Lab Safety Guided Notes

Lab Safety

General Safety Rules

Listen to or read instructions

carefully before attempting to do
anything.

Wear safety goggles to protect

your eyes from chemicals, heated materials, or things that might be able to shatter.

Notify your teacher if any spills or accidents occur

General Safety Rules

After handling chemicals, always wash your hands with soap and water.
During lab work, keep your hands away from your face.
Tie back long hair.

General Safety Rules

Roll up loose sleeves.

Know the location of the fire extinguisher, fire blanket, eyewash station, and first aid kit.

Keep your work area uncluttered. Take to the lab station only what is necessary.

General Safety Rules

Never put anything into your mouth during a lab experiment.
Clean up your lab area at the
conclusion of the laboratory period.
Never“horse around” or play
practical jokes in the laboratory.

Glassware Safety

Chipped or cracked glassware should not be used. Show it to the teacher.
When pouring liquids into glassware,
make sure the container you are
pouring into is resting on a table at
least a hands breadth from the edge.

Glassware Safety

If a piece of glassware gets broken, do

Do not try to clean it up yourself. Notify the teacher.

Glassware Safety

Do not place hot glassware in water.

Rapid cooling may make it shatter.

Chemical Safety

Wear protective goggles and a lab
apron whenever heating or pouring
hazardous chemicals.
Never mix chemicals together unless are told to do so (and then only inyoumanner specified).
Nevertaste any chemicals (you should
never taste anything in the lab unless
told to do so).

Chemical Safety

If you need to smell the odor of a

chemical, waft the fumes toward
your nose with one hand. Do not

put your nose over the container and inhale the fumes.

Never pour water into a concentrated acid. Acid should be poured slowly into water.

Chemical Safety

Follow the instructions of your
teacher when disposing of all
chemicals.
Wash your hands after handling
hazardous chemicals.

Electrical Safety

Lay electrical cords where no
one can trip on them or get
caught in them.
Be sure your hands and your lab
area are dry before using
electrical equipment.
Never poke anything into
electrical outlets.

Electrical Safety

Unplug cords by pulling the plug and
not the cord.
Unplug all electrical equipment at the
end of the lab period.

Heating Safety

Let burners and hotplates cool
down before touching them. Test to
see if they are cool enough by
bringing the back of your hand
close to them.
Use tongs and/or protective gloves
to handle hot objects.
Never reach across an open flame or
burner.

Heating Safety

Only use glassware that has been
approved by the teacher
Always point the top ends of test tubes
that are being heated away from people.
When heating a test tube, move it
around slowly over the flame to
distribute the heat evenly.

Heating Safety

Only glassware that is thoroughly dry
should be heated.
Heat glassware by placing it on a wire gauze platform on a ring stand. Do not hold it in your hand.

Heating Safety

When lighting a burner, wait until the
striker is in place before you turn on
the gas.

The amount of air can be adjusted by the

air supply valve below the tube of the
burner. This regulates the flame
temperature and color.
Never leave a burner or hotplate
unattended.

First Aid

Injury:

Burns

What To Do: Immediately flush with water

First Aid

Injury:

Cuts, bruises

What To Do: Do not touch an open wound

without safety gloves. Pressing directly on
minor cuts will stop bleeding in a few
minutes. Apply cold compress to bruises
to reduce swelling.

First Aid

Injury:

Fainting

To Do:

Provide fresh air and have the

person recline so that their head is lower than the rest of their body.

First Aid

Injury:

Eyes

What To Do: Flush eyes immediately with plenty of water for several minutes. If a foreign object is lodged in the eye, do not allow the eye to be
rubbed.

First Aid

Injury:

Poisoning

What To Do: Find out what substance was responsible for the poisoning and alert the teacher immediately.

First Aid

Injury: Spills on the skin
What To Do: Flushwith large

quantities of water. For acid spills,
apply baking soda solution. For base spills, apply vinegar or boric acid.

First Aid

Injury:

Electrical shock

What To Do: Shut off the current at the source. Remove wire with rubber gloves. Alert the teacher
immediately.

Additional Information
● Cutting
● Electrical Cords
● Material from the room

Any Questions??