Safety Practices for Science Students
While working in the laboratory, students
will have certain important responsibilities that do not apply to the other
classrooms. You will be working with materials which, if handled carelessly or
improperly, have the potential to cause serious injury and even death.
A
science laboratory can be a safe place to work, if one is alert, cautious, and
follows directions with care. The following practices should be studied and
used in the lab:
1. Follow written and verbal instructions
carefully. One should give laboratory procedures all of one’s interest,
attention, and effort.
2. Prepare for each laboratory activity
by reading all instructions before coming to class and review them before
beginning work. Follow all directions and make note of any modification in
procedure given by the instructor.
3. Perform only those laboratory
activities where instructions and permission have been given by the
teacher. If curious about other
activities – ask the instructor.
4. Use only materials and equipment
authorized by the instructor. Ask the instructor if not familiar with
something and don’t know how to use it.
5. Check labels and instructions
carefully and use in the proper manner.
6. Wear safety goggles whenever in the
lab. A demonstration safety shield may also be needed. Regular eye glasses,
while giving some protection, are inadequate when used alone for lab work.
7. Keep books, purses, and such items in
other room. Take only lab manuals and maybe a calculator into the working area.
8. Student apparel should be appropriate
for lab work. Long hanging necklaces, bulky jewelry, and excessive and bulky
clothing should not be worn in the laboratory. Roll long sleeves up. Only
closed shoes should be worn in the lab. Lab aprons should always be worn.
9. Confine long hair during lab and keep
a hair tie in your drawer.
10. Students should conduct themselves in
an appropriate manner while in the lab. This means no “horseplay” and not
disturbing fellow students, as this can be dangerous in the middle of an experiment.
It also means one should walk, not run, while in the lab. And, above all, it
means one should show respect for fellow students and teacher, as well as the
lab materials and equipment being used.
Do not squirt the water bottles at each other!
11. Eating or drinking in the laboratory
is not permitted. No gum either.
12. Never taste anything or touch
chemicals with bare hands unless specifically instructed .
13. Never smell any chemical or
solution. Never inhale when directly
over containers. Use a fume hood when
necessary.
14. Never carry hot equipment/dangerous
chemicals through students.
15. Report any accident to the teacher
immediately no matter how minor. This
includes any burn, scratch, cut or contact with corrosive liquid on skin or
clothing. Let me know of any allergies
that you have. Also, report defective or
broken equipment to the teacher.
16.
Wash
17. Never add water to acids; acids
should be slowly and carefully added to water.
In general, acid solutions should be done by the instructor unless
students are told otherwise. (AA - add
acid)
18. In case of a skin or clothes burn
from an acid or alkali (base), rinse or flush the affected area immediately
with plenty of running tap water. If the
eye is involved, irrigate it without interruption for at least 15 minutes. Report the incident to the instructor.
19.
Know the location of the emergency shower, eye and face wash fountain,
fire blanket, fire extinguisher, closest fire alarm box, glass waste disposal
containers, and exits.
20. Know the proper fire drill procedure
and practice it.
21. Notify the teacher immediately if any
smoke or fire is seen. Then follow the
teacher’s instructions.
22. If a person’s hair or clothing
catches fire, notify the teacher immediately and quickly use a fire blanket to
surround the burning area. This deprives
the fire of oxygen and snuffs it out.
Then see that the victim is treated by the school nurse for shock and
burns.
23. Every student should be instructed in
the proper use of a fire extinguisher and know who is primarily responsible for
its use.
24. Gas burners should be used only as
instructed by the teacher.
25. Use a burner with extreme
caution. Keep head and clothing away
from the flame and turn it off when not in use.
Warning: alcohol burner flames are often impossible to see in well-lit
rooms.
26. Do not throw matches into wastepaper
baskets. An approved metal waste
container should be provided for their disposal.
27. Dispose of litmus paper, wooden
splints, toothpicks, rags/paper towels (especially those with flammables on
them), and all other combustibles in approved metal or other designated waste containers
with lids.
28. Do not bring any substance into
contact with heat or an open flame unless specifically instructed to do
so. Keep flammable materials like
alcohol far away from an open flame.
Fumes from these can travel along counter tops and be ignited.
29. When heating test tubes, do not look
down into the tube while heating it, and do not point it in the direction of
oneself or any other person.
30. When bending glass, allow time for
the glass to cool before further handling.
Hot and cold glass has the same visual appearance. Determine if an object is hot by bringing the
back of one’s hand close to it. Use
tongs and wire gauze pads.
31. To cut small-diameter glass tubing,
use a file to make a deep scratch. Wrap
the tubing in a paper towel before bending the glass away from oneself with
one’s thumbs facing each other at the scratch.
Fire polish ends.
32. Carefully twist (never push) glass
tubing into stopper holes. Lubricate
stopper hole to ease insertion and always use towels for hand protection.
33. Remove all broken glass from work
area or floor as soon as possible. Never
handle broken glass with bare hands. Use
a counter brush and dustpan. Dispose of
it in a separate waste container labeled “Broken Glass”.
34. Place all metals and solid wastes
into designated waste containers. Never
discard solids into laboratory sinks.
35. Never climb to reach overhead
storage. Use a safety stool or lab
ladder. To minimize accidental breakage
and chemical splash, do not use overhead storage for bottled chemicals.
36. When transporting chemical bottles,
take care not to drop them or knock them into a lab bench, drawer, or
door.
37. When dispensing chemicals, use
caution along with the proper techniques and equipment. Do not put extra quantities back into
original storage! This will cause contamination. Instead, dispose of in the proper manner.
38. Avoid contamination. Never pour reagents back into the
bottle. Do not use one pipette for more
than one liquid/solution or lay them on the table.
39. Do not pipette liquids by mouth. Use a rubber suction bulb to draw the liquid
up into the pipette.
40. Spills should be reported to the
instructor as soon as they occur.
Immediate cleanup, using the proper neutralization and/or disposal
procedures, is essential to prevent injuries and additional accidents. Most spilled acids can be neutralized (made safe)
with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) solution.
Most spilled bases (alkalis) can be neutralized with dilute acetic acid
(vinegar).
41. When removing an electrical plug from
its socket, pull the plug, not the electrical cord. Remember, one’s hands should be completely
dry before touching an electrical switch, plug, or outlet to prevent
electrocution. To prevent electrical
fires, inspect plugs and cords for broken insulation and never overload
electrical outlets or circuits.
42. Keep work areas clean. Keep floors, aisles, and passageways clear of
laboratory equipment, chemicals, boxes, and other clutter. Each student should help in the cleanup after
each lab session. Every item should be
properly stored. Close any open drawers
and cabinet doors to avoid injuries.
43. Students are not permitted in
laboratory storage rooms without approval.
44. Any individually planned experiment
must be approved by the teacher.
45. Most of all, be alert and proceed
with caution in the laboratory.
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