1. LABORATORY SAFETY

2. Hands-on training in the form of lab work is an essential part of a science education. Since accidents can happen in the lab, students must make every effort to do their part in following safety rules and using common sense while performing experiments. Safety is everyone’s concern.

3. Conduct and Expectations 1. All students must conduct themselves in a responsible manner while performing experiments and being in the lab. This includes following directions – both written and verbal.

4. Conduct and Expectations 2. Students are to ask questions if they do not understand a procedure.

5. Conduct and Expectations 3. Students may only do experiments that have been approved by their teacher. Students may not randomly mix, heat, ignite, etc. chemicals to see what will happen.

6. Conduct and Expectations 4. Students may not take any chemicals, supplies, or equipment from the lab without the teacher’s permission.

7. Conduct and Expectations 5. Students are not to touch, fiddle, play, etc. with any equipment unless the teacher has given permission to use the equipment. The equipment should only be used at the designated time and after the student has been trained to use the equipment. This also applies to gas, water, and electrical outlets.

8. Conduct and Expectations 6. It is standard protocol that no one works alone in the lab; however, all Middle School students must have a teacher present in order to do a lab.

9. Conduct and Expectations 7. Horseplay, running, throwing, etc. are not allowed in the lab. This also includes practical jokes and pranks.

10. Conduct and Expectations 8. Should an accident (large or small) occur, it must be reported immediately.

11. Conduct and Expectations 9. Students should be aware of what is happening around them and report any questionable behavior concerning safety to their teacher.

12. Conduct and Expectations 10. Although students will receive a long list of safety rules, students should expect to watch for the unexpected. For instance, items left on the floor could cause someone to trip.

13. Conduct and Expectations 11. Eating, drinking, and chewing gum are not allowed in the lab. Students may participate in designated food labs. These labs are only done after specific safety precautions have been taken and the lab has been thoroughly cleaned.

14. Conduct and Expectations 12. In keeping with the previous rule, students should never use lab equipment as drink or food containers.

15. Conduct and Expectations 13. Students are not allowed in the stock room.

16. Housekeeping 14. Students are to keep their lab tables free of clutter. They should only have pens/pencils and lab papers at their tables. Extra books, papers, purses, etc. are not allowed in the lab.

17. Housekeeping 15. No backpacks are allowed in the lab.

18. Housekeeping 16. Students are expected to keep equipment and countertops clean. Spills are to be cleaned up immediately. Students should ask their teacher how to clean all spills.

19. Housekeeping 17. Broken glassware should never be picked up with bare hands. Use dustpan and broom or forceps. The broken glassware is to be placed in the designated container and not in the trash can.

20. Housekeeping 18. Students are to make sure glassware and equipment are clean before and after use.

21. Housekeeping 19. Students are responsible for cleaning equipment and countertops in their assigned lab tables.

22. Housekeeping 20. Students are to wash their hands with soap and warm water after every experiment.

23. Housekeeping 21. Students are to push chairs in and make sure cabinets are closed when not in use.

24. Lab Dress Code 22. Students with long hair must pull the hair back and secure it so that it is out of the face and incapable of “dipping” into chemicals or heat.

25. Lab Dress Code 23. While conducting experiments, students should wear closed toe shoes and long pants for better protection against chemical spills. According to the American Chemical Society, “ clothes should cover the body from the neck to at least the knees.”

26. Lab Dress Code 24. Students wearing sweatshirts or other loose fitting clothing should be cautious so as to not knock over equipment with the sleeves.

27. Lab Dress Code 25. Long dangling jewelry and neckties should not be worn during labs.

28. Lab Dress Code 26. All students are to wear lab goggles or safety glasses anytime chemicals are used and especially when chemicals are being heated.

29. Lab Dress Code 27. It is best not to wear contacts in the lab. If a student wears contacts, he/she MUST wear goggles and not safety glasses! Goggles provide more eye protection. Chemicals can either reaction with the contact while it is on the eye or get trapped under the contact. Either way, it is not healthy for the eye.

30. Lab Dress Code 28. Students are to wear lab aprons during experiments. The aprons protect both skin and clothing from chemicals.

31. Lab Dress Code 29. It is best not to wear jewelry into the lab. Chemicals may get underneath bracelets, watches, and rings and cause irritation.

32. Handling Chemicals 30. Never touch or taste a chemical in the lab, especially if the chemical is unknown.

33. Handling Chemicals 31. If a chemical should splash into a student’s eye(s), the student is to go to the eye wash and rinse the eye(s) for 20 minutes. The face wash is to be used when chemicals splash into the face. Use the face wash to thoroughly remove the chemical. Notify your teacher as you walk to either the face wash or eye wash.

34. Handling Chemicals 32. Students should never smell a chemical unless specifically directed to do so. To smell a chemical, students should gently waft the odor towards their noses.

35. Handling Chemicals 33. When using chemicals and in order to not have a reaction, students should keep their hands away from their eyes, mouth, and face.

36. Handling Chemicals 34. In order to prevent waste and keep lab expenses down, students should only take as much of a chemical as they think they will use. Never pour left over chemicals back into the reagent bottle. It could contaminate the solution for the whole class.

37. Handling Chemicals 35. Dispose of left-over chemicals as directed by your teacher. Do not just mix them together in order to see what happens and don’t always assume that the chemical can go down the drain.

38. Handling Chemicals 36. Students must monitor their experiments until the reaction has stopped. Students are never their station as long as there is a visible reaction.

39. Handling Chemicals 37. Check labels twice before getting a chemical to use for an experiment.

40. Handling Chemicals 38. Students should never use chipped or dirty equipment.

41. Handling Chemicals 39. Never look directly into a container that is being heated.

42. Handling Chemicals 40. Listen carefully at the beginning of the lab for special instructions in handing chemicals.

43. Handling Chemicals 41. To avoid contamination of chemicals, students should always make sure that they use the correct pipettes, stoppers, and lids for reagents. Do not interchange them.

44. Handling Chemicals 42. Since this room was used by chemistry students, physical science students should never reach into the sinks to retrieve any item. Students should call the instructor.

45. Handling Chemicals 43. Be aware of where equipment is set on the table. Do not leave items on the side of the lab table and make sure objects cannot roll off the table.

46. Handling Chemicals 44. Eighth graders are not allowed to use laboratory burners for experiments; however, all students should be aware that they should not have even a candle flame near any chemical that is flammable.

47. Handling Chemicals 45. When students have finished their experiments, they should make sure all equipment is cleaned and put away, leave the lab table clean and dry, and wash their hands with soap and water. Both partners are to remain in the lab until all of this is done.

48. Handling Chemicals 46. Chemicals that are sensitive to light should be stored in amber bottles.

49. Handling Chemicals 47. Students may only heat borosilicate glassware. This glassware will be labeled as either Pyrex or Kimax.

50. Safety Equipment 48. All students are to know the location of all safety equipment. This includes exits, fire blanket, eye wash, fire extinguishers, fume hood, purge fan, first aid kit, face wash, and safety showers.

51. Safety Equipment 49. The first things students should note when entering the lab is the location of the exits. Students should not assume that every door is an exit.

52. Safety Equipment 50. The purge fan is to be used to rid the room of unpleasant gases.

53. Safety Equipment 51. When the red light is glowing, the gas is on. Only teachers are allowed to turn the gas on. In the event a teacher needs a students help, the student can cut the gas off by pressing the red button.

54. Safety Equipment 52. The fire extinguisher is to be used to put out fires other than clothing fires.

55. Safety Equipment 53. To use a fire extinguisher, take it out of the bracket, pull the pin, point the nozzle at the base of the flame, press the handle, and spray in a fanning motion.

56. Safety Equipment 54. If a person catches fire, another person should get the safety blanket out of the drawer and wrap the victim in the blanket. If the victim is close enough to the safety shower, he/she may pull the handle for the water to put out the fire. A fire extinguisher should NEVER be used to put out a clothing fire. The victim could suffocate in the process of extinguishing the fire.