Why is it important to clean up any chemical that you spill in ...

[pepyto]

Why is it important to clean up any chemical that you spill in the laboratory? If you do not
  know the identity of the chemical, where should you put it?

Question 2

What should you do in each of the following circumstances?
  (a) Your neighbor splashes a chemical into his or her eye.
  (b) A strong acid spills onto your hands.
  (c) You spill a large amount of diethyl ether on the bench top.
  (d) Your neighbors clothing catches fire.
  (e) Your reaction flask catches fire.

[olderstudent]

Answer to Question 1

Chemical spills create hazardous waste which must be properly disposed according the rules
of the locality as set by university departments and state and local municipalities. If spills are
not cleaned up, they might harm the next person to use the lab room. If you do not know the
identity of a spilled chemical, ask the instructor where it should be placed for proper disposal.

Answer to Question 2

(a) Hold the lids open and wash the eye with a gentle stream of water for about 15 minutes. It
may be necessary to forcibly restrain the individual to do this. If necessary, get help to
force the individual to the floor, hold his or her lids open and pour a gentle stream of water
over the eyeball.
(b) Immediately, wash your hands under cool running water.
(c) First, tell the instructor and ask for assistance. Ether is highly volatile and flammable. If
there are flames in the lab, evacuate immediately. Otherwise, cover the spill with a spill
pillow (rags, paper towels) to soak up as much of the spill as possible. Place the soaked
spill pillow in the fume hood. Be aware of the extreme fire danger while the fumes are in
the air. Know where the fire extinguisher is.
(d) If near the shower, push the neighbor in and turn on the water. If not near a shower, force
the neighbor to roll on the floor while another individual gets a fire blanket. Roll the per-
son on the floor while wrapped in the blanket. Prevent the individual from running and
fanning the flames.
(e) Inform the instructor and leave the area. Don't scream FIRE and run.