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Chemistry Forums for Students => Analytical Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: jubba on September 02, 2006, 11:43:23 PM

Title: Risk Assessment of a Lab Procedure
Post by: jubba on September 02, 2006, 11:43:23 PM
We had to do the gravimetric determination of the sulfur content in a fertiliser as a practical task. (precipitation of barium sulfate)

For the task we had to fill in a risk assesment table.
Acetone was used to dry the barium sulfate faster. SInce its flammable I included it in the risk assesment.
However, the table only asked for "reagents" so we had to put barium nitrate/ and barium sulfate (which basically have no risks) but were penalised for putting acetone.

Is their anyway i can somehow argue that acetone is a reagent?  ::)
Title: Re: Stupid Risk assesment
Post by: Donaldson Tan on September 03, 2006, 05:53:25 PM
Does the fertiliser itself pose any hazard? It is after-all a mixture of a many components. There would be hazard signs (if there is) indicated on the label of the fertiliser container.
Title: Re: Risk Assessment of a Lab Procedure
Post by: mike on September 03, 2006, 08:03:05 PM
Sounds ridiculous to be penalised for putting extra information. Usually a risk assessment covers every aspect of the experiment, including equipment, clean-up, waste disposal etc.
Title: Re: Stupid Risk assesment
Post by: jubba on September 04, 2006, 08:14:39 AM
Does the fertiliser itself pose any hazard? It is after-all a mixture of a many components. There would be hazard signs (if there is) indicated on the label of the fertiliser container.

we didn't really use fertiliser we just used ammonia sulfate.
Title: Re: Risk Assessment of a Lab Procedure
Post by: Donaldson Tan on September 04, 2006, 09:04:30 PM
I second Mike
Title: Re: Risk Assessment of a Lab Procedure
Post by: KyleDiLeo on September 28, 2006, 04:51:41 PM
I also agree with what Mike said. At the end of our lab reports in our conclusions we usually wrote what could have contributed to error in the lab, and I definately would have instated the use of Acetone in the sources of error, especially if it was not fully dried, and still if it was fully dried. That's why I stopped using it to dry things, added to lab error in quantitative lab.