Safety in the Laboratory: A New Spray Device The requirements of safety shower haths and eyewash fountains in chemical laborataries were wise. Perhaps, however, better means are now available that accomplish an even greater means of safety in an emergency. About fifty years ago, a student in the organic laboratory climbed onto the desk top, reached up, and poured into the tap of his reflux column a liter of ether from the flask in his hand. Within a short time the ether vapors were ignited by the flame beneath the apparatus. The resulting flash caused immediate action. Shrieking an unprintable masterpiece af piety, he threw the flask of burning ether. Sa we had several fires t o put out as well as a burned hand tc treat. Help happened t o be . near during this incident so the student was not badly injured and the fires were controlled. Today's laboratory instructions in organic chemistry no longer introduce the student to manufacturing products on a large scale. Rather, the emphasis has shifted to ~ r i n c i ~ l and e s Figure 1. Shower spray anached Figure 2. Spray in use. types of reactions. The quantities of sub- to a flexible sheided hose. stances- used in experiments have been reduced substantially, but the emergency stand-bys have continued essentially unchanged, except that the fire blanket now seems a bit out of style. In designing a new laboratory for students in organic chemistry at Yale, advantage was taken of the household kitchen sink spray rinser used an dishes. One such device was provided for each pair of students using the same sink (Figs. 1 and 2). The spray is indeed first aid right a t the spot where it is needed. After 1.5 years of successful use, we have found that it extinguishes fires (chemicals or clothing), flushes spilled acids into the sink, washes chemicals off the skin and garments, and if carefully used, rinses the face and eyes in emergency. Yale University New Haven, Connecticut 06520
Elbert C. Weaver
Volume 53,Number 5, May 1976 / 299
