Safety Regulations for Science Students

While working in the science laboratory, you will have certain important responsibilities that do not apply to other classrooms. You will be working with materials and apparatus that, if handled carelessly or improperly, have the potential to cause injury.

A science laboratory can be a safe (and FUN ) place to work if you, the student, are foresighted, alert and cautious. The following practices will be followed:

Before the Lab 1. Know the location and use of the emergency equipment such as shower, eye and face wash fountain, fire blanket and fire extinguisher. 2. Ask permission before entering laboratory storage or teacher workrooms. 3. Never eat or drink in the lab. 4. Dress in a way that is laboratory safe so that clothing, jewelry, or hair are kept away from the lab equipment chemicals, and specimens. 5. Leave backpacks at your desk and bring only your lab notebook and calculator with you to the lab.

During the Lab 6. Follow written and verbal instructions carefully and perform only those laboratory activities for which the teacher has given instructions and permission. 7. Wear safety goggles during hazardous experiments involving caustic/corrosive chemicals, open flames, and other activities that may injure the eyes. 8. Keep work areas clean. 9. Avoid contact with chemicals by never tasting or touching chemicals (unless prior approval is given), by sniffing cautiously from a distance, by keeping hands away from faces and eyes, and by washing your hands thoroughly at the conclusion of the laboratory period. 10. Take only as much chemical as you need so that waste is minimized. 11. Check labels and equipment instructions carefully. Be sure correct items are being used in the proper manner. 12. Use a burner with extreme caution by keeping your head and clothing away from the flame, by not heating an object or substance unless specifically instructed to do so, by not looking down into the tube or pointing the tube in the direction of any student while heating, and by turning the flame off when not in use or attendance. 13. Never heat solutions to dryness, unless done in an evaporating dish. 14. Never heat a “closed system,” such as a stoppered flask. 15. When mixing concentrated acids with water, always add the acid to the water. “Do what you oughta: Add acid to water!”

After the Lab 16. Follow teacher’s instructions when returning unused chemicals. 17. Dispose of waste properly by following directions for toxic disposal and by placing solid waste in the wastebasket and liquid waste in the sink. 18. Clean your work area and return all equipment and materials to the appropriate storage places. All glassware must be cleaned with soap solution and thoroughly rinsed and then dried.

In Case of an Accident 19. Report any accident to the teacher immediately, NO MATTER HOW MINOR. This includes a burn, scratch, cut, or spill or corrosive liquid on the skin or clothing. 20. In case of a burn from an acid or alkali (base), wash the affected area immediately with plenty of running water. 21. If the eye is involved, irrigate it without interruption for at least 15 minutes. 22. Remove all broken glass from the work area or floor as soon as possible. Never handle broken glass with bare hands, use a counter brush and dustpan.