Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences
Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences

Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences
Laboratory Safety Training Quiz

This quiz and the related training are intended for students, faculty, staff and guests involved in the conduct of research at OSU Center for Health Sciences only. If you have questions, please contact Laurie St. Clair, laboratory safety coordinator.

The questions for this quiz may be from the power point presentation, videos, the Chemical Hygiene Manual or found by the instructions therein.  This is an open book quiz, however you must have a passing grade of 80% to have completed this section even though 100% should be attempted.  Also, feel free to discuss the questions and answers with other OSU-CHS personnel who work in laboratories.  The purpose of completing the quiz at 100% is to demonstrate that you have studied the information, understand the principles, and have gained the knowledge to work safely in the laboratory environment.  What you learn may prolong your life and those of your co-workers.

Choose the best answer for each question below. When all questions have been answered, click "Submit Quiz."

  1. What are the three routes of entry of chemicals into the body:
    Ears, eyes and mouth
    Swallowing, inhaling and drinking
    Ingestion, inhalation and absorption
    None of the above
  2. Which of the following is not a component of a new chemical label:
    Hazard Statement
    Classification Rating
    Supplier identification
  3. If you catch on fire you should:
    Yell FIRE at the top of your lungs to let others know about the danger, be sure to run as quickly as possible to blow out the flame
    Lay on floor to smother the flame if possible or head for the nearest safety shower and drown the flame
    Pull the fire alarm and look for help; hope the fire doesn’t burn you too badly before you can take some form of action
    Pat fire with your hands to extinguish it
  4. You are arranging your chemical storage, you should:
    Store the chemicals in alphabetical order to make it easier to find the chemicals when you need them
    Store flammable chemicals in any cabinet as long as they are in amber glass containers to reduce light
    Segregate all incompatible chemicals for proper storage by hazard class, in other words, store like chemicals together and away from other groups of chemicals that might cause reactions if mixed
    It is okay to store chemicals on the floor next to the counters and cabinets when the laboratory is too crowded to place with other chemicals
  5. What is acute toxicity when referring to a chemical:
    A chemical that promotes combustion in other materials
    The chemical is toxic only if you drink it
    The chemical will harm you only after years of exposure
    The chemical can harm you in a single dose over a short period of time
  6. Your glassware is clean enough to eat off of, which is why you poured yourself a refreshing glass of water into a beaker to quench your thirst. You should:
    Go on with your business, this is not a safety issue
    Just be really careful about keeping it separate from other beakers filled with clear liquid. Hydrochloric acid.. water.. there is a difference, but you can smell the acid before you drink it
    Label it before you forget which beaker it is. You're sure there are no residual chemicals in the glassware and positive nothing could accidentally splash into your drink
    Never bring, prepare or ingest food and drinks in the lab
  7. Phenol poisoning can occur through which of these routes of exposure:
    Absorption through intact skin
    Contact with mucous membranes
    All of the above
  8. If you want to identify hazards of a chemical you handle, look in:
    Section 9 of the Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
    Section 3 of the Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
    Section 8 of the Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
    Section 2 of the Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
  9. There is a container on the lab bench containing some unknown chemical. You should:
    Dump it, wash the glassware. Some people are slobs
    Move it out of the way in case it is dangerous. Otherwise, not your problem.
    Leave it. The rightful owner will claim it eventually
    Find your lab supervisor and ask what to do. If you are the lab supervisor, remove the container (noting its location), hunt down the offender, and try to get some idea what could be in the beaker so you know how to dispose of it
  10. How can you find out what hazards are associated with a chemical you have not used before:
    Don’t worry about it, your supervisor wouldn’t have asked you to work with a hazardous chemical
    Smell it
    Always read the label and the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) before starting any job with a chemical
    All of the above
  11. If you break a mercury thermometer, or otherwise spill mercury, you should:
    Leave it for others to find. Accidents happen. It's pretty obvious it was mercury. No big deal.
    Grab some paper towels, clean it up, and throw it away. Problem solved.
    Clean it up, being sure to throw away the mercury-contaminated items wherever heavy metals go. Don't bother anyone about the spill though. What they don't know can't hurt them.
    Clean it up, following Emergency Response Procedures if you are the supervisor. If you are a student, report the spill immediately to lab technician or other supervisor. Do not clean up mercury unless you are trained to do so.
  12. A carcinogenic substance has what type of pictogram on the container label and on the Safety Data Sheet:
    Skull and crossbones
    Exclamation mark
    Health Hazard
  13. A person has completed their work in a fume hood and has 5 ml of isopropyl alcohol remaining in a 100 ml beaker; the person should:
    Pour the 5 ml left down the hood sink
    Close the hood sash and leave remainder in the open beaker in the hood to evaporate
    Pour the remainder into the original container and close the lid
    Pour the remainder into the solvent waste container
  14. Describe the procedure for smelling a chemical:
    Stick your nose close to the vessel and breath deeply
    Point vessel away from face while gently fanning vapors toward nose
    Never smell a chemical
    Smell chemical as you would anything else
  15. What effects may be related to the reproductive or developmental toxin aspects of a chemical:
    Neurotoxic effects
    Dissolving of human tissue
  16. The cap for the hazardous waste container should always be kept tightly closed, except:
    When you are working in the lab
    When adding waste
    When the contents are non-hazardous or only mildly hazardous
    If the contents are odor-free
  17. You should always label your waste container because:
    "Unknowns" are very expensive to ship for disposal
    Labeled waste containers are required by EPA/OSHA/DNR
    The Lab Safety Coordinator will know how to categorize it
    All of the above
  18. The person ultimately responsible for your safety training in each laboratory is:
    The principal investigator and yourself
    The designated lab assistant
    The chemical hygiene and radioisotope use committee
    The Lab Safety Coordinator
  19. You have made up a prepared (working) solution from several hazardous chemicals and water, the following are required as part of your labelling:
    Hazards, if they still exist
    The identity of the components (abbreviate if commonly abbreviated)
    Expiration dates if on the original (stock) containers
    All of the above
  20. Before using gloves for protection, one should check them for:
    Cracks or holes
    Proper fit
    Compatibility with the chemical that is to be used
    All of the above