Laboratory safety: a guide to rules, equipment and good practice

2026-07-30 — Equipo JP Selecta

Laboratory safety is an indispensable technical requirement for protecting human life and guaranteeing operational continuity in environments where corrosive reagents, biological agents and instruments subjected to extreme pressure and temperature conditions are handled.

In any analytical or research facility, coexisting with chemical, physical and biological risks is part of the daily routine.

That is why developing a solid culture of prevention not only protects technical staff against burns, poisoning or thermal shock, it also preserves the validity of scientific tests and ensures compliance with the legal framework in force.

What is laboratory safety?

The definition of laboratory safety comprises the organised set of behavioural rules, action protocols, physical barriers and engineering controls aimed at identifying, mitigating and eliminating the risks arising from scientific and industrial activities.

This discipline covers several operational pillars in a coordinated way:

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): items worn by the operator to isolate their body from possible splashes or harmful contact.
• Personal and institutional hygiene rules: basic conduct protocols that prevent the involuntary ingestion or absorption of toxic substances.
• Standardised identification and SDS consultation: regulatory labelling and mandatory review of Safety Data Sheets before handling any reagent.
• Emergency installations: rapid response equipment for accidents, such as safety showers or eyewash stations.
• Waste management: procedures for segregating and removing hazardous substances that respect the environment.

Alongside responsible conduct by the human team, safety in laboratories depends directly on having laboratory equipment that strictly complies with the applicable European and international standards. Integrating containment and protection systems directly from the engineering of the device itself (as J.P. Selecta does in its instrumentation catalogue) is the best guarantee for preventing mechanical or human failure.

Laboratory safety rules

Establishing clear and mandatory laboratory safety rules is the first line of active defence in any facility. These guidelines range from general conduct habits at the workbench to the regulatory standards applicable in the EU for handling complex substances.

General rules of conduct

Individual discipline is the basis for avoiding tragic oversights. The universal rules of conduct include:

• It is strictly forbidden to eat, drink, smoke, apply cosmetics or handle contact lenses in the work area.
• Long hair must always be tied back, and rings, bracelets or loose clothing that could catch on moving parts or come into contact with open flames must be removed.
• Footwear must be completely closed, with a non-slip sole and made of material resistant to chemical spills.
• Running or making sudden movements inside the premises is forbidden, as is leaving backpacks or coats in walkways, evacuation routes or in front of emergency equipment.

Regulations applicable to laboratory safety

Analytical activity is governed by a demanding legislative framework. Facilities must align with occupational risk prevention laws and international technical standards such as the UNE-EN 61010 series of standards (safety requirements for electrical laboratory equipment, sterilisers and autoclaves), the UNE-EN 14175 standard (for fume extraction cabinets) and UNE-EN 15154 (for emergency showers and eyewash stations).

Waste and hazardous substance management

The waste generated in tests cannot be treated as conventional rubbish. It must be classified immediately in specific, labelled and approved containers: halogenated organic solvents, non-halogenated solvents, acidic or basic aqueous solutions, biomedical waste and sharps (needles or broken glass). It is absolutely forbidden to pour concentrated chemical reagents or biological agents down the drain without duly validated prior neutralisation or inactivation.

Safe handling of chemical products

Before opening any bottle, it is mandatory to check its labelling under the Globally Harmonised System (GHS / CLP), paying attention to hazard pictograms, H statements (hazard statements) and P statements (precautionary statements). Likewise, chemical incompatibilities in storage must be strictly respected: concentrated acids and strong bases must never be stored together, nor oxidising substances alongside flammable solvents. Consulting the product's Safety Data Sheet (SDS) is mandatory whenever there is any procedural doubt.

Safety equipment in a laboratory

Safety equipment in a laboratory comprises both the barrier protection worn by the professional and the physical containment devices integrated into the architecture of the room and into the machinery itself.

PPE and emergency equipment

Every technician must have Personal Protective Equipment suited to the task: long-sleeved cotton lab coats (or flame-retardant fabric), safety goggles with certified side sealing against splashes, face shields for serious splashes and specific gloves (nitrile, neoprene, cryogenic or high temperature depending on the test).

At room level, facilities must have safety showers and eyewash stations connected to the water supply and readily accessible (less than 10 seconds from any working point), fire blankets and CO2 or multi-purpose powder extinguishers inspected periodically.

Safety built into laboratory equipment

It is often forgotten that the analytical instruments themselves are active elements of laboratory safety. Choosing industrial quality equipment with protection systems as standard prevents an operational failure from turning into a serious incident:

• Sterilisation autoclaves: advanced J.P. Selecta models incorporate electromagnetic locking devices that physically prevent the lid from being opened while there is risk pressure or temperature inside the chamber, in addition to pressure switches, independent safety thermostats and emergency depressurisation valves.

laboratory autoclaves

• Gas and fume extraction cabinets: they protect the operator's airways by safely retaining or expelling toxic vapours, volatile acids or flammable solvents.
• Laboratory centrifuges: centrifuges have motors suspended on anti-vibration dampers, automatic imbalance detection systems with instant stopping and biological safety rotors with hermetic seals that prevent the generation of infectious aerosols.

laboratory centrifuges

• Ovens and muffle furnaces: laboratory ovens have a double safety thermostat (mechanical and software-based, in accordance with the DIN 12880 standard) that disconnects the heating elements in the event of overtemperature, preventing fires or the spontaneous ignition of samples.

laboratory ovens catalogue

What protocol should be followed in the event of an accident or emergency in the laboratory?

Faced with an unforeseen situation, the speed and standardisation of the response save lives and minimise material damage. The following table summarises the mandatory immediate actions for the most common accidents:

Guaranteeing a protected analytical environment requires integrating strict conduct protocols with analytical instrumentation of high technical reliability.

Designing your laboratory safety processes under the protection of international regulations and implementing equipment fitted with passive and active safety systems is the best investment for protecting the talent in your laboratory and ensuring excellence in your results.