BIO/350 v5

Lab Safety Lab Reporting Worksheet

In science, reporting what has been done in a laboratory setting is incredibly important for communicating,
replicating, and validating findings. However, writing scientific reports can be a little overwhelming. There
is a set of agreed-upon components that the scientific community requires when reporting scientific
research. Answer the following questions to describe what occurred during the lab you conducted in
Labster. Be sure to use complete sentences and descriptions that fully represent what you experienced.
Writing a lab report is less about being correct or incorrect than it is accurately reporting what happened
and why. So, do not worry about reporting data that might seem counterintuitive or unexpected. Focus on
clearly communicating what you did and what you observed.
Write your answers on a new line.

Title
1.What was the title of the lab you completed?
The title of the lab experience this week was “Lab Safety”.

Topic
2.What was the subject you were trying to understand better in the lab?
The lab experiences were designed for the practice of proper safety procedures to be
followed within a lab setting while also learning various hazards that could possibly arise
in a lab setting.

Background Information
3.What information from the textbook and classroom is relevant for the subject you were trying to gain
a better understand of in the lab? Identify the concepts and explain how they are related to the lab
topic.
As our textbook states, biology is a science, and as such, it covers “general truths or the
operation of general laws, especially when acquired and tested by the scientific method”
(Clark, Douglas &n Choi, 2020). The scientific method is a method of research with
defined steps that include experiments and careful observations. Since many of these
observations and experiments require the use of a laboratory, it is extremely important
that biologist have the knowledge and understanding of the proper safety procedures.
This information is, above all else, crucial to the safety of the participants, but could also
play a role in the overall validity of the experiment being conducted.
4.During the lab, what information from the theory section provided additional background information
about the subject? (To review the theory section, launch the lab and click the Theory tab on the top of
the data pad). Identify the concepts and explain how they are related to the lab topic.
The theory section of the lab experience outlines good lab practices, which did not only include
the best conduct and proper wardrobe during a lab, but also how to utilize safety equipment. Food
and drink under no circumstances should be in the lab. Clothing should not be loose fitting and
should cover your whole body. Shoes should be closed toes and long pants should be worn.
Long hair should be tied back as it could come into contact with chemicals or flames from Bunsen
burners. All personal items should be left outside of the lab and only those items necessary for
the lab brought to prevent contamination. To ensure your safety, protective equipment, such as a

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lab coat, gloves, and goggles, should be worn while in the lab. You should also be aware of
where other safety equipment is located in the lab, including the eyewash station, fire blanket, fire
extinguisher. Additionally, you should be aware of the symbols that identify hazardous chemicals
and understand how to handle chemical spills. When a spill occurs, everyone in the area needs to
be warned and the situation analyzed carefully to know what chemical was spilled and what
hazards might exist before you begin cleanup. Finally, a good knowledge of acid/base
neutralization is important to understanding how to effectively and safety clean up spills.
5.Most scientific observation involves examining phenomena or processes. What phenomenon or
process were you observing in the lab? What were you able to change and explore? What did the
simulation not allow to change?
During this lab, I was able to see how dangerous improper safety procedures could be in
a mock simulation. During the simulation, I witnessed how closing off a container of an
unknown toxic liquid and unknown acid combination with a lid could result in the
container breaking in my hands and releasing dangerous fumes into my face.
The lab experience was pre-set so there was not a great number of chances to change
the direction of the lab. However, I was able to explore the lab and see what a typical
safety setup would look like complete with eyewash station, fire extinguisher, fire
blanket, first aid kit, fume hood, etc.

Method
Describing what you did during a lab supports other scientists in replicating your work. It is through this
consistent replication that scientists are able to see repeating patterns and develop ideas that help move
science forward. When you discuss your observations, in a later section, you will have to describe, in
detail, what you did. You may also have to describe what choices you made, why you made them, and
any concerns about things that occurred that were unexpected. To have enough information to do this,
you need to keep very detailed notes. What doesn’t seem important in the moment may end up being
something that explains your findings later. A benefit of conducting virtual labs when learning science, is
that many potential errors are controlled for you. The virtual lab environment often will alert you if
something is not going the way it should. This does not occur in non-virtual settings. The virtual lab setting
can be very helpful to learners for this reason. However, we still need to practice documenting so those
skills are practiced for the lab experiences when technology will not be there as a coach.
6.You have already described the phenomenon or process you studied in the lab in the previous
section. Now, take some time to fully describe the steps you took during the lab. Do not include the
process of you logging into the lab in your description. For this virtual lab, a short, high-level summary
will suffice.
The beginning task of the lab experience was to find five hazards in the lab that were left
previously by first year chemistry students. After locating those hazards, I received
valuable information on the labeling system of hazardous chemicals. I then put on
protective covering of a lab coat, gloves, and goggles and moved to the work bench to
tidy up the work area by turning off the Bunsen burner, getting rid of the soda bottle and
backpack, and properly disposing of the unknown bacteria in the Petry dish. While at the
work area, I completed a simulation of a chemical spill and how to properly clean it up
and dispose of the clean-up materials. While at the work area, I also experienced how
not following correct safety measures could result in a very dangerous situation of
harmful toxic fumes being released into my face. I received information the uses of the
eyewash station, the fire extinguisher, and the fire blanket. Lastly, I addressed a person
entering the lab on what was wrong with her lab attire.
7.Describe some of the observations you made. What did you write down or keep track of? What did
each of your senses observe during the lab process? What did you see (e.g., changes in colors,

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movement, shapes, sizes, patterns)? What, if anything, did you measure? What did you hear (e.g.,
sounds from reactions, collisions, error messages)? What did your lab character touch? Did you
notice anything that seemed unexpected? Did you notice anything that you did not expect to
observe?
I observed the correct process of how to properly clean up a spill. The use of water to
clean up a chemical spill was not a possibility because water could ignite it. Water
dropped on a strong acid would result in the production of a lot of heat and the reaction
could cause splashes of acid which would be dangerous if it touched the skin or eyes.
The liquid spill was unknown, so I used a pH indicator to figure out if it was an acid or
not. Finding out that it was an acid, I then proceeded to neutralize it by adding a base,
baking soda (Sodium bicarbonate). After the acid was neutralized, it was safe to clean it
up with absorbent paper which was discarded in the proper container.
I observed the dangers that could occur when proper safety procedures are not used
when mixing unknown liquids. Trying to cap the fumes within the container resulted in
the breaking of the container in my hands and the hazardous fumes going into my face.
I made sketches of the different hazard chemical label as a reference for future labs.
I took notes of the different safety equipment and what each one is used for. Additionally,
I took notes on what proper attire should be when in the lab.
There did not seem to be anything unexpected in this lab experience.
8.Which parts of the lab required you to think more than others and required more time? Which parts
were simple and completed easily?
The lab simulation was set up in a way that was easy to proceed through. I easily
manipulated the room, work area, and the materials and instruments. The use of the
theory tab on the lab tablet was very beneficial as a refresher of material that I had
previously learned in other lab courses, as well as, providing some new information
about neutralizing strong acids with a weak base due to its violent reaction. I spent most
of my time at the workstation because that was where most of the simulations were
located.

Observations
Many lessons learned from scientific research come from the reporting and analysis of data and
observations. This part of scientific reporting requires detailed descriptions of technical information and
observations, as well as high-level synthesis of information. High-level synthesis requires a mastery of
foundational content in the related scientific field and a complementary mastery in some field of
quantitative and/or qualitative analysis. For this report, let’s focus on big picture patterns.
9.What did you notice about the phenomenon or process you explored?
Knowledge of proper safety procedures in the lab are vital to safeguarding against the
occurrence of potential accidents. An unintentional action could result in an extremely
dangerous situation, like putting the lid on the container of unknown hazardous liquids
and not wearing the correct protective coverings. The lab rules for proper attire (closed-
toe shoes, clothing that covers skin, no hair down, etc) are sound deterrents to avoid
accidents and help keep people safe.
10.Describe any information about the phenomenon or process that you learned.
Knowledge of how to properly use safety equipment and in which situations is very
important. For example, knowing not to use a fire blanket on a standing person is crucial

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to extinguishing the fire quickly and not causing the situation to be worse. Wrapping the
blanket around the person could funnel the flames right up into the person’s face.

Discussion
The discussion section is used to explain why things might have happened the way that they did in your
research. Here, scientists describe any potential anomalies or mistakes and why they think they may
have occurred.
11.During your lab, what happened that might have had an impact on the accuracy of your
observations? Did the simulation alert you that an error was occurring? If so, how did you resolve it?
The lab exercise was easy to follow and set up in a way that did not allow much room for
mistakes. Although, a simulation was built into the exercise to show what could happen
if a mistake happened and proper safety measures were not followed. This was very
enlightening and really made me understand the importance of safety. If this had been a
real-time lab, there is always a chance of inaccuracies to occur when prepping
samples/slides, using equipment etc. However, I did not encounter any errors in the
simulation. I did find that if I got stuck on something that the theory tab was very helpful.
12.The discussion section also is used to summarize big ideas from the lab. What were the important
learnings about the phenomenon or process from the lab?
The main idea is that safety in the laboratory is a MUST. A person must completely
understand the procedures of how to be safe and what to do in the case of an emergency
in the lab. Accidents happen when you are experimenting, but the accident does not
have to become a dangerous situation if individuals know how to response
appropriately.

Conclusion
The conclusion section of a lab report describes how the learnings from the lab research fit in to prior
scientific knowledge. This is done by comparing new information to previously known information that was
identified in the section of your report that discusses background information.
Review the background information section of your report from above and describe how the results of
your lab compare to the information you discussed before.
13.After scientists have identified how the new knowledge fits into the old knowledge, they discuss the
implications of the new information for moving forward. In this class, the purpose of study is to learn
some foundational science ideas represented by the course learning outcomes. Review the course
learning outcome aligned to this lab in the assignment directions in Blackboard. How is the
information from this lab related to the course learning outcome? What knowledge has the lab
supported you with learning that is related to this course learning outcome?
After finishing this lab experience, I have established a better understanding of safety
within a lab setting. As biologists, it is important to understand lab safety as it protects
us in the lab and others we work with. A laboratory poses potential risks due to exposure
to flammable solvents, toxic materials, gases, corrosive and explosive chemicals, and
dangerous microbes. Extra care to follow safety guidelines will help avoid mishaps and
will help our overall laboratory experiences and outcomes. I will be able to use the
information about safety learned in this lab to better my experiences in future labs.
14.Following scientific research, scientists usually come up with new questions that result from what
they learned. These new questions often end up leading to new research in the future. What
additional scientific things do you wonder about after completing and writing about your lab
experience?

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Upon comparing the knowledge gained in this lab experience with my previous lab
experiences, it appears that lab safety protocols are standard no matter where you
are. How would or do cultural barriers play a role in maintaining lab safety? For
example, clothing worn by women in some middle eastern countries. Would a female
college student be prohibited from lab because of her traditional dress?

References:
Clark, M.A., Douglas, M., & Choi, J. (2020) Biology 2e. Openstax.

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