Table of Contents
Follow Lab Safety Guidelines
Accidents happen when you least expect them. While they are not ideal, chemical spills and splashes can happen in your lab. Lab accidents can result in chemical burns and other permanent injuries. Keep scientists safe with personal protective equipment (PPE), such as:
- Glasses or goggles
- Lab coats
- Gloves
- Fire extinguishers
- First aid kits
- Fire blankets
- Eyewash stations
- Chemical fume hoods
- Safety shower areas
Acquire Common Chemicals
You will want to keep the bare minimum amount of chemicals in your lab at a time. It is best to store chemicals at the proper temperature and keep them out of direct sunlight. You should never store chemicals near heat sources or near another chemical that could cause a reaction. Most labs keep a mix of buffer solutions that resist changes in Ph and high purity solvents on hand.
Handle Your Chemicals Securely
Some of the more obvious must-have supplies for laboratories are the equipment you will need to handle the chemicals and execute your experiments. You will use beakers, flasks, and test tubes for dissolving chemicals and other solutions. Droppers and vials are handy in the lab as well. Preventing unplanned downtime in your lab is a way you can ensure assistants do not mishandle this equipment and continue to stay safe while working on your project.
Measure up Your Lab
If you need to measure weight or distance in your lab, you will need a scale. Weighing out your chemicals correctly can be the difference between a failed or successful experiment. A simple balance scale might be enough for your laboratory. You can use a hanging scale to measure heavier items. Further, microscopes and telescopes can measure distance, color, and other data points you will need to complete your research or teach a class.
Heat Things up in the Lab
Some chemicals react to heat, and some solutions dissolve better when heated. Since it is risky to put some chemicals in an open flame, laboratories often use hot plates instead. Use a lab stand to control how close your beaker is to the heat source. You can still use a Bunsen burner to get more direct heat on the source.
Whether you are starting up a lab or renovating one that already exists, you cannot overlook certain laboratory staples. Regardless of the type of research facility you are operating, these five must-have supplies for laboratories will steer you in the right direction.
