Laboratory Safety Rules Science Department Windham High School

Do only the experiments you are told to do Do not mix chemicals you are not specifically told to mix, burn things in the Bunsen burner you are not told to burn, or mix leftover chemicals at the end of a lab. Chemical reactions can be vigorous or violent and the chance that you might get hurt or injure someone else is great if you act irresponsibly in the lab

No fooling around in the lab The chemicals, glassware and Bunsen burners in the lab require your full attention. With labs of up to 24 people, there is little room for mistakes. Even seemingly harmless fun can put you and your classmates at risk. This includes using a wash bottle as a squirt bottle – wet floors are slippery

Report any accident to the teacher immediately Even small cuts, burns or chemical spills can be worse than they originally appear. Your instructor can best tell if the accident requires first aid or special clean up.

Wear your apron and goggles all the time in the lab No experiment you do in the lab is worth your eyesight. Even seemingly harmless chemicals can damage your eyes. Glassware on ring stands can fall and shatter, the lab team next to you could have something bubble over and splatter, or the water you use to rinse out glassware a the end of lab could splash chemicals up into your face. Take them off last.

Don’t sit on the lab benches We intentionally don’t have stools in chem. Lab because people could trip over them. That makes sitting on the lab tables very tempting, but resist! Leftover chemicals from previous labs are on the tables, and can ruin your clothes and injure you. Caustic acids/bases are used in the lab and appear to have dried up; however, they will transfer to your clothing and skin; which could give you a rash or a burn.

Never put anything that is in the lab in your mouth We will do labs where household items such as straws, sugar and toothpicks are used. Since they have been used in other labs, and have most likely been exposed to chemicals, don’t put them in your mouth.

Never eat, drink, or chew gum in the lab All food needs to be left in the classroom part of the room. It is too easy to contaminate food with the chemicals in the lab to risk. Gum can keep chemicals in your mouth for as long as you chew it.

Read the entire experiment BEFORE you start the lab This will help you avoid the “recipe” approach to labs, as well as increase your safety. If you have a general idea of what you are going to do, and a plan for doing it, there will be fewer surprises and problems during the lab. You will also have a better idea of what other teams around you are doing, making everyone safer.

Only smell chemicals by “wafting” Wafting mixes the chemical with air, diluting it and minimizing the risk involved if it is toxic. Don’t stick your nose in a bottle to smell it!

Clothing, etc to watch Baggy sleeves can drag through chemicals or into the flame of a Bunsen burner Jewelry, especially rings, can trap chemicals next to your skin Open-toed shoes won’t give you as much protection as shoes if you spill chemicals Long hair, particularly if hair-sprayed, is very flammable, and Bunsen Burners are very hot!

Clean up spills immediately After you tell your instructor about spill, we need to clean it up. Usually that involves paper towels (rinse before put in trash). If it involves dry chemicals, wet towel first. In either case, clean it up before you do anything else, so that another spill doesn’t mix chemicals on the lab table.

Wipe down the lab table with really wet paper towels at the end of each lab This will get rid of any residual chemicals on the lab table, get rid of dust, and humidify the room! Along with this, rinse out any glassware you used in the lab. There is not need to dry it, but it should all be clean when you leave.

Wash your hands before you leave the lab The last thing you should do at the end of every lab is wash your hands. Pay attention to spots that itch. That is usually a sign of contact with a chemical. It is necessary to physically remove any chemical residue from your skin to stop the itch.