Safety Rules
The chemistry laboratory contains substances and equipment that can cause serious injury if misused. However, if you are aware of and follow these safety rules, the risk of injury can be minimized. Since there are many students under the supervision of a laboratory instructor, the instructor will not be able to watch every student at all times in the laboratory. Therefore, the responsibility of looking out for your own safety begins with you.
Think ahead....Read all experiments before you come to lab and know the hazards before you begin. Think about what you are doing at all times. Note any special safety precautions for each experiment.
Be aware of your surroundings and what others around you are doing.
Never perform any unauthorized experiments. Perform the labs only as indicated. Never work in the lab alone. Never leave an experiment unattended. Friends, family, or other visitors should not enter the laboratory.
Approved safety goggles must be worn at all times. It is better if you do not wear contact lenses to lab, but if you must it is even more important that safety goggles be on your eyes at all times. Splashed chemicals can be trapped under the contact lenses, making the contact extremely difficult to remove, and doing serious injury to your eye.
Know the location and how to use all of the safety equipment in the laboratory, including the first-aid kit and the location of the nearest telephone.
Wear appropriate attire. Shorts or open-toed shoes are not safe in the chemistry laboratory. Long hair should be tied back. Bare mid-riffs are not allowed in the laboratory.
No food or drink is allowed in the laboratory at any time.
Never taste or smell anything in the laboratory unless specifically instructed to do so. Smell chemicals properly if required to do so.
Double check the label on all chemicals before you use them. Be sure you are using the correct chemical.
When heating a liquid in a test tube, never point the mouth of the test tube at another student or look directly into the tube
Report all accidents to your instructor, even those that seem minor.
Clean up all chemical spills immediately. Your work area must be kept clean and uncluttered. Clean your work area before you leave the lab.
Never heat flammable liquids over an open flame.
Use only heat-resistant (Pyrex® or Kimax® labeled) glassware. Be careful with hot glass. Hot glass look just like cool glass. Place hot glass on a wire gauze to cool.
Dispose of all chemical wastes are directed. If a substance is hazardous or insoluble in water, it must be disposed of in a properly labeled container for waster disposal. If you are not sure about how to dispose of a particular waste, be sure to ask your laboratory instructor.
Dispose of broken glass in the appropriate waste container.