Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy
Science Education Lab Etiquette
The Science Education Area labs are shared spaces used by many instructors and teacher
candidates so it is important that we have some procedures that will help keep us
functioning smoothly and safely in our labs and prep rooms. The following list of
policies, procedures, and guidelines is provided for that purpose.
Food and Drink Policy.

No food or drink (including water) may be consumed in SCED lab rooms [1210,
1207, 1204). WorkSafe BC monitors our rooms and we will be penalized and fined if
we do not enforce this policy. Please take refreshment and coffee breaks in hallways
rather than lab or prep-rooms spaces.
Equipment Use

We all share the materials in the prep room and in the labs (scissors, glue sticks, tape,
chemicals, science equipment) so when you have finished with these items, return all
items to their place of origin as soon as possible.

Take only as much or as many materials as you need so materials are available for
other classes running concurrently. If it is necessary to remove an entire bin of
materials please leave a note indicating their whereabouts.

Please return any equipment (carts, magnets, weights etc) that have been borrowed
from other labs back to the room in which they were found.

The 3- tiered cart is not to be moved from the prep room.

Students may not borrow lab equipment or supplies during the Practicum. Classes
continue during the various practicum periods and all supplies and equipment are
needed for those classes.
Class experiments – Reservation and Cleanup.

Please do not leave materials in the labs or prep room without a reservation sheet
(yellow for students, blue for instructors) with the name of the user, date required,
and the course. Please reserve materials days in advance.

Remember to return all materials to their proper homes when finished. (with the
exception of dirty glassware – see glassware cleanup procedure).

Please label your ongoing experiments, otherwise these materials may be discarded,
borrowed, or put away

Non-refillable containers should go into the garbage or recycling after being emptied
and rinsed.
General Lab and prep-room clean up procedures.

All materials that are used in the classroom/labs or prep room need to be cleaned up
at the end of class or moved into the prep-room and cleaned up as soon as possible.

Wipe up any spillage immediately. Cleanup is especially important if reactive
compounds (i.e. acids or bases) or biohazardous materials are involved.

In the interests of the environment and sustainability, please recycle wherever
possible. Please use the blue bins (hallway) for recycling paper products and the
green bins (Scarfe driveway) for organic waste. There are also designated bins for
plastic and glass waste.

Do not put solid wastes down the sinks. Allow solid sediments to dry in the container
and discard into the garbage or sand bucket.

Erase the blackboards at the end of each class. Otherwise indicate P.L.O. (“Please
leave On”) if you wish to retain it.
Chemical and Hazardous Waste Procedures.

Either store or dispose of hazardous materials immediately after use.

Do not leave waste substances in un-labelled beakers or containers. In addition to
obvious safety hazards, the department can be cited and fined by Worksafe B.C.

When labelling chemicals, provide the full name rather than symbols, abbreviations,
or chemical formulas (e.g. write Sodium chloride, rather than NaCl).

Please use wax pen or marker rather than paper or tape labels for ease of removal and
reuse of the container.
Glassware cleanup.

When you have finished using glassware please return to the prep room and prepare
for washing. This involves the following:
o All glassware should be well rinsed and placed on the counter to the right of the
sink. If you have materials or chemicals to discard, please use appropriate
disposal methods. Remember, our drains connect to the Strait of Georgia.
o To avoid breakage - please do not place glassware in the sink. If the sink area is
unavailable please rinse and place used glassware on a trolley or in a bin with a
note indicated that it is ready for washing.