- Chemicals should be poured slowly and carefully. Note that acids are added to water upon mixing.
- Wear necessary personal protective equipment, including face shield, chemical-resistant gloves, sleeve guards, and an apron while pouring chemicals.
- Chemicals should be transported, stored and disposed of carefully.
- You should know the location of first aid kits, eyewashes and SDS’s. Note that FENS provides an online SDS tracking software called as ChemWatch.
- Prior to disposal, you should rinse acid bottles at least 3 times in the hood where it is used. Empty acid bottles should be stored in boxes near acid cabinet. LS regularly sends these bottles to waste. Plastic bottles may be disposed of in the recyle bins.
- While lift-off processes, organic acids are allowed in metal etching. But they should not be used is acid/base metal etching is being carried out.
- Organics solvents, particularly acetone, and their designated area to use are separated metal etching area. Cleaning of glassware should be carried out at this designated area.
- All organic solvent bottles should be returned to solvent storage cabinet after use. In addition, organic solvents in squirt bottles should also be stored in solvent hood.
- Note that the primary sources of exposure to chemicals are:
- Skin- Absorption
- Lungs- Inhalation (the fastest route for chemicals to enter the bloodstream)
- Mouth- Ingestion
- Chemical bottles should not be opened outside of a fume hood.
- You should not use chemicals you are not familiar with unless you review their SDS.
- Unlabelled chemicals should not be used.
- Solvents and acids should never be mixed or used in the same working area. Note that this mixture may lead to an explosion.
- Colorless drops may not be water. Do not assume they are water drops and act accordingly.
- Chemicals should not be disposed of via drain.
- Containers of chemicals should not be stored in hoods.