Chemistry Lab Safety-1

Lorenzo Walker Technical High School
MUSTANG LABORATORIES
Chemistry Safety
Safety in the MUSTANG LABORATORIES - Chemistry Laboratory
Working in the chemistry laboratory is an interesting and rewarding experience. During your labs, you will be actively
involved from beginning to end—from setting some change in motion to drawing some conclusion. In the laboratory, you
will be working with equipment and materials that can cause injury if they are not handled properly.
However, the laboratory is a safe place to work if you are careful. Accidents do not just happen; they are caused—by
carelessness, haste, and disregard of safety rules and practices. Safety rules to be followed in the laboratory are listed
below. Before beginning any lab work, read these rules, learn them, and follow them carefully.
General
1. Be prepared to work when you arrive at the lab. Familiarize yourself with the lab procedures before beginning the lab.
2. Perform only those lab activities assigned by your teacher. Never do anything in the laboratory that is not called for in
the laboratory procedure or by your teacher. Never work alone in the lab. Do not engage in any horseplay.
3. Work areas should be kept clean and tidy at all times. Only lab manuals and notebooks should be brought to the work
area. Other books, purses, brief cases, etc. should be left at your desk or placed in a designated storage area.
4. Clothing should be appropriate for working in the lab. Jackets, ties, and other loose garments should be removed. Open
shoes should not be worn.
5. Long hair should be tied back or covered, especially in the vicinity of open flame.
6. Jewelry that might present a safety hazard, such as dangling necklaces, chains, medallions, or bracelets should not be
worn in the lab.
7. Follow all instructions, both written and oral, carefully.
8. Safety goggles and lab aprons should be worn at all times.
9. Set up apparatus as described in the lab manual or by your teacher. Never use makeshift arrangements.
10. Always use the prescribed instrument (tongs, test tube holder, forceps, etc.) for handling apparatus or equipment.
11. Keep all combustible materials away from open flames.
12. Never touch any substance in the lab unless specifically instructed to do so by your teacher.
13. Never put your face near the mouth of a container that is holding chemicals.
14. Never smell any chemicals unless instructed to do so by your teacher. When testing for odors, use a wafting motion to
direct the odors to your nose.
15. Any activity involving poisonous vapors should be conducted in the fume hood.
16. Dispose of waste materials as instructed by your teacher.
17. Clean up all spills immediately.
18. Clean and wipe dry all work surfaces at the end of class. Wash your hands thoroughly.
19. Know the location of emergency equipment (first aid kit, fire extinguisher, fire shower, fire blanket, etc.) and how to use them.
20. Report all accidents to the teacher immediately.
Handling Chemicals
21. Read and double check labels on reagent bottles before removing any reagent. Take only as much reagent as you
need.
22. Do not return unused reagent to stock bottles.
23. When transferring chemical reagents from one container to another, hold the containers out away from your body.
24. When mixing an acid and water, always add the acid to the water.
25. Avoid touching chemicals with your hands. If chemicals do come in contact with your hands, wash them immediately.
26. Notify your teacher if you have any medical problems that might relate to lab work, such as allergies or asthma.
27. If you will be working with chemicals in the lab, avoid wearing contact lenses. Change to glasses, if possible, or notify
the teacher.
Handling Glassware
28. Glass tubing, especially long pieces, should be carried in a vertical position to minimize the likelihood of breakage and
to avoid stabbing anyone.
29. Never handle broken glass with your bare hands. Use a brush and dustpan to clean up broken glass. Dispose of the
glass as directed by your teacher.
30. Always lubricate glassware (tubing, thistle tubes, thermometers, etc.) with water or glycerin before attempting to insert
it into a rubber stopper.
31. Never apply force when inserting or removing glassware from a stopper. Use a twisting motion. If a piece of glassware
becomes "frozen" in a stopper, take it to your teacher.
32. Do not place hot glassware directly on the lab table. Always use an insulating pad of some sort.
33. Allow plenty of time for hot glass to cool before touching it. Hot glass can cause painful burns. (Hot glass looks cool.)
Heating Substances
34. Exercise extreme caution when using a gas burner. Keep your head and clothing away from the flame.
35. Always turn the burner off when it is not in use.
36. Do not bring any substance into contact with a flame unless instructed to do so.
37. Never heat anything without being instructed to do so.
38. Never look into a container that is being heated.
39. When heating a substance in a test tube, make sure that the mouth of the tube is not pointed at yourself or anyone
else.
40. Never leave unattended anything that is being heated or is visibly reacting.
First Aid in the MUSTANG LABORATORIES - Chemistry Laboratory

Accidents do not often happen in well-equipped chemistry laboratories if students understand safe laboratory procedures
and are careful in following them. When an occasional accident does occur, it is likely to be a minor one.
The instructor will assist in treating injuries such as minor cuts and burns. However, for some types of injuries, you must
take action immediately. The following information will be helpful to you if an accident occurs.
1. Shock. People who are suffering from any severe injury (for example, a bad burn or major loss of blood) may be in a
state of shock. A person in shock is usually pale and faint. The person may be sweating, with cold, moist skin and a weak,
rapid pulse. Shock is a serious medical condition. Do not allow a person in shock to walk anywhere—even to the campus
security office. While emergency help is being summoned, place the victim face up in a horizontal position, with the feet
raised about 30 centimeters. Loosen any tightly fitting clothing and keep him or her warm.
2. Chemicals in the Eyes. Getting any kind of a chemical into the eyes is undesirable, but certain chemicals are
especially harmful. They can destroy eyesight in a matter of seconds. Because you will be wearing safety goggles at all
times in the lab, the likelihood of this kind of accident is remote. However, if it does happen, flush your eyes with water
immediately. Do NOT attempt to go to the campus office before flushing your eyes. It is important that flushing with water
be continued for a prolonged time—about 15 minutes.
3. Clothing or Hair on Fire. A person whose clothing or hair catches on fire will often run around hysterically in an
unsuccessful effort to get away from the fire. This only provides the fire with more oxygen and makes it burn faster. For
clothing fires, throw yourself to the ground and roll around to extinguish the flames. For hair fires, use a fire blanket to
smother the flames. Notify campus security immediately.
4. Bleeding from a Cut. Most cuts that occur in the chemistry laboratory are minor. For minor cuts, apply pressure to the
wound with a sterile gauze. Notify campus security of all injuries in the lab. If the victim is bleeding badly, raise the
bleeding part, if possible, and apply pressure to the wound with a piece of sterile gauze. While first aid is being given,
someone else should notify the campus security officer.
5. Chemicals in the Mouth. Many chemicals are poisonous to varying degrees. Any chemical taken into the mouth
should be spat out and the mouth rinsed thoroughly with water. Note the name of the chemical and notify the campus
office immediately. If the victim swallows a chemical, note the name of the chemical and notify campus security
immediately.
If necessary, the campus security officer or administrator will contact the Poison Control Center, a hospital emergency
room, or a physician for instructions.
6. Acid or Base Spilled on the Skin.
Flush the skin with water for about 15 minutes. Take the victim to the campus office to report the injury.
7. Breathing Smoke or Chemical Fumes.
All experiments that give off smoke or noxious gases should be conducted in a well-ventilated fume hood. This will make
an accident of this kind unlikely. If smoke or chemical fumes are present in the laboratory, all persons—even those who
do not feel ill—should leave the laboratory immediately. Make certain that all doors to the laboratory are closed after the
last person has left. Since smoke rises, stay low while evacuating a smoke-filled room. Notify campus security
immediately.
MUSTANG LABORATORIES
COMMITMENT TO SAFETY IN THE LABORATORY
As a student enrolled in Chemistry at Lorenzo Walker Technical High
School, I agree to use good laboratory safety practices at all times. I
also agree that I will:
1. Conduct myself in a professional manner, respecting both my personal safety and the safety of
others in the laboratory.
2. Wear proper and approved safety glasses or goggles in the laboratory at all times.
3. Wear sensible clothing and tie back long hair in the laboratory. Understand that open-toed shoes
pose a hazard during laboratory classes and that contact lenses are an added safety risk.
4. Keep my lab area free of clutter during an experiment.
5. Never bring food or drink into the laboratory, nor apply makeup within the laboratory.
6. Be aware of the location of safety equipment such as the fire extinguisher, eye wash station, fire
blanket, first aid kit. Know the location of the nearest telephone and exits.
7. Read the assigned lab prior to coming to the laboratory.
8. Carefully read all labels on all chemical containers before using their contents, remove a small
amount of reagent properly if needed, do not pour back the unused chemicals into the original
container.
9. Dispose of chemicals as directed by the instructor only. At no time will I pour anything down the
sink without prior instruction.
10. Never inhale fumes emitted during an experiment. Use the fume hood when instructed to do so.
11. Report any accident immediately to the instructor, including chemical spills.
12. Dispose of broken glass and sharps only in the designated containers.
13. Clean my work area and all glassware before leaving the laboratory.
14. Wash my hands before leaving the laboratory.
NAME __________________________
Faith Lopez PARENT NAME ____________________________
Angela Lopez
PERIOD ________________________
4 PARENT NUMBER _________________________
239-821-5704
SIGNATURE ____________________________ DATE ____________________________________

Augest-10-2023

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Lorenzo Walker Technical High School

First Aid in the MUSTANG LABORATORIES - Chemistry Laboratory

4. Keep my lab area free of clutter during an experiment.

7. Read the assigned lab prior to coming to the laboratory.

14. Wash my hands before leaving the laboratory.

SIGNATURE DATE ________

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