lab safety rules
1. Responsible behavior is essential. Think about the consequences of your actions or inactions. Make note of the safety precautions written in the lab text and told to you by your instructor. If you are unsure about a procedure, ASK!
2. WEAR APPROVED EYE PROTECTION AND AN APRON AT ALL TIMES IN THE LAB.
Goggles are available from a community supply. If you wear glasses, be sure your goggles fit over your glasses. Contact lenses are discouraged. If you must wear them, it is essential you also wear goggles. Your shoes and clothing must also provide protection, i.e., wear closed-toe shoes whose “uppers” repel spills; confine long hair and loose clothing; no high heeled or slick-soled shoes.
3. In case of fire, accident, chemical spill, or injury, notify the instructor at once.
a. Wet towels can be used to smother small flames.
b. In case of a chemical spill on your body or clothing, wash the affected area with large quantities of running water. Be sure to remove the clothing that has been wetted by chemicals to prevent further reaction with the skin.
c. If you should get a chemical in your eye (which will not happen if you wear your goggles in the appropriate manner), wash with flowing water from the eye wash for at least 15 minutes. Get medical attention immediately.
d. In case of fire on your body, there is a fire blanket that will help smother the flames.
4. Note the locations of the safety equipment listed below. Make sure you know how to use them:
a. Eye Wash
b. Fire Extinguisher
c. Telephone
d. Sink(s)
f. Exit
5. Do not eat, drink, or chew on anything in the laboratory. This includes food, gum, pens, and other chemicals. Also, you should not handle lab chemicals without wearing gloves. They may absorb through the skin or be ingested if you lick your fingers. Wash your hands thoroughly before you leave the lab, even if you haven’t “touched” anything.
6. Avoid breathing fumes of any kind. To test the smell of a vapor, “waft” the vapor toward you. Do not smell any chemical without permission from your instructor.
7. Keep your work area clean at all times. Clean up spills and broken glass immediately, whether at your bench or in the common area. Clean your work space, including wet-wiping the bench top and putting away all chemicals and equipment as instructed at the end of the period.
8. Perform no unauthorized experiments. This includes using more reagent than instructed.
9. Never work alone in the laboratory.
10. Always pour acids into water when mixing. Otherwise, the acid may violently spatter.
11. Beware of hot iron rings and hot glass. They “look” cool long before they can be handled. Do not cool hot glassware by running cool water over it. The glass will shatter.
12. Dispose of small quantities of excess non-toxic liquid materials by flushing them down the sink with copious quantities of water. Dispose of solids and toxic liquids in the waste containers provided. Never return excess chemicals to their original container.
13. Spatters are common in general chemical laboratories. Test tubes containing reacting mixtures or those being heated should never be pointed at anyone.
14. Finally, and most importantly, THINK, about what you’re doing. If you doubt that what you’re doing is safe, don’t do it. Check with your instructor. Ask questions.
Minimization of exposure of all students to the chemicals we work with in lab is an important goal for both the instructor and the students. The experiments we pick, chemicals we choose to use, and safety procedures we emphasize are all a part of attaining that goal. However, be aware that the effects of many chemicals are different for different people. Certainly we all know about allergies, and have heard about how different medicines can interact when taken together and cause disastrous results. Analogously, certain medical conditions such as asthma, allergies, etc. can be worsened by exposure to certain chemicals.
2. WEAR APPROVED EYE PROTECTION AND AN APRON AT ALL TIMES IN THE LAB.
Goggles are available from a community supply. If you wear glasses, be sure your goggles fit over your glasses. Contact lenses are discouraged. If you must wear them, it is essential you also wear goggles. Your shoes and clothing must also provide protection, i.e., wear closed-toe shoes whose “uppers” repel spills; confine long hair and loose clothing; no high heeled or slick-soled shoes.
3. In case of fire, accident, chemical spill, or injury, notify the instructor at once.
a. Wet towels can be used to smother small flames.
b. In case of a chemical spill on your body or clothing, wash the affected area with large quantities of running water. Be sure to remove the clothing that has been wetted by chemicals to prevent further reaction with the skin.
c. If you should get a chemical in your eye (which will not happen if you wear your goggles in the appropriate manner), wash with flowing water from the eye wash for at least 15 minutes. Get medical attention immediately.
d. In case of fire on your body, there is a fire blanket that will help smother the flames.
4. Note the locations of the safety equipment listed below. Make sure you know how to use them:
a. Eye Wash
b. Fire Extinguisher
c. Telephone
d. Sink(s)
f. Exit
5. Do not eat, drink, or chew on anything in the laboratory. This includes food, gum, pens, and other chemicals. Also, you should not handle lab chemicals without wearing gloves. They may absorb through the skin or be ingested if you lick your fingers. Wash your hands thoroughly before you leave the lab, even if you haven’t “touched” anything.
6. Avoid breathing fumes of any kind. To test the smell of a vapor, “waft” the vapor toward you. Do not smell any chemical without permission from your instructor.
7. Keep your work area clean at all times. Clean up spills and broken glass immediately, whether at your bench or in the common area. Clean your work space, including wet-wiping the bench top and putting away all chemicals and equipment as instructed at the end of the period.
8. Perform no unauthorized experiments. This includes using more reagent than instructed.
9. Never work alone in the laboratory.
10. Always pour acids into water when mixing. Otherwise, the acid may violently spatter.
11. Beware of hot iron rings and hot glass. They “look” cool long before they can be handled. Do not cool hot glassware by running cool water over it. The glass will shatter.
12. Dispose of small quantities of excess non-toxic liquid materials by flushing them down the sink with copious quantities of water. Dispose of solids and toxic liquids in the waste containers provided. Never return excess chemicals to their original container.
13. Spatters are common in general chemical laboratories. Test tubes containing reacting mixtures or those being heated should never be pointed at anyone.
14. Finally, and most importantly, THINK, about what you’re doing. If you doubt that what you’re doing is safe, don’t do it. Check with your instructor. Ask questions.
Minimization of exposure of all students to the chemicals we work with in lab is an important goal for both the instructor and the students. The experiments we pick, chemicals we choose to use, and safety procedures we emphasize are all a part of attaining that goal. However, be aware that the effects of many chemicals are different for different people. Certainly we all know about allergies, and have heard about how different medicines can interact when taken together and cause disastrous results. Analogously, certain medical conditions such as asthma, allergies, etc. can be worsened by exposure to certain chemicals.