the cool X-men kind either. Many chemicals in a lab are teratogens: chemicals that can cause reproductive harm and birth defects, or carcinogens: chemicals that cause cancer. Our lab has the required note above the lab door that practically reads like the Surgeon General's warning on a pack of cigarettes.

Animals and Small Children:

Don't belong in the lab. EVER. Your character's adorable and precocious little seven-year-old and his Labrador puppy better never step one foot inside the lab. Maybe the main office, but that's as far as little Timmy and Fido better get.

Questions? Comments?