AP Biology Laboratory Safety Contract
Mrs. Rowe, Monroe Area High School, 2014-2015
AP biology students spend approximately 25-40% of their instructional time conducting laboratory
investigations involving a wide array of organisms, preserved materials, chemicals, and scientific equipment.
The level and frequency of laboratory activities require careful attention to safety from all students at all times.
The following guidelines will help to ensure a safe learning environment for all students. In general, any
condition or activity that appears to be unsafe should be reported to the instructor immediately.
General Considerations
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Instructor must be present when lab work is being done.
Unauthorized experiments are strictly forbidden and will result in immediate disciplinary consequences.
No horseplay will be tolerated and will result in immediate disciplinary consequences.
Removal of laboratory equipment, chemicals, specimens, slides, microscopes, etc., from lab will result in
immediate disciplinary consequences.
5. Negligent and irresponsible treatment of laboratory equipment, chemicals, specimens, slides,
microscopes, etc. will result in disciplinary consequences.
Accidents and Injuries
1. Report all accidents and injuries immediately to the instructor.
2. In the case of an injury, students should not clean up blood: notify your instructor immediately.
Poisoning Hazards
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No food or beverages allowed in lab at any time.
Wash hands after lab.
Never pipette by mouth.
Do not put pens, etc., in your mouth.
Do not chew gum in lab (chemicals can potentially bind to the gum).
Never taste a chemical/substance in lab.
Chemicals
1. Students have the right to know and are expected to know about all chemicals (including consumer
products) they will be exposed to in lab.
2. All hazardous products will be identified clearly with a label; however, students should treat all
chemicals as though they are hazardous.
3. Always label solutions and test tubes you are using.
4. Never return chemicals to their original container.
5. Keep flammable chemicals away from open flames, hotplates, and other sources of heat or sparks.
6. Dispose of chemicals as instructed (waste bottles will be provided when necessary).
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
1. Material safety data sheets (MSDS) provide detailed technical safety information for all
chemicals/products used in lab.
2. MSDS are available for anyone who wants more information about a chemical/product than is required
on a label.
3. MSDS sheets are kept by the instructor; ask your instructor if you are interested in seeing them.
Laboratory Safety Contract, Rowe, 2014-2015
Safety glasses or goggles
1. Any time chemicals, heat, or glassware ae used, students will wear laboratory goggles.
2. At your request, safety goggles may be supplied during any laboratory exercise.
3. Contact lenses should not be worn in the laboratory unless you have permission from your instructor.
Clothing and hair
1. Lab aprons have been provided for your use and should be worn during laboratory activities.
2. Dress properly during a laboratory activity.
3. Long hair, dangling jewelry, and loose or baggy clothing are a hazard in the laboratory. Long hair must
be tied back and dangling jewelry and loose or baggy clothing must be secured.
4. Shoes must completely cover the foot. No sandals allowed.
Housekeeping
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Keep your workspace clean and neat.
You are required to wipe down your portion of the lab bench before leaving lab.
Return all of the lab equipment to its proper place.
All trash must be thrown away (do not throw trash into sinks).
All broken glass must be put into the appropriate container (broken glass containers are located at the
front of the room).
6. Never point at models, skeletal material, or specimens using a pen or pencil. Marks are often impossible
to remove without further damage.
7. Always put used scalpel blades, syringe needles, etc., into the sharps container designated by your
instructor.
8. Clean up non-hazardous chemical spills immediately. If the chemical may be hazardous notify the
instructor and clean up using proper procedures as described by the instructor.
Microscopes
1. Microscopes must be returned to their cabinets.
2. Always use two hands to carry microscopes.
3. Do not allow microscope cords to dangle where they might become tangled or tripped over and pull the
microscope off the table.
4. Keep microscopes away from the edge of the table.
5. Use lens paper only to clean the lenses and clean them often.
6. Never carry more than one microscope slide at a time. Carrying stacks of slides results in broken
coverslips and ruins slides. Many of our microscope slides cannot be replaced and those that can are
expensive.
7. Put any chipped or broken slides immediately into the broken glass container. Some breakage is a
natural result of using equipment. Notify the instructor so that they can keep track of slide numbers and
reorder them if possible.
8. Always return slides to the box where you got them.
Microorganisms
1. Treat all microorganisms as potential pathogens.
2. All used cultures/plates containing bacteria should ONLY be disposed of in locations designated for
materials to be sanitized.
Specimens
1. Live specimens need to be treated humanely and respectfully.
Laboratory Safety Contract, Rowe, 2014-2015
2. Preserved specimens should be treated respectfully and NEVER REMOVED from lab. Specimens
themselves and preservatives pose a health risk. Removing specimens or parts of specimens from labs is
theft and will result in immediate disciplinary consequences
3. Abuse of specimens, living or preserved, carries severe consequences.
4. All dissection tissue remnants should ONLY be disposed of in locations designated by the instructor. Do
NOT throw them in sinks or trash cans.
Fire and heat sources
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Never leave a lit bunsen burner unattended.
Never turn on gas unless you are ready to light the burner.
Always keep flammable chemicals away from open flame.
Always shut off gas at the main gas valve.
Use caution around hot plates and burners. Always assume they are hot.
Keep long hair and loose clothing contained to limit fire hazards.
Electrical
1. Keep electrical cords away from spilled liquid.
2. Do not attempt to plug or unplug cords with wet hands.
Safety equipment
1. Fire extinguishers, eyewash stations and emergency showers are located in each lab. In case of fire
notify the instructor, evacuate the room, and pull the fire alarm if appropriate.
2. First aid kits are located in the back of the labs. Notify your instructor immediately of any injuries. Do
not clean up blood.
Laboratory Safety Contract, Rowe, 2014-2015