Lab Safety

Think Safety!

• The experiments that we will conduct this semester are designed to be safe as well as educational. Using general safety common sense will further decrease the chances of anyone being hurt during lab.
• No food or drinks are allowed in the laboratory. Do not eat anything that has been in this classroom.
• Avoid breathing fumes of any substances used in this lab. If any substances are known to be toxic or harmful, specific safety precautions will be taken during each lab.
• Know the location and use of lab safety equipment and exits.
• Pay attention to your actions and the actions of your teammates and classmates. If you see unsafe behavior, let your Lab Instructor know immediately.

Appropriate Clothing

• No shoes with open toes are allowed in the laboratory. Any student without proper footwear will be denied access or removed from the lab classroom.
• As a general safety precaution, students should wear clothing that minimizes potential skin exposure to materials used in lab.
• Nitrile gloves are available in the back of the lab classroom. You will be instructed to wear gloves for some of the procedures completed during this lab. You may also choose to wear gloves at any time if you wish to prevent skin exposure to any items in this lab.
• Safety eyewear will be provided for the students if necessary to safely complete any procedure. Students may wear their own safety eyewear at any time during labs if they choose.

Spills and Broken Glass

• Some of the chemicals used in this lab may be dangerous under certain circumstances. If you spill a chemical or liquid, tell your Lab Instructor so that proper cleanup steps may be taken.
• For minor splashes of chemicals on skin, dilution with water in the sink may be appropriate. For splashes in the eyes or spills on clothing, an eyewash is located at the sink at the front of the lab classroom.
• Broken glass must NOT be disposed of in the garbage. Any glass to be disposed of must be placed in the broken glass bin (next to the fridge) or a designated “sharps” container.
• Glassware and microscope slides may be washed after use; if any breakage does occur, tell your Lab Instructor so that proper cleanup steps can be followed.
• Alcohol wipes are provided in each of the microscope cleaning kits. These may be used to clean the oculars of microscopes before and after use.

Chemical Hoods

• Any chemicals that are known to be toxic or harmful when breathed will be used under the chemical hood.
• Do not remove these substances from the hoods unless explicitly instructed to do so by your Lab Instructor.

Fire Safety

• Do not leave open flames unattended or near flammable substances.
• Know the location and use of the fire extinguisher located in the lab. If you are not familiar with its use, your Lab Instructor can show you its proper use.
• In the extremely rare case that you or your lab mates catch on fire, remember the basic steps of Stop, Drop, and Roll.
• If the lab classroom catches on fire, or a fire alarm goes off during lab, exit the classroom immediately and proceed outside.

Lab Safety Equipment

• A chemical spill kit is located on top of the refrigerator in the lab.
• A fire extinguisher is located at the front of the lab.
• An eyewash station is located at the sink on the right side of the lab.
• Brooms and dustpans are located on the right side of the classroom, next to the fridge. These are used to clean up spilled solids and broken glass.
• Water from the sinks in the classroom is non-potable and sinks should never be used to fill drinking bottles.