LABORATORY SAFETY AND CHEMICAL RISK
Academic Year 2024/2025 - Teacher: VALENTINA OLIVERIExpected Learning Outcomes
The course aims to provide adequate basic knowledge of safety
standards, safety procedures, and risk management in a chemical laboratory.
As for
Dublin Descriptors, this course allows the students to acquire the following
skills:
- Knowledge and understanding/ability to apply knowledge: The student must demonstrate knowledge of the fundamental notions of safety legislation, and the main chemical and physical risks.
- Autonomy of judgment: The student must demonstrate that he can judge the main symbols of the danger of chemical substances.
- Communication skills: The student must demonstrate that he recognizes the main signs of danger, obligation, and fire prevention.
- Ability to learn: The student must demonstrate a full understanding of good laboratory practices.
Information for students with disabilities and/or SLD.
To guarantee equal opportunities and in compliance with the laws in force, interested students can request a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory measures, based on the educational objectives and specific needs.
Course Structure
Required Prerequisites
Detailed Course Content
Overview of regulatory aspects of safety. Definition of Risk and Hazard. Chemical substances and human exposure, as well as exposure for other species. Risk and hazardousness; analysis and assessment of chemical risk. Classification of hazardous substances. Toxicological endpoints: acute toxicity, chronic toxicity, mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, neurotoxicity, and disruptions to the endocrine and reproductive systems. Dose-response relationships, ED50; reversibility and sensitivity to effects. Exposure through ingestion, dermal contact, inhalation; concentrations, duration, and frequency of exposure. Risk and Prudence phrases. Safety Data Sheets (SDS). Classification and labeling of chemical substances (GHS). Collective Protection Equipment (CPE) and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Selection of PPE and main rules of good behavior in a chemical laboratory. Signage in work environments: danger signs, prohibition signs, prescription signs, fire signs, and emergency signs. Brief overview of biological risk. Waste management: European Waste Catalogue (EWC).
Textbook Information
Course Planning
| Subjects | Text References | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Regulatory aspects of safety. Definitions of work environment, safety and accidents in the workplace. Most common types of accidents and their main causes. Definition of Risk and Danger. | D.lgs 81/2008 e ss. |
| 2 | The dangerousness of substances and conditions of use. Classification of dangerous substances. Exposure assessment. Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). Classification and labeling of chemicals (GHS). | D.lgs 81/2008 e ss. |
| 3 | Collective Protective Equipment (DPC) and Personal Protective Equipment (DPI). Choice of DPI and main rules of good practice in a chemical laboratory. Notes on biological risk. | D.lgs 81/2008 e ss. |
Learning Assessment
Learning Assessment Procedures
Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises
A) In which environments should the solvents that easily pass into the gaseous state and all those substances that give rise to gaseous emissions be used?
- on the workbench, but next to a window
- outside the laboratory, in an airy place
- under hood
- none of the above answers is correct
B) In the laboratory it is allowed to introduce and consume food and drinks
- yes, only if you are careful not to dirty the counter
- yes, only at lunchtime
- no, it is forbidden to bring food or drinks into the laboratory
C) H-Phrases
- give hints to special risks that may arise by the handling of hazardous substances or formulations
- represent indications of caution relating to the substances we use
- represent indications of caution relating to the substances we use
- all previous answers are correct