General Laboratory Safety Rules

The following rules and regulations have been established to minimize hazardous conditions for everyone in the laboratory. They will not restrict your learning but will help provide a safe environment in which to learn. Read these rules carefully. You will be expected to follow them when you are in the laboratory.

1. Chemical safety goggles and closed-toe shoes are required for entry into lab.

2. Conduct only authorized experiments and activities.

3. Do not eat or drink in the laboratory.

4. Know the location of fire extinguishers, eyewash fountains, safety showers, ventilation

hoods, and solid or liquid waste containers. Know how to use these safety features.

5. Report all accidents and injuries immediately to the laboratory supervisor.

6. Treat all chemicals as if they were poisons and, therefore could be dangerous if

absorbed through the skin, inhaled, or tasted. Read all labels and directions carefully. Also, if

you will be using a sample for subsequent lab time, be certain to accurately and completely

label your secondary container of chemical sample. Use the chemical name and hazard

statement(s) as they appear on the MSDS.

7. Always replace the stopper or cap on a reagent bottle after removing a sample of

material.

8. Never return unused chemical (solid or liquids) to the original reagent bottles or

containers. The possibility of contamination of the reagent overrides any benefit of “saving”

unused materials. 9. Return all items used to the proper location. Clean and put away all laboratory glassware and equipment used.

10. Wash hands well before leaving the laboratory.

11. Do not work alone in the laboratory.