Some general guidelines that should always be followed include:
- Eating, drinking, chewing gum or applying cosmetics in a lab is not allowed.
- Food or drinks cannot be stored in lab refrigerators used to store chemicals.
- Pipetting by mouth is strictly forbidden. This may give rise to ingestion of chemicals or inhalation of their vapor. A suction bulb should be used for pipetting purposes.
- Hair should be tied all the time. Loose clothing is preferred and wearing jewellery is not allowed.
- Always wear a lab coat while working with chemicals.
- Do not wear shorts and sandals in the lab, particularly when someone is using corrosive chemicals. Exposure may result in skin corrosion and burns. Dropped pieces or broken glass may cause injuries.
- In case of a chemical contamination, lab coats, gloves and other PPE should immediately be removed. Further chemical exposure may propagate from this equipment.
- Once contaminated PPE was removed, affected area should vigorously be washed with water for at least 15 minutes.
- Before leaving the lab, lab coat, scrubs, gloves, and other PPE (gloves particularly) should be removed. PPE should not be worn outside lab area, particularly in the places where food and drink are served.
- Wash your hand after removing the gloves and before leaving the lab. Do not touch other items such as phone, turning door knobs or do not use elevator before washing your hands.
- Lab coats must not be cleaned at home. For lab coat cleaning, please contact LS.
Smoking is prohibited in all lab areas.
Good chemical hygiene practices include the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and good personal hygiene habits. Although PPE can offer a barrier of protection against chemicals and biological materials, good personal hygiene habits are essential to prevent chemical exposure, even when using PPE.