Laboratory Writng & Safety Information

ADDIS ABABA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
1. Laboratory Safety Information
The danger of injury from electrical shock, fire, or explosion is present while conducting experiments in this
laboratory. To work safely, it is important that you understand the prudent practices necessary to minimize the risks
and what to do if there is an accident.
Electrical Shock:
Avoid contact with conductors in energized electrical circuits. Electrocution has been reported at de voltages as low
as 42 volts. Just 100 mA of current passing through the chest is usually fatal. Muscle contractions can prevent the
person from moving away while being electrocuted. Do not touch someone who is being shocked while still in contact
with the electrical conductor or you may also be electrocuted. Instead, press the Emergency Disconnect (Breaker
switch located near the door to the laboratory) or disconnect the power supply as soon as possible.
Whenever you do lab work make sure that your hands are dry. The resistance of dry, unbroken skin is relatively high
and thus reduces the risk of shock. Skin that is broken, wet or damp with sweat has a low resistance.
When working with an energized circuit, work with only your right hand, keeping your left hand
away from all conductive material. This reduces the likelihood of an accident that results in current passing through
your heart.
Be cautious of rings, watches, and necklaces. Skin beneath a ring or watch is damp, lowering the skin resistance.
Shoes covering the feet are much safer than sandals. Therefore, avoid all your unadvisable belongings to laboratory
class.
Fire:
Transistors and other components can become extremely hot and cause severe burns if touched. If resistors or other
components on your proto-board catch fire, turn off the power supply and notify the instructor. If electronic
instruments catch fire, off the power supply or disconnect the cable from the supply. These small electrical fires
extinguish quickly after the power is shut off. Avoid using fire extinguishers on electronic instruments.
Explosion:
When using electrolytic capacitors, be careful to observe proper polarity and do not exceed the voltage rating.
Electrolytic capacitors can explode and cause injury. A first aid kit is located on the wall near the door. Proceed to
Student Health Services, if needed.
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2. Guidelines for Laboratory Manual
The laboratory manual which is issued by Lab instructor every lab session is a record of all work pertaining to the
experiment. This record should be sufficiently complete so that you or anyone else of similar technical background
can duplicate the experiment and data by simply following your laboratory manual. Record everything directly into
the manual during the experiment. Do not use scratch paper for recording data. Do not trust your memory to fill in
the details at a later time. Organization in your manual is important. Descriptive headings should be used to separate
and identify the various parts of the experiment. Record data in chronological order. A neat, organized and complete
record of an experiment is just as important as the experimental work and for individual lab report.
Laboratory Report
Your report should be neat and readable. You are expected to submit the report within a week after you perform your
experiment.
Your report should include:
1. Heading: The experiment identification (number) should be at separate page along with your
name and date
2. Objective: A brief but complete statement of what you intend to find out or verify in the
experiment should be at the beginning of each experiment.
3. Theory or Background information: Back ground information about your experiment is important to understand
the experiment. You are expected to read before you come to lab and also you should include brief background
information in your report.
4. Diagram: A circuit diagram should be drawn and labeled so that the actual experiment circuitry could be easily
duplicated at any time in the future. Be especially careful to record all circuit changes made during the experiment.
5. Equipment List: List those items of equipment which have a direct effect on the accuracy of
the data. It may be necessary later to locate specific items of equipment for rechecks if discrepancies develop in the
results.
6. Procedure: In general, lengthy explanations of procedures are unnecessary. Be brief. Short commentaries
alongside the corresponding data may be used. Keep in mind the fact that the experiment must be reproducible from
the information given in your manual.
7. Data: Think carefully about what data is required and prepare suitable data tables if there is no data table or
direction is given in your manual. Record instrument readings directly. Do not use calculated results in place of direct
data; however, calculated results may be recorded in the same table with the direct data. Data tables should be
clearly identified and each data column labeled and headed by the proper units of measure.
8. Calculations: Not always necessary but equations and sample calculations are often given to illustrate the
treatment of the experimental data in obtaining the results.
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9. Graphs: Graphs are used to present large amounts of data in a concise visual form. Data to be presented in
graphical form should be plotted in the laboratory so that any questionable data points can be checked while the
experiment is still set up. The grid lines in the manual can be used for most graphs. If special graph paper is required,
affix the graph permanently into the manual. Give all graphs a short descriptive title. Label and scale the axes. Use
units of measure. Label each curve if more than one on a graph.
10. Results: The results should be presented in a form which makes the interpretation easy. Large amounts of
numerical results are generally presented in graphical form. Tables are generally used for small amounts of results.
Theoretical and experimental results should be on the same graph or arrange in the same table in a way for easy
correlation of these results.
11. Conclusion: This is your interpretation of the results of the experiment as an engineer. Be
brief and specific. Give reasons for important discrepancies.
Disciplines and Attitudes

1. Laboratories are meant for conducting your experimental work, not for other non-academic activities.
2. Never indulge in reckless behaviour in the laboratory and workshop.

3. Never adopt a casual attitude in the laboratory and always be conscious of potential hazards.
4. Never run in the laboratory or corridors.
5. Do not sit on workbenches.
6. Do not write on the workbenches!!!!!! That is childish! If you are found misusing or writing on the
workbench, you will be asked to leave the lab immediately and serious action will be taken.
7. Tidy up your workplace after each use.
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ADDIS ABABA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY

1. Laboratory Safety Information

Your report should include:

Disciplines and Attitudes

2. Never indulge in reckless behaviour in the laboratory and workshop.

7. Tidy up your workplace after each use.

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