INTRODUCTION : You have studied about chemical hazards in Unit 13 of Block-3 and would have learnt that many chemicals are hazardous. A good practice is to exercise caution in handling all chemicals and minimize your exposure to them.
Further, you would have realised that the labels on the containers / bottles of the chemicals carry a great deal of important information regarding the nature of the chemicals, their important physical properties, potential risks and corresponding warning symbols besides statutory instructions regarding safe usage. A familiarity with the use/interpretation of labels so as to identify the potential hazard of a chemical and the precautions to be taken in handling and storage of chemicals are very important for everybody working in the laboratory. Fume cupboard is an important component of a chemical laboratory. Knowledge about when and how to use a fume cupboard is also important for a laboratory worker. This exercise has been designed keeping these objectives in mind. It consists of two activities. The first activity is a familiarization activity. It gives you a chance to look into the label of some common chemicals and interpret the same to get information about the chemicals. The second activity is a demonstration activity. In this activity, your counsellor would demonstrate how fume cupboard is useful in handling of hazardous chemicals and their reactions.