Sciencemadness Discussion Board - How professional are your labs?

How professional are your labs?

weeksie98 - 21-12-2013 at 11:52

I am currently working on building up my home lab, and plan on keeping it professional and clean. A limit on people in the lab, correct safety equipment according to reagents being used, all blades secured, MSDS on hand at all times, eye wash, and much more. There will be stringent rules that must be followed. This brings me to wonder, what are the rest of you like? Are you as strict as I am, or do you have a more carefree approach to your lab?

elementcollector1 - 21-12-2013 at 12:36

Being confined to a 6' by 4' table and a storage cabinet, mine is extremely messy. I've tried cleaning it, but I simply have too much stuff and too little space.

Pyro - 21-12-2013 at 12:49

I don't really have professional saftey setup (no MSDS, no eye wash) but am very anal about the rest being professional!
all the glass has to be spotless, everything needs to be in cabinets, the surfaces have to be clean and free of clutter,...

TheChemiKid - 21-12-2013 at 12:54

Quote: Originally posted by Pyro

I don't really have professional saftey setup (no MSDS, no eye wash) but am very anal about the rest being professional!
all the glass has to be spotless, everything needs to be in cabinets, the surfaces have to be clean and free of clutter,...

For the most part I am the same as you, but I do have an incompatibility chart and a solubility/miscibility chart.

Hexavalent - 21-12-2013 at 14:35

I'm generally quite tidy, making sure that all reagents are appropriately stored - segregated by type, properly and fully labelled, and kept in a locked cabinet. Surfaces are kept clean and free of clutter, and are wiped down with water after each use to ensure no chemical residues are left behind. Glassware is cleaned and dried thoroughly after each use, and stored securely. Likewise, equipment is also kept safely after use, with the exception of larger items, such as hotplates, vacuum/inert gas manifolds, and retort stands. Hypodermic needles must have their caps on for storage. Fire extinguishers are weighed monthly and accurate records kept to ensure they do not leak their propellant over time. Buckets of sand, sodium carbonate and kitty litter are kept on hand to control and absorb any spills. I do not have a proper eyewash, however I do have an eyewash bottle filled with saline, which is kept next to the fume hood where most work is performed.

MSDS sheets are not kept on hand, however a digital library is kept available on my PC. I hardly ever use them, because the dangers are usually way out of proportion for small-scale, amateur-level work, but they are handy to show if the worst happens. COSHH assessments are performed by myself, and with a colleague, before any lab work is done to identify and minimise risks and hazards. I keep accurate records of all my work in a laboratory notebook - I am rather stringent about this, and hold the belief that one can never take too many observations; note accurate, descriptive colours, precipitates, viscosities, relative densities, crystallizations, temperatures, concentrations, volumes and much more.

For most work, I wear safety glasses, a cotton lab coat, and nitrile gloves. If greater hazards are presented, then sealed goggles, face shields, respirators, speciality gloves and bench blast shields may be employed.

Many people will consider my approach "excessive", but I believe that it allows for organized work with pure, reagents to be carried out in an environment with minimised risks. Keeping all equipment and reagents safely ensures not only my own safety, but also that of those around me. As far as PPE goes, I know that a lot of what I do doesn't strictly require it, but the day will come, from following this practice, where I will attempt something hazardous and will forget to wear it. Hence, I believe it is always good practice to use it, no matter what you're doing in the lab; even if I'm just pottering around, at the very, very minimum, I'll have safety glasses on. It is better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

[Edited on 21-12-2013 by Hexavalent]

Random - 21-12-2013 at 15:12

I keep it untidy on purpose because if someone comes in and sees green salt in a pickle jar and some colorless solution along with various mechanical parts they will just think oh thats just blue vitriol for fungicide etc.. It's not that I do anything wrong and I dispose of everything correctly, but keeping it tidy would probably make someone think that I'm doing something very "professionally".

In my area nobody has a problem with chemicals except if they would be stored in a lab. For example blue vitriol in a pickle jar is a perfectly normal sight but copper sulphate in lab reagent bottle wouldn't be. But that's just the way I am, I hate to explain unnecessary things and be misubunderstood in the end. As long as I'm not doing any damage to myself and others, I feel ok and everyone else around me too.

Pdople in my area, especially older people aren't that chemophobic, I mean they alone care less about some things than me. For example spraying something with insecticides (organophosphorus compounds) and not even caring about avoiding inhalation of it.

[Edited on 21-12-2013 by Random]

DubaiAmateurRocketry - 21-12-2013 at 15:52

Mine is very small hehe, Im upgrading it to 2 meter tall and 2 meter wide drawer with shelfs, equipments, and a small refrigerator very soon.

HeYBrO - 21-12-2013 at 16:12

I like to store everything according to what my country's storage guidelines indicate. (https://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/edulibrary/public/ohs/Guidance...)
That way it conforms to national standards. I have a "safety station" where i keep glasses,gloves face shield, eye wash etc. I also keep relatively small amounts of chemicals as i do micro and macro experiments so about 200 g of common chemicals like MgSO4, CaCl2, CuSO4 etc all in general storage. My acids are contained in secondary storage which are taller than the bottles (i only keep 100 ml or less of really dangerous chemicals, like woelen i have a larger stock that i fill up smaller bottles. the stock bottles are stored safely elsewhere. Solvents and flammables i have a 200 ml and under limit for safety's sake. By doing smaller scale work most of the chemicals in that class fit into a smaller area and i feel more comfortable in case of an accident. Everything is labeled with date, molar mass, contents and some cautions ( gonna start putting risk phrases on them too). The joys of small scale

also everything is very tidy.

[Edited on 22-12-2013 by HeYBrO]

chemrox - 21-12-2013 at 16:48

I am constantly behind on washing up and my framework has oxide on it. All my counters could use attention and my chemical organization is an experiment in chaos theory.

Zyklon-A - 21-12-2013 at 16:59

I tend to keep my lab clean, got a 4 by 10 table (with my chemicals, some of my glassware, torch, test tubes, ball mill, miss. equipment, ect.) , 3 shelfs, an oven, a hotplate, SO2 generator, ect.

The_Davster - 21-12-2013 at 20:27

Tidy lab, lazy chemist.

MSDS's are hardly useful. A chemist should know the properties of what they work with by heart, taking into consideration "worst case scenario" in the event of unknown compound. I cannot remember seeing useful information in a MSDS. For things that are really dangerous, they do not convey this accurately relative to the warnings on something like calcium chloride.

[Edited on 22-12-13 by The_Davster]

plante1999 - 21-12-2013 at 21:16

Quote: Originally posted by The_Davster

Tidy lab, lazy chemist.

MSDS's are hardly useful. A chemist should know the properties of what they work with by heart, taking into consideration "worst case scenario" in the event of unknown compound. I cannot remember seeing useful information in a MSDS. For things that are really dangerous, they do not convey this accurately relative to the warnings on something like calcium chloride.

[Edited on 22-12-13 by The_Davster]

Totally agree, although I must say that periodic storage and workspace checkup/cleaning is needed to ensure everything is alright.

My workspace is not perfect due to the lack of budget, and or space, but the storage is doing fine (Everything labbeled). Although not in fire cabinet etc... Some kids around here seams to have much budget he he...

MSDS are only useful to cover your ass with the fireman or the police department, else then that, they as no purpose for a real chemist. If you rely on MSDS to take the precautions needed for an experiment, you better change of hobby.

Pyro - 26-12-2013 at 14:42

I have a 3,5x2m table, a 1x1m table and a 2x1,5m table to work at, they are kept totally clear save for hotplates.then i have 6 cabinets (nubered 0-6 so i know what key opens what cabinet since i always lock them to keep treehuggers from my chemicals) of which 2 are for chemicals. One of those (#0, yes, a cabinet #0 is original) is for (flammable) liquids which is organized as follows: on the top shelf-solvents (acetone, benzene, DCM, diethyl ether,...) water would go here too. On the second shelf- alcohols (MeOH, cyclohexanol,...) on the third shelf-liquid acids

in the other cabinet (#1) I keep standard reagents and indicator solutions (all metal salts except oxidizers. On the top two shelves. On the third shelf there are two small yellow cabinets (50cmx35cmx35cm), one llabelled poison (HgCl2, Hg(NO3)2, strychnine,...) the other flammable (P4, Na, Mg,... Everything excessivly flammable). Next to those there are bases. On the fourth shelf there are oxidizers (including Br2).

there are many lights a, fridge and an oven. (sink upstairs)
ill post a pic later, it looks really professional)

MSDS's are bogus indeed

Arthur Dent - 27-12-2013 at 16:19

My lab is quite cluttered, as I have only one room and it is shared with my electronics/computer lab, as well as my storage area. All my labware is either in drawers or on shelves, covered with some foil to keep the dust from the beakers and flasks. Most of my chems are on two shelving units, one for inorganic chemicals, the other for food grade stuff. I also have some all-new labware exclusively dedicated to food stuff/brewing/distilling.

I have no running water in the lab itself, but my bathroom is 10 ft away. I use a closed circuit to run water in my graham/leibig condensers (a big 2-gallon thick-walled plastic container filled with ice water and a small water pump).

Aside from some mineral acids and solvents, few chemicals in my lab are either toxic or dangerous.

Robert

subsecret - 27-12-2013 at 21:54

I have a ~1 x 2 meter table (which has a small lower level where I keep tubing, an aspirator, and a pond pump for condenser cooling), a tall shelf containing hot plates, a heating mantle, and various other equipment, an acids and flammables cabinet, and a very nice glassware cabinet that was once used for various electronics parts (a server rack, basically). There's also a fume hood that uses a bathroom exhaust fan. My lab stays pretty messy, but I try to keep my work area "messily neat." Everything seems to have it's proper place. I've installed a chemical shower (including a pull-cord near the wall), and there's also a fire extinguisher. My large container of hydrochloric acid (too large for the acids cabinet) is placed in a bucket with some sodium bicarbonate and paper separation layers.

There's a sink in the adjacent room, which is where I use my aspirator for filtrations. I use an edge of my brother's workbench (our dad built us a matching pair), as his is beside the sink and usually pretty neat. I regret to say that there are some stains on his table from my filtrations...

ScienceHideout - 4-1-2014 at 09:26

I am not the least bit tidy, but I am a safety nut!

I would love to explain the ins and outs of my unique storage system, but it would take me all day!

I also have an msds for every chemical I keep in a sizable amount...

I am working on a complete inventory now...

I promised someone (I believe it was Pyro) that I would post a lab tour in that topic... I will sometime next week

Pyro - 4-1-2014 at 13:16

yay!

you doing a video on it? I am curious about your storage system too now!

thebean - 4-1-2014 at 14:34

I'm guessing I'm more likely to be pinned as a cook than someone interested in science. I'm very messy but like Jöns Jacob Berzelius once said "A tidy laboratory means a lazy chemist.". So I look pretty unprofessional but I try my best.

Texium - 8-7-2014 at 10:22

Sorry to bring up this old-ish thread. I was just organizing my workspace to try and set it up in a more professional way. Like many people, my storage has been limited to a single cabinet in the garage, but recently a separate large shelf has opened up. I was thinking of storing chemicals there, because I wanted to keep them away from my equipment since some of the volatile substances have been screwing with a lot of my equipment.

Until now, I've had to keep all of my chemicals together on one shelf, so I was wondering what the best way to separate the chemicals is. Acids and bases? Organics and inorganics? Should oxidizers be completely separate? I could separate them into two or three categories.

SirViking - 8-7-2014 at 10:59

The way you separate them might also be dependent upon how high up the shelf is. If it is above your shoulders I would be cautious about placing acidic or toxic chemicals up there.

IrC - 8-7-2014 at 11:33

Quote: Originally posted by plante1999

MSDS are only useful to cover your ass with the fireman or the police department, else then that, they as no purpose for a real chemist. If you rely on MSDS to take the precautions needed for an experiment, you better change of hobby.

100 % agree. Completely useless unless you need liners for your bird cage. Every lab needs one book I call mandatory; Bretherick's "Handbook of reactive Chemical hazards". Also before you do something new you know little about, using chemicals you have little or no experience with a quick search/study through the book can possibly save you from disaster.

Texium - 8-7-2014 at 12:01

I have an MSDS binder simply to look more professional in the event of an emergency. As for the position of the shelf, it's about two and a half feet off the ground, so nothing to worry about. I have three plastic milk crates that I was planning on using for the different chemical categories. I just wasn't sure which categories would be the best to sort them by. I'm starting to think that maybe having organics in one, inorganics in another, and oxidizers in the third would be best. Upon thinking about it a bit, I realized that keeping acids and bases together shouldn't be a huge problem, and would if anything be good since they would neutralize if they spilled. Besides, I've kept all of my chemicals on one shelf with no separation so far with very few problems.

Texium - 8-7-2014 at 13:19

Well, I just realized that I have way too many inorganics to store in a single milk crate, while my organics take up about half of one. I think I'll have to go about it a bit differently.

arkoma - 8-7-2014 at 14:30

safety? organization? what on earth do those words even mean? Must be some language other than English LOL

Zephyr - 8-7-2014 at 18:17

I like to keep my lab space very tidy and professional, and have found that the best why of storing my multitude of reagents is in the large filing cabinets the can be cheaply bought at good will. I recommend keeping a neat lab because it makes any experiments so much easier to do and because if in the rare occasion that someone is suspicious of your activities it looks, well, more professional.

arkoma - 8-7-2014 at 20:05

Current "lab space" on my sister's back porch. Attempting a steam distillation. Been THROUGH it with cops already, most important thing is a notebook with glued/bound pages. THAT is the mark of a "serious" hobbyist versus a kewl or dope cook, not your apparent level of chaos. Hell, Thomas Edison's research faciulities were barely controlled chaos.

Texium - 9-7-2014 at 07:36

Haha, nice. Is that a pepper plant?
Yeah, I also work in my back yard when I do distillations, or anything that I don't feel particularly comfortable doing in the garage or don't have space for. It's become increasingly less comfortable to do though. Texas summer you know. And it's been a 'cool' one so far, hasn't even hit 100 yet and it's July! I see you're in Arizona now, so I'm sure it's pretty bad for you too.

MrHomeScientist - 9-7-2014 at 09:25

This is a good resource for chemical separation - http://ehs.research.uiowa.edu/chemical-storage-nine-compatib...

They recommend 9 categories:
•Group I Flammable Liquids
•Group II Poisons - volatile
•Group III Acids - Oxidizing
•Group IV Acids - Organic and Mineral
•Group V Bases - Liquid
•Group VI Oxidizer - Liquid
•Group VII Poisons - Non-volatile
•Group VIII Reactives
•Group IX Solids

My system isn't as rigorous as theirs, though. I have physically separate storage locations for acids, bases, flammables, oxidizers, health hazards, and general storage. You really need to keep at least these things separate to reduce risk if an accident does occur. The last thing you want is an oxidizer causing your flammables to be impossible to extinguish while they burn and disperse health hazards into the air. Spending $20 on a cheap shelf or several rubbermaid tubs is well worth it.

arkoma - 9-7-2014 at 10:07

Quote: Originally posted by zts16

Haha, nice. Is that a pepper plant?
Yeah, I also work in my back yard when I do distillations, or anything that I don't feel particularly comfortable doing in the garage or don't have space for. It's become increasingly less comfortable to do though. Texas summer you know. And it's been a 'cool' one so far, hasn't even hit 100 yet and it's July! I see you're in Arizona now, so I'm sure it's pretty bad for you too.

Yup, a sweet red bell. Ya can barely see a sweet basil poking its lil head up to the right. And boy do I know about Tejas summers. Lived in zip code 71839 for eight years. Mesa is a picnic compared to the "Dirty South". We also don't have silly laws requiring permits for "lab equipment". I do everything outside as my sister works nights, and besides I make a HUGE mess in 15 seconds or under.

Texium - 9-7-2014 at 10:26

Quote: Originally posted by MrHomeScientist

This is a good resource for chemical separation - http://ehs.research.uiowa.edu/chemical-storage-nine-compatib...

They recommend 9 categories:
•Group I Flammable Liquids
•Group II Poisons - volatile
•Group III Acids - Oxidizing
•Group IV Acids - Organic and Mineral
•Group V Bases - Liquid
•Group VI Oxidizer - Liquid
•Group VII Poisons - Non-volatile
•Group VIII Reactives
•Group IX Solids

My system isn't as rigorous as theirs, though. I have physically separate storage locations for acids, bases, flammables, oxidizers, health hazards, and general storage. You really need to keep at least these things separate to reduce risk if an accident does occur. The last thing you want is an oxidizer causing your flammables to be impossible to extinguish while they burn and disperse health hazards into the air. Spending $20 on a cheap shelf or several rubbermaid tubs is well worth it.

Thanks for all of the information. I'll definitely take all of that into consideration and incorporate as many of those measures as possible.

The Volatile Chemist - 9-7-2014 at 11:44

My lab's relatively clean, but there's only two storage drawers for chemicals, Big bottles, and little bottles

Quote: Originally posted by IrC

Quote: Originally posted by plante1999

Can this be printed out? Is it in SM's library?

DistractionGrating - 9-7-2014 at 12:00

http://eng.monash.edu/materials/assets/documents/resources/o...

arkoma - 9-7-2014 at 15:13

I'll attach it if I can get by the 10mb limit.............it's 27.8mb

The Volatile Chemist - 9-7-2014 at 15:42

Thank you guys! I'll use it, probably print it out at the library or something...

Edit:Or not... Just saw the page count...

[Edited on 7-9-2014 by The Volatile Chemist]

arkoma - 9-7-2014 at 16:25

Calibre, kid. Best eBook software out there in my somewhat biased opinion. It has a microsux windows version if you happen to still be stuck with a buggy/sorry ass OS LMFAO. Penguin Power!!!

numos - 9-7-2014 at 16:31

Due to space limitations I cannot organize by chemical category, however unless there is an earthquake it should be of little concern. I print all my own labels with name, formula, NFPA 704, and picture of the molecule. I also like everything to be clean and have completely abandoned water to clean glassware. First a rinse with dH₂O, then a scrubbing with Acetone, and then storage, and right before use, I clean it with 2-propanol to make it dust free, and clear of microorganisms. I even clean the water pathway in my condensers.

Quote: Originally posted by IrC

Quote: Originally posted by plante1999

I don't completely agree, it may be useless to print and keep the MSDS, but you should at least read it once online for new chemicals that you buy. True, in terms of toxicity I'm pretty sure they just copy and paste Hydrazine's health hazards into every MSDS, but they still have useful compatibility data.

Take chloroform for example, common substance, everyone is familiar with it's hazards, and you probably know it doesn't burn by itself (Flam. rating of 1). However chloroform is still a deadly hazard when exposed to fire, and it produces toxic combustion products, phosgene probably being the killer. I for one would not have known this had I not read the MSDS.

So they are not useless to read and know, just to print them is a waste

aga - 10-7-2014 at 10:56

Untidiness is not an option in my restricted space, so stuff tends not to get left hanging about, simply because it gets in the way.

Having said that, i manage to make quite a mess at times by sheer dint of effort.

MSDS doesn't really come into it for me - won't eat any products, or smear them all over myself whilst wearing a feather boa.

arkoma - 10-7-2014 at 12:44

aga, noticed you DID NOT say you wouldn't wear a feather boa.....................

aga - 10-7-2014 at 14:28

I'll wear anything.

Clothes stop the Police arresting me for being nude in public.

NOV:5 - 12-10-2014 at 06:28

Quote: Originally posted by DistractionGrating

http://eng.monash.edu/materials/assets/documents/resources/o...

Excellent. Thank you very, very much

TheAlchemistPirate - 12-10-2014 at 08:03

I have a cabinet full of glassware and chemicals that I keep inside, and a 8 by 4 foot table in an open-air garage I do reactions in. I also have a small refrigerator in which I keep chemicals that might destroy their containers in normal temperatures (Only have anhydrous sulfuric acid in it atm). Unfortunately I don't have enough room to categorize or separate at all the chemicals I have, though in my defense I only have normal household chemicals stored together.

[Edited on 12-10-2014 by TheAlchemistPirate]

bismuthate - 12-10-2014 at 08:42

My lab needs to be put in storage

and while sorting through it i have seen my lab is a total mess.

NOV:5 - 12-10-2014 at 10:37

Quote: Originally posted by DistractionGrating

http://eng.monash.edu/materials/assets/documents/resources/o...

Excellent. Thank you very, very much

Amos - 12-10-2014 at 16:06

I've got a wooden table about 6 by 2.5 feet in my laundry room, with milk crates stacked 2 high on their sides to act as shelves. There's a window right above the table that I open for ventilation, and I have a section of countertop on top of the table as well as the top surface of a deep freezer nearby to do my labwork on. It's plenty enough for me right now, except that I have no source of running water nearby for a condenser.

Loptr - 13-10-2014 at 07:17

I am in the process of putting mine together. I just purchased a PIG 18 gallon corrosives cabinet, which is the same model as the picture and got it off of Craigs list for $150. I am also currently building two 2'x5'x33-3/4" wooden tables that will serve as my workbench.

EAA Chapter 1000 Standardized Work Tables
http://www.eaa1000.av.org/technicl/worktabl/worktabl.htm

1392235014090-CAB751_756_W1_L.jpg - 13kB

[Edited on 13-10-2014 by Loptr]

Little_Ghost_again - 13-10-2014 at 11:40

Mine is based on rigorous professional utter chaos. I am working hard to turn this around, a sink in my lab would make a huge difference as would 6 bits of wood I need to cut and put together.

Hawkguy - 13-10-2014 at 13:44

Workspace in a cement bunker, separated from the house for safety. Fire extinguisher handy, and no clutter in workspace. Specific clothing for whenever I go in.

Texium - 13-10-2014 at 13:53

I also have specific lab clothing, ever since I started noticing little holes in my favorite shirts.

One thing I'd really like to make is a drying rack for glassware. I currently try to crowd everything onto a tiny test tube rack to dry, which is really kind of bad. I actually asked my physics teacher the other day if I could have the drying rack in his classroom. All of the science rooms at my school are designed like chemistry labs, so they all have them even when there's absolutely no use for them. Obviously, the answer was no, but it was worth a try!
A lab sink would be amazing, but I do not have access to water lines in my current space.

Hawkguy - 13-10-2014 at 14:06

Try using a blow dryer for glassware (like the kind for hair), it works pretty well, although time consuming..

The Volatile Chemist - 14-10-2014 at 15:03

I'll have a lot better of a lab as an adult :/
I use a few rags as drying towels. I normally don't wait for glass to dry if i need it.

UnintentionalChaos - 14-10-2014 at 15:33

Quote: Originally posted by The Volatile Chemist

I'll have a lot better of a lab as an adult :/
I use a few rags as drying towels. I normally don't wait for glass to dry if i need it.

If you're just gonna put water back into the glass, you're wasting your time. A bit of acetone and a hair dryer works well when you don't have time to wait on drying. A wire basket in an oven on convect at ~110C will dry a lot of elaborate glass given an hour or so.

Hawkguy - 14-10-2014 at 15:34

Y'know what would make a totally bomb lab? An RV....

Metacelsus - 14-10-2014 at 15:53

Quote: Originally posted by Hawkguy

a totally bomb lab

Ummmm . . .

Maybe not the best word choice?

The Volatile Chemist - 14-10-2014 at 17:25

Yea, that kind of stuff gets you banned. I'd watch it.
I honestly don't have enough acetone to waste it drying stuff.

j_sum1 - 14-10-2014 at 22:18

My lab is shared with a tool shed shared with a garden shed shared with leftover paint shared with storage of Christmas lights and whatnot shared with wood storage shared with the tail end of a whole lot of house renovation projects. In an earlier incarnation the shed was built as a chook pen. There are chicken footprints in the highly irregular concrete floor. It aint never going to look professional. It is a mess at the moment but the reality is that it is really just in its beginning stages of being a lab. I am waiting on some more chemicals and glassware that is on order.
When it is in the zone as a lab and everything else is cleared out of the way, I have an 8 foot heavy duty wooden bench, mains power, a bench power supply, a moveable trolley with glassware and other equipment, some open shelves for chemical storage and a couple of portable burners. I have water on tap not far away but no sink. I have a couple of suitable outdoor areas for energetic reactions or those that produce fumes. I have plans to make a stand that I can stick boss heads and clamps for holding glassware. And there is scope to build a reasonable fume hood. I think it will suffice for my purposes. My main concern is that it is not kid-safe But my repertiore has me steering away from toxic stuff for the most part and the whole area is a kid no-go zone anyway -- unless they are "helping Dad do science". (The Chemical Chameleon is always a favourite, but we generally do that in the kitchen.)

gardul - 30-10-2014 at 02:22

my living room is my main work space. But then out side i have a table that i amsure will grow more legs and come alive sooner or later with everthing that has been spilt on it.

Jylliana - 30-10-2014 at 04:37

Dry chemicals are sorted in 2 cabinets(alphabetically). The toxic ones are stored in another cabinet.
Acids and bases are in the same cabinet, but on different shelves. Organics are in a fireproof cabinet.
I have a foam fire extinguisher and a bucket of sand. Running tap and demineralized water. I have a 3m x 1m table to work on and a seperate fumehood.

Then again, i'm not rich, I use my workplace(a high school) as my hobby lab

[Edited on 30-10-2014 by Jylliana]

MrHomeScientist - 30-10-2014 at 06:16

Make sure the chemicals you are storing alphabetically can be stored together safely. The last thing you want is an unextinguishable fire between an oxidizer and a flammable dispersing a nearby health hazard into the air. I physically separate my chemicals along the following categories:

I. General Storage (green)
II. Oxidizer (yellow)
III. Flammable (red)
IV. Corrosive - acids and bases stored separately (blue)
V. Health Hazard (orange)

Each are stored on a different shelf or in a different cabinet. My acids are stored in a big rubbermaid tub with a layer of baking soda to absorb fumes. Flammables are in a metal cabinet.

The Volatile Chemist - 31-10-2014 at 05:45

Quote: Originally posted by MrHomeScientist

Make sure the chemicals you are storing alphabetically can be stored together safely. The last thing you want is an unextinguishable fire between an oxidizer and a flammable dispersing a nearby health hazard into the air. I physically separate my chemicals along the following categories:

I. General Storage (green)
II. Oxidizer (yellow)
III. Flammable (red)
IV. Corrosive - acids and bases stored separately (blue)
V. Health Hazard (orange)

Each are stored on a different shelf or in a different cabinet. My acids are stored in a big rubbermaid tub with a layer of baking soda to absorb fumes. Flammables are in a metal cabinet.

You aught to do a 'blog post' on your lab. 'Twood be interesting.