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?
Lab Safety and good practices in lab

Topic
2. What was the subject you were trying to understand better in the lab?
What to do if I come across anything hazardous or meet with lab accidents. How
to be in my best turn out and follow good practices so that I can avoid hurting
myself and others in a lab.

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.

The first two chapters we covered this week suggest various experiments we can
conduct.
We can perform multiple experiments in the lab to understand the properties of
water. We can test the pH of water, acid and base to understand the differences,
we can do experiments to demonstrate the surface tension, capillary action and
even how water acts towards hydrophilic and hydrophobic substances.
In order to place a newly discovered organism in an order, it has to be put on a
slide and studied under a microscope for its cellular level characteristics. Good
practices in the lab will ensure that the scientist remain safe, there is no cross
contamination of specimen or spillage. A lot of observation and reporting need to
be done during experiments and good practices in laboratory will go a long way
in doing successful completions.

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

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tab on the top of the data pad). Identify the concepts and explain how they are related to the lab
topic.

Information from the theory that helped was

1. It is important to wear personal protective equipment in a lab which includes,
lab coat, goggles, gloves and a respirator in case the work involves a volatile
agent.
2. Clothes should cover the entire body, short nails, hair tied back if it is long,
use shoes that covers toes.
3. Keep a written track of all steps being done in laboratory
4. Label all chemicals with name, mention if hazardous. Put name and date on
the container.
5. After a day in lab, clean all equipment used and store it back. Dispose waste
in appropriate containers and clean bench with ethanol.
6. Food, drink and all personal items should be left outside lab before entering.
7. Lab should be kept neat with special care not to keep reagents on the floor.
Emergency exits doors should be cleared.
8. Where ever hazard symbols are, it should not be covered or put away with.
Everyone using lab should be aware of what the hazard symbols stand for.
9. Safety shower, eye wash station should be tested weekly.
10. Water testing should be done periodically
11. A lab should have two emergency exits and it should be kept clear.
12. Fire blankets, first aid kit, evacuation plan and fume hood should be present
in a lab in usable condition.
13. What to do in case of contact with corrosive chemicals, minor and major
chemical spills is important to know
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?

The lab was set disorderly so that I identify what is wrong, why it is wrong and
how to make it right. I was observing how I can clean the lab safely and put away
things so that I can work in it. I was also observing the setup of the lab with the
two exit doors, an eye cleaning station, fire extinguisher, fire blanket, and first aid
kit.
I put the goggles away and mixed and unknown corrosive agent and unknown
toxic agent together. It bubbled and it exploded, giving out fumes. The best thing
to do in this situation is to evacuate the lab after washing eyes at the safety
station as it got in the eyes.
I tried to take the corrosive agent in the beaker first so that it doesn’t spill over
the work desk, but the simulation did not allow me to do that first, but asked me
to get the lab protocol before the beaker.
I waited to wash my eyes from the safety station after mixing the two unknown
harmful agents which gave out fumes. This could have made me made me blind
for the rest of my life.

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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.

1st Step I wore my personal protective equipment

2nd Step I identified the hazards on the workbench
3rd Step, I cleaned up the hazards on the workbench, cleared the exit door,
stored the chemicals away from the floor and closed fume hood.
4th Step, I learnt what to do if an accident happens when I am not wearing PPE
as I should.
5th Step I learnt about safety equipment like fire blanket, fire extinguisher, first aid
kit.
6th Step I could point what the correct and wrong dress code is for a lab.

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, 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?

After putting the PPE, I entered the lab to see that it was left dirty after the previous
students who used the lab. The hood of the fume hood was left unclosed and the fumes
were exposed into the air in the lab. I closed the fume hood and it was a big relief. The
exit door had a cart hindering the exit way. I moved it away and the exit door remained
clear throughout. I saw Lucy in the other lab room. There were two cartons of explosives
on the floor with flammable bottles on top of it. I kept them away. There were dirty
beakers in the sink, I cleaned and dried them and stored it away.

The work bench was left unclean and unsafe way. There was a bunsen burner that was
still on, unclosed toxic bottle, a beaker with corrosive agent, lab protocol on the table
with an oxidizing agent kept on it. There were personal items like a drink and a backpack

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on the table which shouldn’t be the case. There was a petri dish with an unknown
microorganism growing in it left open on the work bench
I switched off the bunsen burner, I put away the backpack and drink. I discarded the petri
dish in the biohazard waste bin. I tried to put away the lab protocol but an accident
happened and I spilled the corrosive agent on the work bench. In order to safely discard
it, I tested it with a pH indicator using a micropipette and tip. I poured a drop of the
indicator on the liquid and it turned red. That told me that it was a strong acid. In order to
neutralize it before discarding, I used sodium bicarbonate. After neutralizing, I used
absorbent paper to clean up the spill. The spill is discarded in the chemical garbage bin
kept in the fume hood. I also discarded the glove that I was wearing as it got
contaminated.
I ventured to find out what would happen if I removed my safety goggles and mixed an
unknown acid solution to an unknown toxic solution. I saw that the mixture started
showing strong reaction. Instead of evacuating the lab, I decided to close the bottle and
picked it up for a closer look. It splashed into my eyes and I ran to the red eye wash
station and rinsed for 20 minutes. This proved the importance of why we should wear
safety goggles in lab. After this I should ideally evacuate the lab.
We can use fire blankets to smother fire on a person’s clothing and roll on the floor. It is
not safe to use it on a standing person on fire. If a fire starts out in the lab, first we
should alert all people inside. We should use a foam-based fire extinguisher on a person
and not carbon dioxide-based extinguisher.
It was Lucy’s first day in lab and I noticed that she is not following the lab dress code.
She had lose hair, wore big jewelry, lose sleeves, skirt and sandals. She did not have
any PPE on.

After leaving the lab, the last step should be cleaning the hands after taking off the coat.

Unexpected observations were: -

I could not figure out why the biohazard and the trash bins were on the same working
bench were the experiment is carried out. It has to be placed in a separate location.

I saw that there was a box of gloves still on the counter near the sink. I could not keep it
away. The whole glove box can get contaminated from the water splashing on it from the
sink. There is no use in using contaminated gloves.

The gloves were discarded after throwing away the acid spill but no new gloves were
used thereafter. Rest of the experiment was done without gloves which I felt
uncomfortable doing.

8. Which parts of the lab required you to think more than others and required more time? Which
parts were simple and completed easily?

I had to take more time to think which type of extinguisher I will use if there was a fire
break out. I learnt that we use foam-based extinguisher on a person in case of fire.
The fume hood concept was new to me and it took me sometime to understand how to
close the hood.
The eye station too was new to me as I never had to use it before and it took me some
time to figure out where the toggle is and how many minutes to rinse.

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It also took me sometime to understand why I am neutralizing the acid spill before
discarding but now I understand that it is corrosive.

I could follow and do most of the other parts easily, like turning off bunsen burner,
checking pH of the spilled liquid, clearing the exit door, putting away the explosives and
flammable bottles on the floor. I could also easily figure out that Lucy is not properly
dressed for the lab

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?

The process was to clean up an already dirty lab. I could identify what were the things
that were wrong and correct them.
PPE should be worn at all times.
I explored and learnt about various hazard symbols that can help in maintaining lab
safety and cleaning up the lab.
I realized that if there are personal belongings in lab, it has to be put away. There should
not be bottles without labels and beakers with unknown liquid left on the table.
If there is a spill of liquid, before discarding it, the liquid has to be identified as an acid or
as an alkali. If its an acid it has to be neutralized and sodium bicarbonate can be used
for neutralizing acid. Chemical waste should be discarded in the garbage kept in the
fume hood.
Once gloves get visibly contaminated, it has to discarded.
Equipment that is used in one lab should be cleaned, dried and put away.
No bottles or cartons should be kept on the lab floor.
The exit doors should be clear of any hindrance.
If there are any biological waste like, unattended petri dish with organisms growing in it,
it has to be discarded in biohazard bin.
Bunsen burners should be switched off after use.
The door of the fume hood should remain close so that the air n the lab doesn’t get
contaminated. I explored what could happen if I mix two unknown harmful liquids without
goggles and glove on. It showed strong reaction and began to produce fumes. I closed
the bottle and took it closer to me. It splashed into my eyes. Rinsing the eyes at the eye
washing station for 20 minutes minimum is needed before evacuating the lab.
If there is any adverse reaction between two unknown liquids, it is best to evacuate the
lab.
Fire blanket can be used to smother and roll a person on fire to put out the fire. Foam
based extinguisher should only be used on a person as carbon dioxide based one cause
froze bites on humans.
In case of fire the first thing to do is to alarm everyone.
Careful attention should be paid to how one gets ready to be in lab, wear PPE, wear
clothes that cover the body like pants and not skirt. Wear shoes that cover the toes.
Avoid loose sleeve hands, large ornaments and lose hair.

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After leaving the lab, the last step should be cleaning the hands after taking off the coat.

10. Describe any information about the phenomenon or process that you learned.

I learnt about wearing PPE, knowing the hazard symbols, learning about keeping the work bench
clean, putting away used equipment, when and how to use fire blankets, fire extinguishers and
first aid kits. I also learnt about the code of dressing for a lab and what not to bring in a lab.

There is no compromise in keeping up with good lab practice and following lab safety protocols.
Otherwise, it can be dangerous for oneself and others. The danger can result in mild physical
damage to being fatal.

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?
I ventured to find out what would happen if I removed my safety goggles and mixed an
unknown acid solution to an unknown toxic solution. I saw that the mixture started
showing strong reaction. Instead of evacuating the lab, I decided to close the bottle and
picked it up for a closer look. It splashed into my eyes. The simulation asked me to go to
the eye station, press the toggle and rinse for 20 minutes minimum but I did not. I stood
their and took some time to get to the eye washing station. After some time my screen
went totally dark and the simulation said if it was in a reality, I could have become blind.
The impact in the accuracy is that if I had rinsed my eyes on time, I could have saved my
eye sight. It convinces me beyond doubt that rinsing is very important in such a scenario
and the best next thing to do is to evacuate the lab.
After the fumes got in my eyes, the simulation asked me to go to the eye station. I took
me time and I was late to get there and the simulation faded the screen multiple times
and gave me an indication that what you’re doing is affecting your eye sight. After
sometime, the screen went blank, indicating that if it was in reality, I could have turned
blind.
The simulation, gave me another chance to go back to the work bench, mix the liquids
and be quick enough to reach the eye station in time to press the toggle and rinse. Then
I could proceed to the next step.

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?

Important learnings included –

How to get ready for the lab, in terms of dress code and using PPE should be given
attention at the very beginning of the lab session
I learnt to identify hazard symbols and how to store them
I learnt that work bench has to be kept clean, bottles have to be labelled, the two exit
doors should be clear, the lab floor should be clear of any hazardous chemicals and the
fume hood should be kept closed.

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I learnt that wearing goggles is absolutely essential while experimenting with unknown
liquids.
I also learnt that if fumes get in the eyes, it needs to be rinsed at least for 20 minutes at
the eye washing station.
Any biological waste, for eg- petri dish with unknown microorganisms growing in it,
should be discarded in the biohazard waste.
Gloves should be changed in case of contamination.
If there is an unknown liquid spill, its acidity or alkalinity has to be tested before
discarding in the chemical garbage bin the fume hood.
In case of fire, first thing is to alarm everybody, smother the fire and roll on the floor with
a fire blanket if possible. We can also use a foam-based extinguisher on a person.
After each session, the used utensils should be cleaned, dried and put away.
After leaving the lab, the last step should be cleaning the hands after taking off the coat.

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?

The course syllabus does not mention anything on the course learning outcome from
Week 1 lab.
Despite that, this lab simulation has given me confidence to abide by good lab practice
for my safety as well as for others. This lab helped in setting ground rules so that larger
work can be run in the laboratory by different batches of scientists.

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?
During lab I was paying more attention to what to do if I come across something
hazardous or meet with lab accidents. How to be in my best turn out and follow good
practices so that I can avoid hurting myself and others in a lab.

A few questions that come to my mind are

a) Where could be the ideal position where biohazard bin can be placed in a lab. This is
because I saw the biohazard bin on the work bench in the simulation.

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b) I wonder if there can be smaller sized eye wash stations that be situated on the work
bench itself so that it can be accessed much easily and quickly in case the affected
person is incapacitated to move.
c) Could there can be a centralized vacuum station that can be switched on in case if
immense amount of fumes are generated in any experiment.
d) I wonder if a general lab under one department can decide together to have almost
same floor design and specific location for each equipment to be stored. The location
can be labelled. This can avoid equipment being left in sink or on the floor.
e) I wonder if there can be a scanner (manual or automatic) right outside the lab which
can scan a person for his or her dress code and point out the changes that need to
be made before an entry is allowed into the lab.

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