General Lab Safety
Eating or drinking in the laboratory is
not permitted under any circumstances
Horseplay is
never allowed
If a chemical is spilled on the table
tell your lab instructor and get it cleaned up right away.
When is it alright to taste a chemical?
Never.
Approved eye protection is to be worn
all the time.
Unauthorized experiments are
not allowed
If you have long hair
you should tie it back before performing lab work
If mercury is spilled
call your instructor
All hazardous waste should be
placed in a special waste container
When heating liquids in a test tube, you should
move the tube back and forth through the flame and heat near the surface of the liquid
In the laboratory, open-toed shoes are
potentially dangerous and should not be worn
In the lab you should wear
practical protective clothing
If a chemical is spilled on our skin, you should
flood the area with water for ten minutes.
If you need to smell a chemical, you should
take a breath of air and fan the vapors towards you.
When taking liquids from a reagent bottle
pour the reagent into a small container before using it.
Working alone in the laboratory without supervision
is not allowed
You should wash your hands
before you leave the lab
If a chemical is spilled on the table
tell your lab instructor and get it cleaned up right away.
When you have taken too much of a chemical
you should discard it using proper disposal procedures
After you use a reagent bottle
return the bottle to its proper location
Before starting an experiment
read the entire procedure
Personal items (books, sweaters, etc.) should be stored
out of the way, not on the lab bench.
If your hair or shirt catches on fire
you should use the safety shower to extinguish the flames.
Experiments that involve chemicals with irritating vapors
should be performed in the fume hood.
A liquid is taken into a pipet
using a pipet bulb or pipet pump.