Department of Chemistry and Research Centre

Certificate Course

on

Safety Awareness in Chemical Laboratory & Industry

Course Code: NACSPCC-02

Preamble

             In 21st century, there is tremendous industrial development in India. Most of them are chemical industries. Safety of everything and everybody should be on top priority. Many times we come across the accidents as well as hazards due to unsafe working in the chemical environment. The wide ranges of chemicals are used in research laboratories of the organizations like colleges, universities, national laboratories and industries, each with its own inherent hazards. An understanding of the potential hazards and precautions required in handling of chemicals is of utmost importance in preventing exposure to chemicals and mishaps. We all will have to demonstrate our knowledge of basic laboratory safety and practices. Use of Personal Protective Equipment’s in laboratory to protect us from chemical hazards is of the great importance. The awareness of hazards as well as disaster management and use of safety equipment’s and training is supposed to be of great importance for these individuals.

            Working in or near a laboratory, the safety of our self and coworkers should always be paramount. It is the responsibility of all of us to supervise and to ensure that we have the appropriate training for the experiments or other work which we are conducting and the equipment’s using. One must be aware of the emergency plan for our laboratory and institution. Every laboratory or administrative unit should have an emergency plan, consistent with the overall institutional plan.

            In view of all these, we have designed this certificate course for the benefit of students, staff and industry personals in order to maintain safety environment and to train one and all involved in those laboratories and industries. This laboratory safety manual is compiled to be used as a binding document for all personals working in laboratories to ensure safe work conduct and practices.

Eligibility for admission:

            Any student of undergraduate or post graduate or research student as well as industry personal who desire to work in safe chemical environments.

 Course Structure and Syllabus

Duration: Eight weeks

Lectures: 4 Lectures per week

Assessment: At the end by a paper consisting of 100 marks. It will comprise multiple choice questions (MCQs) and short answer questions.    Certificate will be awarded to successful students who will attend at least 80% lectures, complete the assignments and will qualify the examination.

Aims and Objectives:

After completing the course the student will be acquainted with:

  1. Safety at work places
  2. Meaning of laboratory safety.
  3. Standard laboratory facilities.
  4. Equipment's for standard laboratory.
  5. Different types of  hazards, accidents  and causes
  6. How to avoid accidents? (Safe laboratory practices)
  7. Safety data sheets.
  8. Protection measures  during handling of hazardous chemicals
  9. Disaster Management during gas leakages, fires, chemical spilling
  10. Alarm systems in laboratory
  11. Information regarding firefighting equipment's.
  12. First aid during chemical accidents
  13. Safety of Equipment's

References:

  1. A guidebook of chemical laboratory safety and security, National Academies Press, Washington, DC.
  2. Promoting Chemical Laboratory Safety and Security in Developing Countries National Academies Press, Washington, DC.
  3. Chemical laboratory safety and security, Hisa Moran and Tina Masciangioli.