Skip to content
Free sample
Español

SAFETY MOMENT, DECEMBER 8

Read the label and the SDS first

See today's safety momentHow to give a safety moment

Safety moment, December 8

Read the label and the SDS first

Labs use many different chemicals, often in small amounts, and that makes it easy to get comfortable. A splash, a vapor you breathe in or a mislabeled bottle can cause burns, poisoning or a fire. Good habits and working equipment are what keep a small mistake from turning into an injury.

SAFETY MOMENT

December 8

The hazard

Labs use many different chemicals, often in small amounts, and that makes it easy to get comfortable. A splash, a vapor you breathe in or a mislabeled bottle can cause burns, poisoning or a fire. Good habits and working equipment are what keep a small mistake from turning into an injury.

The action

Labels on incoming chemical containers must not be removed or defaced, and safety data sheets that arrive with shipments must be kept and made readily accessible to lab employees. Before you use a chemical, check its label and SDS for the hazards, the PPE to wear and first aid. If a container's label is missing or unreadable, do not use it, and tell your supervisor. (29 CFR 1910.1450(h)(1))

ASK THE CREW

Where are the nearest eyewash, safety shower and spill kit, and is anything blocking them?

From the talk: Laboratory safety. Read it in full, free, with the questions and the sign-in sheet.

HOW TO USE IT

How to give a safety moment

  1. Gather the crew where they work, before the shift or the meeting starts. Read the hazard out loud.
  2. Ask the question and let two or three people answer. What they say about their own work counts for more than what you read.
  3. Name the action and point to one place on today's job where it applies, so everyone knows what to do differently.
  4. Write the date and the names on a sign-in sheet.

A safety moment is short and does not replace the full talk. When you want to go through a topic with the crew, pick a free toolbox talk.

PRINT AND EDIT

365 safety moments, $29

One moment for every day of the year in the same format as this one: the hazard, the action, the question and the source talk with its citation. Print a page a day or show a slide.

  • 365 safety moments, one per day
  • Dated PDF calendar, a page a day
  • PowerPoint with one slide per moment
  • English and Spanish
  • Each moment links back to its cited toolbox talk

Instant download. 30-day refund, no questions.

Free 52-week toolbox talk calendar (PDF)