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Use this handy checklist to acquaint students with safety dos and don’ts in the laboratory.
Conduct
- Do not engage in practical jokes or boisterous conduct in the laboratory.
- Never run in the laboratory.
- The use of personal audio or video equipment is prohibited in the laboratory
- The performance of unauthorized experiments is strictly forbidden
- Do not sit on laboratory benches.
General Work Procedure
- Always perform the experiments or work precisely as directed by your instructor.
- Immediately report any spills, accidents, or injuries to your instructor.
- Never leave experiments while in progress.
- Never attempt to catch a falling object.
- Be careful when handling hot glassware and apparatus in the laboratory. Hot glassware looks just like cold glassware.
- Never point the open end of a test tube containing a substance at yourself or others.
- Never fill a pipette using mouth suction. Always use a pipetting device.
- Make sure no flammable solvents are in the surrounding area when lighting a flame.
- Do not leave lit Bunsen burners unattended.
- Turn off all heating apparatus, gas valves, and water faucets when not in use.
- Do not remove any equipment or chemicals from the laboratory.
- Store coats, bags, and other personal items in designated areas.
- Notify your instructor of any sensitivities that you may have to particular chemicals.
- Keep the floor clear of all objects (e.g., ice, small objects, spilled liquids).
Housekeeping
- Keep work area neat and free of any unnecessary objects.
- Thoroughly clean your laboratory work space at the end of the laboratory session.
- Do not block the sink drains with debris.
- Never block access to exits or emergency equipment.
- Inspect all equipment for damage (cracks, defects, etc.) prior to use–do not use damaged equipment.
- Never pour chemical waste into sink drains or wastebaskets.
- Place chemical waste in appropriately labeled waste containers.
- Properly dispose of broken glassware and other sharp objects (e.g., syringe needles) immediately in designated containers.
- Properly dispose of weigh boats, gloves, filter paper, and paper towels in the laboratory.
Apparel in the Laboratory
- Always wear appropriate eye protection (i.e., chemical splash goggles) in the laboratory.
- Wear disposable gloves, as provided in the laboratory, when handling hazardous materials. Remove the gloves before exiting the laboratory.
- Wear a full-length, long-sleeved laboratory coat or chemical-resistant apron.
- Wear shoes that adequately cover the whole foot. Low-heeled shoes with non-slip soles are preferable. Do not wear sandals, open-toed shoes, open-backed shoes, or high-heeled shoes.
- Avoid wearing shirts exposing the torso, shorts, or short skirts; long pants that completely cover the legs are preferable.