Laboratory Safety
Laboratory Safety
LABORATORY SAFETY
1. No food or drink is allowed in lab unless food or drinks are provided as a part
of the lab. Even though lab tables and counters are wiped down before each lab
set up, as a result of some laboratory exercises, chemical residues may be
present on the tables. For labs exercises involving food or drinks, lab assistants
and instructors will follow procedures that allow safe consumption. Smoking is
prohibited in all University buildings.
2. Shoes must be worn in lab.
3. If you have very long hair, please tie it back in the laboratory.
4. Handle chemicals, reagents, and stains carefully and follow all warnings. All
bottles and containers are labelled as to contents and potential hazards. If, for
example, a label says avoid contact with substance and fumes, do so. For
potentially hazardous chemicals, information on the hazards, proper handling,
and clean-up is provided on Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). These are
available in the lab. It is highly recommended that you spend the first few
minutes of the lab consulting the MSDS.
5. Read all precautions in the laboratory manual and on labels and follow
directions exactly.
6. Always double-check the name of the reagent to be used and the name of the
reagent you are using. Reagent bottles should remain stoppered, except when
you are actually pouring solutions out of them. Always replace the stopper or lid
of stock solutions or stains. Be sure to put them on the container they came
from. Take only as much as you need and never return leftover solutions to a
reagent bottle. Discard leftovers in the proper container.
7. Do not use your thumb as a stopper. Swirl gently or put a piece of parafilm
over the opening to mix solutions.
8. Label all test tubes and other containers with contents.
9. Do not pour reagents and chemicals down the sink. Dispose of these only in
designated containers.
10. Put plant remains in the designated containers. Do not discard solids or plant
materials down the sinks. They will clog up the sink. Use specified containers
for such wastes
11. Be sure to use caution when using razor blades to prepare lab materials. Put
the used blades into the designated container from which you obtained them. Do
not leave them loose on the desks or counters. Never put razor blades in the
wastepaper basket.
12. If glassware accidentally becomes broken, carefully clean it up with a
broom and dustpan. Dispose of the broken glass in containers labelled FOR
BROKEN GLASS ONLY.
13. When using hot plates, unplug them before you leave the lab.
14. If you notice that the cord on a hot plate or microscope has become frayed
and wires are showing, report this immediately to the instructor.
15. If you are in doubt about directions for an experiment or activity or about
use or disposal of materials, ask first before acting.
16. Your instructor will review with you the location and, where applicable, use
of the safety equipment in the laboratory including:
MSDS files
emergency phone
first aid kit
fire extinguisher
eyewash