Chemistry Laboratory Safety Guidelines
1. Always be safety-conscious. Move about the laboratory in a safe manner.
2. Report all accidents. No accident is too small to report.
3. Know the locations of safety equipment in the laboratory; use only in emergencies. Know the location of fire exits.
4. Plan ahead. Become familiar with all of the health and safety hazards of equipment and chemicals in use. If you are not sure, ask.
5. Splash proof goggles must be worn while working with any chemical that could be harmful to the eyes. Rubber aprons should be worn while carrying out many kinds of experiments.
6. Use Bunsen burners only at the direction of the teacher. Open flames are prohibited when flammable substances are in use in the laboratory. Never leave active burners unattended.
7. Confine long hair while working in the laboratory; watch for flames and machinery.
8. Always wash your hands thoroughly at the end of the laboratory period. When handling chemicals, keep your hands away from your face, eyes, and body, until they have been washed.
9. If a chemical is splashed or spilled on your skin, flush it away with plenty of water. If irritation or pain develops, report it immediately.
10. If you should get chemicals into your eyes, go directly to the eyewash fountain and gently flush with water. Report this immediately to your teacher.
11. Do not consume food or water while in the laboratory; never taste chemicals.
12. Keep desk tops clear of all books, clothing, and other personal property except necessary lab directions and notebooks; keep fume hoods clear and clean.
13. Returned cleaned equipment to its proper place when finished. Report any damage of equipment to the instructor.
14. Keep sinks clean and free of glassware.
15. Never return chemicals to stock bottles.
16. Handle only materials that you are assigned to work with.
17. Use acids and bases with caution. Wipe up spilled material at the direction of the teacher. Watch out for eyes, skin, and clothing.
18. Keep reagent bottles covered. Follow the correct procedure for opening reagent bottles.
19. Do not use unlabelled chemicals. Check label twice to be sure that you have the right bottle. Refer unlabelled containers to your teacher.
20. Follow all instructions, both written and verbal. If you think some changes in procedure are necessary or desirable, check with your teacher.Broken Glassware
1. Broken glass - clean up immediately with brush and pan and put in container located in hood area.
2. Before inserting (or removing) glass tubing or thermometers into corks or stoppers, check with your teacher for proper procedure.Avoiding Burns
1. Keep a lighted burner away from clothing, books, or other combustibles. Lean away from top of Bunsen burner while it is being lit.
2. Hot glass looks just like cold glass. Use care when touching glass objects that have been heated.
3. To heat easily evaporated (volatile) flammable liquids, use a water bath, inside a fume hood if possible.
4. Do not heat anything inside a closed container.Handling Chemicals
1. To smell the contents of a container, use a "wafting" action of the hand as demonstrated by your teacher.
2. Use care to avoid splattering of solutions when heating to dryness.
3. Never use mouth for pipetting up poisons, corrosive liquids, organic solvents, live cultures, or contaminated materials. Use automatic pipettors at the direction of your teacher.
4. Always add acids to water slowly, carefully, and with a gentle stirring action (solid glass rod only). This should generally be done in a large open beaker. Avoid overheating which often accompanies too rapid mixing. ACID INTO WATER... never the reverse.Electrical Precautions
1. Before connecting equipment to a power source, examine all wiring for electrical defects and improper installation.
2. Make sure that your hands are dry; that the work area is dry.
3. Follow directions. If you are unsure of any procedure, ask your teacher.
Cut and return bottom to the. Failure to do so will result in loss of lab privileges.
~ I, ____________________________, have read and agree to abide by the safety regulations as set forth above and also by any additional printed instructions provided by the instructor and/or corporation. I further agree to follow all other written and verbal instructions given in class.~ |
________________ Date |
___________________________________ Student Signature |
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