Chemistry Safety and Laboratory Rules Lake Travis HS Science Department

The scientific laboratory is a place of adventure and discovery. Working in the lab can be exciting, but also quite dangerous if proper safety rules are not followed at all times. Make sure you understand these rules, and discuss any questions with your teacher

Dress Code Always wear safety goggles when working with chemicals, burners, or any substance that might get into your eyes. Lab aprons should be worn when working with chemicals or burners.

More on Dress Code Tie back long hair to keep it away from chemicals and burners. Remove jewelry that can hang down; sleeves should be rolled up. Sandals should not be worn in the lab.

General Safety Rules Read directions for an experiment before attempting an experiment. Ask your teacher any questions before beginning the experiment. Never perform activities that are not authorized by your teacher.

Never handle equipment unless you have permission. Never eat or drink in the lab. Wash your hands before and after each experiment.

Take great care to avoid spilling any material in the lab. If spills occur, ask your teacher immediately about the proper clean-up procedure. Never simply pour chemicals into the sink or trash container.

There should be no loud talking or horseplay in the laboratory. The work area should be cleared of purses, books, etc.

Know the location and use of all safety equipment (goggles, aprons, eyewash, fire blanket, fire extinguisher, etc.) Never work alone in the lab.

First Aid Report all accidents to your teacher immediately. Learn what to do in case of specific accidents, such as getting acid in your eyes or on your skin. (Rinse acids from your body with lots of water.)

Become aware of the location of the first aid kit. However, your teacher should administer any first aid due to injury. Your teacher may suggest sending you to the school nurse or calling a physician.

Heating and Fire Safety Again, never use a burner or candle without wearing goggles. Never heat any chemical that you are not instructed to heat. A chemical that is harmless when cool can be dangerous when heated. Never reach across a flame.

Do not touch the burner. It may be hot. Never leave a flame unattended.

Make sure you know how to light a Bunsen burner. (Your teacher will demonstrate the proper technique.) If flame leaps out of the burner towards you, turn off the gas immediately. Again, never leave a lighted burner unattended.

Always point a test tube that is being heated away from you and others. Chemicals can splash or leap out of a heated test tube. Never heat a closed container. The expanding gases produced may blow the container apart, injuring you or others.

Always use a clamp or tongs when handling hot containers.

Hot glassware looks like cool glassware. Never pick up a container that has been heated without first holding the back of your hand near it. If you can feel the heat on the back of your hand, the container may be too hot to handle.

Using Chemicals Safely Never mix chemicals for the “fun of it”. You might produce a dangerous, possibly explosive substance. No unauthorized experiments should be performed.

Never taste, touch, or smell any chemical that you do not know for a fact is harmless. Many chemicals are poisonous. If you are instructed to note the fumes in an experiment, wave your hand over the opening of the container and direct the fumes toward your nose. Do not inhale directly from the container.

Use only those chemicals needed in the activity. Keep all lids closed when a chemical is not being used. Notify your teacher when chemicals are spilled.

Dispose of all chemicals as instructed by your teacher.

Be extra careful when working with acids and bases. Pour such chemicals over the sink, not over your work bench. When diluting an acid, always pour the acid into the water. Never pour water into the acid.

Rinse any spills off your skin or clothing with water. Immediately notify your teacher of any spill. Use the correct chemical. Read the label twice.

Never pipet by mouth.

Do not return unused chemical back to the reagent bottle. Do not contaminate the chemical supply. Keep combustible materials away from open flames (alcohol, acetone, etc.)

Do NOT use the same spatula to remove chemicals from two different containers. Each container should have a different spatula. Be careful not to interchange stoppers from two different bottles.

When you remove a stopper from a bottle, do NOT lay it down on the table, but place the stopper between your two fingers and hold the bottle so the bottle and stopper will be held in one hand.

When you pick up a bottle of a liquid or solution, place the palm of your hand over the label of the bottle, so any drips will run down the opposite side. If everyone does this, we can avoid getting the dripped chemicals on our hands.

Replace all stoppers or caps on the bottle as soon as you finish using it. Mercury spills must be cleaned up immediately. Alert the teacher immediately.

Using Glassware Safely Glass tubing should never be forced into a rubber stopper. A turning motion and lubricant will be helpful when inserting glass tubing into rubber stoppers or rubber tubing.

When heating glassware, use a wire screen to protect glassware from the flame. If you are instructed to cut glass tubing, always fire polish the ends to remove sharp edges.

Never use broken or chipped glassware. If glassware breaks, always dispose of the glass in the proper container (broken glass container). Never place broken glass in the sink or trash.

Never eat or drink from laboratory glassware. Always clean all glassware before putting it away. Handle scalpels or razor blades with extreme care. Never cut towards you, always away from you.

Electrical Equipment Rules Batteries should never be intentionally shorted. Severe burns can be caused by the heat generated. Never deliberately shock yourself or another person. Turn off all power when setting up circuits.

Never use metal objects when doing electrical work. Never operate of disconnect a piece of electrical equipment with wet hands or while standing on a wet floor.

When disconnecting a piece of electrical equipment, pull the plug and not the wire.

End of Experiment Rules When an experiment is completed, always clean up your work area and return all equipment to its proper place. Make sure all burners are turned off at the gas line, not at the valve on the burner.

Wash your hands after every experiment.

Other Safety Rules Do not use hairspray or hair product during or even before coming to laboratory class. These are highly flammable and might cause automatic ignition when in close proximity to a heat source.

Synthetic fingernails are also highly flammable and should not be worn in the lab.