Safety and Conduct Rules for Physics Laboratory Courses

St. John’s University Physics Department

Safety Rules:

1. No student is permitted in the laboratory without an instructor. 2. All aisles in the laboratory must be kept open at all times. Personal belongings should be kept below the table and out of the working area. 3. Bare feet and sandals are not acceptable. 4. Report all unsafe conditions, unusual odors and personal injuries to the instructor immediately. 5. Report any accident (spill, breakage, etc.) to the instructor immediately. Never handle broken glass with your bare hands. 6. When glass tubes containing mercury are broken, mercury must not be touched. Notify the instructor immediately. 7. Know where the fire alarm and the exits are located. 8. In case the fire alarm sounds, please exit the building by the nearest safe exit. In the case of any other emergency, follow the instructions of the laboratory instructor and all safety personal that may have responded to the scene. 9. All chemicals in the laboratory are to be considered dangerous. Do not touch, taste, or smell any chemicals unless specifically instructed to do so. Never remove chemicals or other materials from the laboratory area. 10. Know the location of the first aid kit, emergency shower, eye and face wash fountain, and fire extinguishers and know how to use them. 11. When working with electrical circuits, be sure that the current is turned off before making adjustments in the circuit. 12. Do not connect the terminals of a battery or power supply to each other with a wire. Such a wire will become dangerously hot.. 13. When removing an electrical plug from its socket, grasp the plug, not the electrical cord. Hands must be completely dry before touching an electrical switch, plug, or outlet. 14. Report damaged electrical equipment immediately. Look for things such as frayed cords, exposed wires, and loose connections. 15. Examine glassware before each use. Never use chipped or cracked glassware. 16. Never look directly into a laser beam or point a laser beam at someone else. 17. Never aim or fire a projectile motion device at a person. 18. No tools, supplies, or other equipment may be tossed from one person to another; carefully hand said item to the recipient. 19. Use extreme caution when working with hot plates or other heating devices. Never leave a hot plate unattended while it is turned on. 20. Do not climb on lab furniture without prior permission from the laboratory instructor. 21. When working with a mercury lamp, be aware that it will become extremely hot and use caution to avoid touching it. Conduct Rules:

1. Conduct yourself in a responsible manner at all times in the laboratory. No horseplay! 2. Students may not start an experiment until given permission by the instructor. 3. No eating or drinking in the laboratory at anytime. 4. Use of cell phones is forbidden. 5. No student is permitted to change the configuration of any computer she/he is working on and will only use the computer as instructed to work on physics laboratory experiments. 6. Each student will clean up his/her work area before leaving. 7. Students must return equipment to its original placement so that the instructor can inventory items quickly. 8. No student will write on or deface any lab desks, computers, or any equipment provided to them during the experiment. They will use all equipment only for the purpose intended. 9. Students are financially responsible for lost or broken equipment that results from carelessness or misuse. 10. Stay alert in the lab, and proceed with caution.

I have read and understood these rules. I understand that any violation of these rules could lead to dismissal for the lab session and any other appropriate action by the instructor.

Signed:______Date:______

Printed Name:______Lab Section:______