Lab Safety Guidelines

 

​1. ACT RESPONSIBLY WITH YOUR BEST CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR. FOOLING AROUND OR ENGAGING IN PRANKS OR PRACTICAL JOKES COULD ENDANGER YOU OR YOUR CLASSMATES. 

 

2. BEING PREPARED FOR LAB WORK INCLUDES WEARING SAFE CLOTHING. DON’T WEAR LOOSE OR BAGGY CLOTHING THAT COULD KNOCK SOMETHING OVER OR CAUSE YOU TO TRIP AND FALL. TIE BACK LONG HAIR. USE AN APRON IF YOUR TEACHER INSTRUCTS YOU TO DO SO.  

 

3. ALL PERSONAL ITEMS SUCH AS BACKPACKS, JACKETS, BOOKS, WATER BOTTLES, ETC. NEED TO BE PUT AWAY BEFORE STARTING A LAB ACTIVITY.  ONLY LAB MATERIALS, INSTRUCTIONS, AND A WRITING IMPLEMENT SHOULD BE ON A LAB TABLE.  

 

4. LISTEN CAREFULLY TO YOUR TEACHER’S INSTRUCTIONS SO YOU CAN FOLLOW THOSE AND THE WRITTEN PROCEDURES. IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND A DIRECTION OR PART OF A PROCEDURE, ASK FOR HELP. NEVER DO ANYTHING IN THE LABORATORY THAT IS NOT CALLED FOR IN THE LABORATORY PROCEDURES OR BY YOUR INSTRUCTOR.  

 

5. DO NOT TOUCH ANY EQUIPMENT OR LAB MATERIALS UNTIL INSTRUCTED TO DO SO. USE MATERIALS ONLY AS INSTRUCTED.  

 

6. PERFORM ONLY APPROVED EXPERIMENTS UNLESS YOUR TEACHER GIVES YOU PERMISSION TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. 

 

7. DO NOT EAT FOOD, DRINK BEVERAGES, OR CHEW GUM IN THE LABORATORY. DO NOT TASTE LAB MATERIALS. DO NOT USE LABORATORY GLASSWARE AS CONTAINERS FOR FOOD OR BEVERAGES. FOOD ITEMS SHOULD NOT BE BROUGHT TO THE LAB.  

 

8. DO NOT TOUCH YOUR FACE, EYES, OR MOUTH WHILE USING SCIENCE MATERIALS.  

 

9. USE SAFETY GLASSES OR GOGGLES WHEN YOU ARE TOLD YOU NEED THEM. KEEP THEM ON THROUGHOUT THE EXPERIMENT, UNLESS YOUR TEACHER TELLS YOU THAT YOU CAN TAKE THEM OFF.  

 

10. FOLLOW YOUR TEACHER’S INSTRUCTIONS FOR CLEANUP. CLEANING LAB MATERIALS AND WORK AREAS IS PART OF COMPLETING A LAB ACTIVITY. WHEN YOU RETURN CLEANED EQUIPMENT, NOTIFY YOUR TEACHER IF IT’S CRACKED OR NOT WORKING PROPERLY.  

 

11. MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHERE WASTE MATERIALS GO. BE SURE TO PUT THEM THERE.

 

12. NOTIFY YOUR TEACHER RIGHT AWAY IF ANY ACCIDENT, INJURY OR DANGEROUS CONDITION HAPPENS AND WAIT FOR TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE DOING ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT IT. THIS INCLUDES SPILLS AND BROKEN GLASS.  

 

13. ASSUME CHEMICALS USED IN YOUR LABS COULD BE DANGEROUS IF USED IMPROPERLY. YOUR TEACHER WILL GIVE YOU INSTRUCTIONS ON THE PROPER METHOD FOR TOUCHING OR SMELLING ANY CHEMICALS IF THAT IS NECESSARY FOR THE LAB. OTHERWISE, AVOID TOUCHING OR SMELLING CHEMICALS.  

 

14. STAY OUT OF STORAGE AREAS, DRAWERS, AND CUPBOARDS UNLESS YOUR TEACHER GIVES YOU PERMISSION TO ENTER OR RETRIEVE SOMETHING.  

 

15. HANDLE ALL GLASSWARE WITH CARE. IF GLASS BREAKS, NOTIFY YOUR TEACHER FOR INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE CLEANING IT UP.