Lab Safety

No food, drinks, gum, or candy in the lab.

General Safety NO HORSEPLAY!!! Be careful not to bump into others. Learn the location of safety equipment: Eyewash station – sinks 1 and 5, adjacent science lab Fire Blanket – near sink 5 First Aid Kit – near sink 5 Safety Shower – adjacent science lab Fire Extinguisher – hallway between classroom and adjacent science lab, hallway near classroom entrance

Directions Read ALL directions and make sure you understand prior to beginning an activity. Do not begin until the teacher has instructed you to do so. Never experiment on your own. Tell your teacher immediately if you are injured.

Glassware Safety Never use broken or chipped glassware. Notify your teacher of broken glass. Never heat glassware that is not thoroughly dry. Never pick up glassware unless you are certain it is not hot. If it is hot, use heat-resistant gloves or tongs. Do not put hot glassware in cold water.

Sharp Instrument Safety Always use single-edged razors. Handle sharp instruments with caution. Never cut any material toward you. Dispose of used or ruined sharp instruments in a container specified by your teacher. Carry a scalpel in a tray or with tip down.

Fire and Heat Safety Never use an open flame without wearing safety goggles. Never heat anything unless instructed to do so. Never heat anything in a closed container. Never leave a test tube directly in a flame. Never reach across a flame. Always use a clamp, tongs, or heat-resistant gloves to handle hot objects.

Animal Safety Do not cause pain, discomfort, or injury to a live animal. Follow your teacher’s directions when handling animals. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling animals or their cages. Treat animal specimens with respect.

Electrical Safety Never use a long extension cord to plug in an electrical device. Do not plug too many appliances into one socket. Never touch an electrical appliance or outlet with wet hands. Unplug equipment at the end of the lab activity.

Chemical Safety Always wear goggles, safety apron, and gloves when handling chemicals. If a chemical contacts your skin, rinse immediately and notify the teacher. Never smell any chemicals directly from the container. Waft only when instructed to do so. Never mix chemicals unless instructed to do so.

Chemical Safety Keep all lids closed when chemicals are not in use. Dispose of all chemicals as instructed by your teacher.

Eye and Face Safety Wear goggles when handling chemicals. When heating a test tube or bottle, always point it away from you and others. Remember: chemicals can splash or boil out of a heated test tube. If a chemical comes in contact with your eyes, use the eyewash fountain immediately and seek emergency care. Flush eyes for at least 15 minutes.

Proper Dress Tie back long hair. Remove or tie back dangling jewelry. Ideally, lab clothes should consist of fitted long sleeves, pants or long dress, and closed-toed shoes.

Clean Up Keep work area uncluttered. Follow the teacher’s instructions for throwing away or putting away supplies. Clean your work area. Wash your hands.

If it seems like it is not a good idea, USE COMMON SENSE If it seems like it is not a good idea, it probably is not!!!

Beakers Use to mix, measure, or heat liquids They are NOT designed for accurate measurement Use a beaker that holds about twice as much liquid as you need

Test Tubes Use to hold small amounts of substances Use to mix or heat liquids DO NOT use to measure the volume of a liquid – they are not usually marked with measurements

Test-Tube Holder Use when heating a substance in a test tube

Test-Tube Rack Used to keep test tubes upright so they do not fall over and spill their contents

Graduated Cylinder “Graduated” or marked with a scale for measurement. Used to accurately measure liquid volume.

Erlenmeyer Flask Used to measure liquid – not as accurate as graduated cylinder Helps prevent liquids from splashing or giving off noxious fumes

Pipette Used to dispense small measures of liquid

Thermometer Used to measure temperature

Petri Dish Used to culture (grow) bacteria and other microorganisms on a nutrient agar

Tongs Used to grasp heated materials

Watch Glass Serves as a holding container

Hot Plate Source of electrical heat

Bunsen Burner Source of gas heat

Tripod Holds glassware above a Bunsen burner Piece of wire gauze sits on top of tripod to hold the container

Triple-Beam and Mechanical Balance Used to determine the mass of materials to the nearest gram or ten thousandth of a gram

Mechanical Pan Balance Used to accurately determine mass to the nearest ten thousandth of a gram

Spring Scale Used to determine force

Chemical Fume Hood Used to contain and safely remove hazardous gases from the laboratory

Microscope Allows for visualizing very small objects or organisms too small to see with the unaided eye

Telescope Allows visualization of objects too far away to be seen with the unaided eye

Meter Stick Measures length or width

Scalpel Sharp bladed instrument for cutting

Tweezers / Forceps Grasping

Probe Blunt-ended instrument for exploring specimen

Teasing Needle Tapered end used for separating tissues

Scissors Cutting