Safety Labels You Need to Know When Working in a Lab
When working in a lab, accidents can occur if you are unaware of the labels meant to keep you safe within the environment. Of course, your safety is paramount when inside the lab. That’s why there are clear, easy-to-understand safety labels on almost all lab products. Keep reading for some of the most common safety labels.
The fire symbol tells you that you are dealing with a flammable material that can cause tragic burns. Exploding bomb symbols on lab containers denote self-reacting compounds. On the other hand, acutely toxic substances that can kill you when ingested are represented using a skull and cross-bones.
When you see an exclamation mark on a container inside the lab, know that you are dealing with a material that irritates the skin, eyes, and respiratory system. If it gets in contact with any of these, you may have reactions such as coughing, rashes, and watery eyes. The symbol of a dead fish next to a tree warns that it can damage the natural environment, specifically aquatic ecosystems. The symbol with a person dissolving indicates that you are handling carcinogenic or mutagenic items. A test tube dripping on a hand with a line denotes a highly corrosive compound.
It is vital to be aware of these symbols and how they can affect you. Always look at the safety labels on the containers when in the lab. It will keep you and others safe. .
