LAB SAFETY RULES
I. General Laboratory Safety Rules
A. Follow all instructions carefully. Use special care when you see the word CAUTION in
your lab instructions. Follow all directions given by your teacher.
B. Know the location of all safety equipment in your classroom. This includes the bag of
sand that is used for cleaning up chemical spills or putting out fires, the eye wash station
at your teacher's desk, the fire blanket, and the fire extinguisher.
C. Never eat or drink in the laboratory. This is not only a lab rule, but a school rule!
D. Approach laboratory work with maturity. Never run, push, or engage in horseplay or
practical jokes of any kind.
E. Report all accidents or injuries and all breakage or spills to your teacher immediately. If
a chemical gets in your eye, wash it out first and then tell your teacher.
F. Dispose of used chemicals, matches, and living or preserved materials only as directed by
your teacher. NEVER dispose of solid particles by putting them down the sink.
G. Never work alone in the lab.
H. Keep your work area clean and uncluttered!
I. Turn off all electrical equipment, water, and gas when not in use, especially at the end of
the lab period.
J. Never perform unauthorized experiments.
K. Return all lab equipment to it's proper place, making sure it is clean and neat.
L. Only teachers and Lab Assistants are allowed in the stockroom.
M. Live animals must be handled with care.
II. Safety Precautions for Laboratory Apparel
A.
B.
C.
D.
Roll long sleeves up above the wrist.
Do not wear loose-fitting sleeves or bulky outerwear.
Tie back long hair.
Wear safety goggles when using dangerous chemicals, hot liquids, or burners.
Wear goggles even if you have contacts or wear glasses.
E. Wear lab aprons when working with chemicals, or hot materials.
III. Safety Precautions for Working with Heat or Fire
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Never leave a lighted Bunsen burner or any hot object unattended.
Use tongs, test-tube holders, or pot holders to handle hot lab equipment.
Never place flammable materials near an open flame.
Never reach over an exposed flame.
When heating something in a container such as a test tube, always point the open end
away from yourself and others.
F. Use only Pyrex glassware for heating.
G. Set hot-plate thermostats at the desired temperature rather than at maximum.
H. Allow hot materials to cool before moving them from your lab station.
I. Before lighting a Bunsen burner, close the valve all the way and then open it only slightly.
Increase flame slowly.
J. Make sure that Bunsen burners hoses fit tightly and that they are not cracked.
IV. Safety Precautions for Working with Chemicals
A. Never taste or touch substances in the lab without specific instructions.
B. Never smell substances in the lab without specific instructions. Wave the air above the
substances toward your nose and sniff carefully.
C. Use materials only from bottles properly labeled.
D. Always replace caps on bottles.
E. If you pour too much of a chemical out, do NOT pour it back into the original
container because (1) the used chemical may be contaminated, or (2) you may
accidently pour it into the wrong container.
F. Don't pick up solid chemicals with bare hands, but still wash hands after working with
chemicals.
G. DO NOT ADD WATER TO ACID. Instead, Always Add Acid to water!
Remember: AAA
V. Special Precautions for Working with Electrical Equipment
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Never use equipment with frayed insulation and loose or broken wires.
Make sure the area around and under electrical equipment is dry.
Never touch electrical equipment with wet hands.
Turn off all power switches BEFORE plugging and unplugging an appliance.
Never jerk plugs from outlets or pull them by the wire.
VI. Special Precautions for Working with Glassware and Other Lab Equipment
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
Become familiar with the names and appearance of all the lab equipment you will use.
Never use chipped or broken glassware. Report breakage to teacher immediately.
Make sure all glassware is clean BEFORE AND AFTER you use it.
DO NOT pick up broken glass with your bare hands. The teacher will use a dustpan and
brush to clean it up.
Do not force glass tubing or thermometers into rubber stoppers. Ask your teacher for
assistance.
Use care when handling sharp equipment, such as scalpels and razors.
Never use a cutting device with a blade that has more than one cutting edge.
If a thermometer breaks, don't touch the mercury. It is toxic to the body.
Petri dishes must not be opened, unless told, when bacterial cultures involved.
VII. Rules when Working with Computer Lab Equipment
A. Absolutely NO HORSEPLAY, FOOD OR DRINKS, OR CLUTTER!!
B. Use ONLY as directed by your teacher.
C. Do not open the hard drive.
Here is a list of some lab equipment you will use.
Dissecting scissors, forceps, tongs, graduated cylinder, beaker, Erlenmeyer flask,
graduated pipette, dropping pipette, glass dropping bottle with inserted pipette, test tube, test
tube rack, mortar and pestle, hot plate, Bunsen burner, inoculating loop, glass stirring rod,
petri dish, thermometer, microscope slides and cover slips, dissecting probe, balance scale,
test tube brush, test tube holder, and funnel