Laboratory Safety

Rules and
Guidelines
Teacher: Charlene V. Jumawan
General Rules
1. Conduct yourself in a responsible manner at all times in
the laboratory.

2. Follow all written and verbal instructions carefully. If you

do not understand a direction or part of a procedure, ask
the instructor before proceeding.

3. Never work alone!

4. When first entering a laboratory room, DO NOT touch

any equipment, chemicals, or other materials until you are
instructed to do so.
General Rules
5. Do not eat food, drink beverages, or chew gum in the
laboratory. Do not use laboratory glassware as containers
for food and beverages.

6. Perform only those experiments authorized by the

instructor.

7. Be prepared always. Read all procedures thoroughly

before entering the laboratory.

8. Never fool around in the laboratory.

General Rules

9. Work areas should be kept clean and tidy at all times.

10. Keep aisles clear. Push your chair under the desk when
not in use.

11. Always work in a well-ventilated area. Use the fume

hood when working with volatile substances or poisonous
vapors. Never place your head into the fume hood.

12. Be alert at all times. Report immediately for any unsafe

conditions you observe.
General Rules

13. Dispose all chemicals waste properly. Never mix

chemicals in sink drains. Sinks are to be used for water and
those solutions designated by the instructor. Insoluble
materials are to be disposed in the proper waste container.
Check the label of all waste containers before putting your
chemicals there.

14. Set up and use the prescribed apparatus as directed in

the laboratory instructions.
General Rules
15. Keep hands away from face, eyes, mouth, and body
while using chemicals. Wash your hands with soap and
water after performing all experiments.

16. Clean all work surfaces and apparatus at the end of

the experiment. Return all equipment clean and in
working order to the proper storage area.

17. Experiments must be personally monitored at all

times.
General Rules
18. Students are never permitted in the storage rooms
unless given specific permission by their instructor.

19. Know the locations and operating procedures for all

safety equipment (first aid kit, eyewash station, fire
extinguisher). Know where fire alarm and exits are located.

20. Know what to do if there is a fire drill during a

laboratory period: containers must be closed, gas valves
turned off, fume hoods turned off, and any electrical
equipment turned off.
General Rules

21. If you have a medical condition

(allergies, pregnancy, etc.), check with
your physician prior to working in lab.
Clothing
1. Any time chemicals, heat, or glassware are
used, students will wear lab goggles.

2. Contact lenses may be worn provided

adequate face and eye protection.

3. Dress properly for lab activities.

Clothing
Proper clothing:

Long hair must be tied back.

Dangling jewelry and loose or baggy
clothing must be secured.
Shoes must completely cover the foot.

No sandals allowed.
Clothing

4. Lab aprons have been provided for

your use and should be worn during
laboratory activities.
Accidents and Injuries

1. Report any accident (spill, breakage, etc.)

or injury (cut, burn, etc.) to the instructor
immediately, no matter how trivial it may
appear.

2. If you and your lab partner are hurt,

immediately yell out “Code one, Code one” to
get the instructor’s attention.
Accidents and Injuries

3. If a chemical splashes in your eye(s) or on

your skin, immediately flush with running
water for at least 20 mins. Notify the instructor
immediately.

4. When mercury thermometers are broken,

mercury must not be touched. Notify the
instructor immediately.
Handling Chemicals
1. All chemicals in the laboratory are to be
considered dangerous.

2. Check the label on chemical bottles twice

before removing any of the contents. Take
only as much chemical as you need.

3. Never return unused chemicals to their

original containers.
Handling Chemicals
4. Never use mouth suction to fill a pipette. Use
rubber bulb or pipette pump.

5. When transferring reagents from one container to

another, hold the containers away from your body.

6. Acids must be handled with extreme care.

7. Never dispense flammable liquids anywhere near

an open flame or source of heat.
Handling Chemicals

8. Never remove chemicals or other

materials from the laboratory area.

9. Take great care when transporting

chemicals. Hold them securely and walk
carefully.
Handling Glassware and Equipment
1. Carry glass tubing, especially long pieces, in a
vertical position to minimize breakage and injury.

2. Never handle broken glass with your bare hands.

3. Always lubricate glassware before attempting to

insert it in a stopper. Always protect your hands with
towels or cotton gloves when inserting glass tubing
into, or removing it from a rubber stopper.
Handling Glassware and Equipment

4. Fill wash bottles only with distilled water and

use only as intended (rinsing glassware and
equipment, or adding water to a container).

5. When removing electrical plug from its

socket, grasp the plug, not the electrical cord.
Hands must be completely dry before touching
the an electrical switch, plug, or outlet.
Handling Glassware and Equipment
6. Examine glassware before each use.

7. Report damaged electrical equipment immediately.

Do not use damaged electrical equipment.

8. If you do not understand how to use a piece of

equipment, ask the instructor for help.

9. Do not immerse hot glassware in cold water, it may

shatter.
Heating Substances
1. Exercise extreme caution when using a gas burner.

2. Never leave a lit burner unattended. Turn it off

when not in use.

3. Do not point the end of a test tube being heated at

yourself or anyone else.

4. Heated metals and glass remain very hot for a long

time. Set it aside and cool, and pick it up with
caution.
Heating Substances
5. Never look into a container that is being
heated.

6. Do not place hot apparatus directly on the

laboratory desk. Always use an insulating pad.

7. Determine if an object is hot by bringing the

back of your hand close to it prior to grasping
it.
“Don’t do stupid things just to
look cool.”

“Don’t think about yourself

only, think about the others.”

“Safety is not an experiment, it

is a commitment.”
Laboratory
Materials and
Equipments
Glassware
Centrifuge tubes Test tubes and rack
Glassware
Pipette Medicine dropper
Glassware
Beakers Watch glass
Glassware
Stirring rod Glass funnel
Glassware
Glass slides with Graduated cylinder
cover slips
Glassware
Spot plate Capillary Tube
Glassware
Thin-layer Crucible
chromatography plates
Glassware
Erlenmeyer flask Burette
Glassware
Lab Thermometer Evaporating dish
Materials and Equipment
Microscope Rubber stopper
Materials and Equipment
Lancets Spectrophotometer
Materials and Equipment
pH meter Centrifuge
Materials and Equipment
Water bath Bunsen burner
Materials and Equipment
Tripod Iron stand
Materials and Equipment
Aspirator bulb Wash bottle
Materials and Equipment
Mortar and pestle Desiccator
Materials and Equipment
Fume hood Electronic weighing
balance
Materials and Equipment
Litmus paper Cheesecloth
Materials and Equipment
Absorbent paper Filter paper
References:
Flinn Scientific, Inc. (2017). Nature of Science Laboratory Safety-
Student Safety Contract.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1CVW6EUtkWKSqVElX
pnWs3fvZrCSBOt6p/edit#slide=id.p3

Joy, P., Surya, S., & Aswathy, C. (2015). Laboratory Manual of

Biochemistry. Kerala Agricultural University- Pineapple Research
Station.

Mukhtar, O (2022). Lab Safety Slogans: 200+ Catchy Slogans for Lab
Safety from https://worthstart.com/lab-safety-slogans/