Laboratory Safety Rules and Procedures

1. Always obtain your teacher’s permission prior to beginning any laboratory procedure.
2. Study the procedure.  If you have any questions ask your teacher.
3. Always wear eye protection and apron when handling glassware or chemicals.
4. Never eat or drink in the laboratory.  Never use laboratory glassware for anything other than its intended purpose.
5. Do not taste any substance or draw any material into a tube with your mouth.
6. If any chemical is spilled on you, wash it off immediately with water at the eyewash station, shower station, or sink, as appropriate.
7. Do not attempt to clean up any spilled chemicals or glassware breakage.
8. Tie back long hair and loose clothing.
9. Know location and proper use of fire blanket, fire extinguisher, fire alarm, eyewash, and shower station.
10. Always slant test tubes away from yourself and others when heating.  Never lean over a test tube or beaker that is being heated.
11. Always follow you teacher’s instructions/direction immediately and precisely.
12. Always add acid to water.  Never add water to acid.
13. Dispose of chemicals and other materials as directed by your teacher.
14. Report any accident, injury, spill, or breakage to your teacher immediately.
15. To detect odor, hold container/test tube away from your face and waft your hand towards you.  Never place you face over/near container and sniff.
16. You must wash your hands thoroughly after each experiment/activity.
17. Inappropriate behavior, flagrant disregard of safety rules, or failure to follow the teacher’s instructions will result in a zero for the activity and loss of laboratory privileges.