Lab Safety

1. Lab Safety

2. No food, drinks, gum, or candy in the lab.

3. General Safety • NO HORSEPLAY!!! • Be careful not to bump into others. • Learn the location of safety equipment: • Eyewash station – sinks 1 and 5, adjacent science lab • Fire Blanket – near sink 5 • First Aid Kit – near sink 5 • Safety Shower – adjacent science lab • Fire Extinguisher – hallway between classroom and adjacent science lab, hallway near classroom entrance

4. Directions • Read ALL directions and make sure you understand prior to beginning an activity. • Do not begin until the teacher has instructed you to do so. • Never experiment on your own. • Tell your teacher immediately if you are injured.

5. Glassware Safety • Never use broken or chipped glassware. Notify your teacher of broken glass. • Never heat glassware that is not thoroughly dry. • Never pick up glassware unless you are certain it is not hot. If it is hot, use heat-resistant gloves or tongs. • Do not put hot glassware in cold water.

6. Sharp Instrument Safety • Always use single-edged razors. • Handle sharp instruments with caution. • Never cut any material toward you. • Dispose of used or ruined sharp instruments in a container specified by your teacher. • Carry a scalpel in a tray or with tip down.

7. Fire and Heat Safety • Never use an open flame without wearing safety goggles. • Never heat anything unless instructed to do so. • Never heat anything in a closed container. • Never leave a test tube directly in a flame. • Never reach across a flame. • Always use a clamp, tongs, or heat-resistant gloves to handle hot objects.

8. Animal Safety • Do not cause pain, discomfort, or injury to a live animal. • Follow your teacher’s directions when handling animals. • Wash your hands thoroughly after handling animals or their cages. • Treat animal specimens with respect.

9. Electrical Safety • Never use a long extension cord to plug in an electrical device. • Do not plug too many appliances into one socket. • Never touch an electrical appliance or outlet with wet hands. • Unplug equipment at the end of the lab activity.

10. Chemical Safety • Always wear goggles, safety apron, and gloves when handling chemicals. • If a chemical contacts your skin, rinse immediately and notify the teacher. • Never smell any chemicals directly from the container. • Waft only when instructed to do so. • Never mix chemicals unless instructed to do so.

11. Chemical Safety • Keep all lids closed when chemicals are not in use. • Dispose of all chemicals as instructed by your teacher.

12. Eye and Face Safety • Wear goggles when handling chemicals. • When heating a test tube or bottle, always point it away from you and others. • Remember: chemicals can splash or boil out of a heated test tube. • If a chemical comes in contact with your eyes, use the eyewash fountain immediately and seek emergency care. Flush eyes for at least 15 minutes.

14. Proper Dress • Tie back long hair. • Remove or tie back dangling jewelry. • Ideally, lab clothes should consist of fitted long sleeves, pants or long dress, and closed-toed shoes.

15. Clean Up • Keep work area uncluttered. • Follow the teacher’s instructions for throwing away or putting away supplies. • Clean your work area. • Wash your hands.

16. USE COMMON SENSE If it seems like it is not a good idea, it probably is not!!!

18. Beakers • Use to mix, measure, or heat liquids • They are NOT designed for accurate measurement • Use a beaker that holds about twice as much liquid as you need

19. Test Tubes • Use to hold small amounts of substances • Use to mix or heat liquids • DO NOT use to measure the volume of a liquid – they are not usually marked with measurements

20. Test-Tube Holder • Use when heating a substance in a test tube

21. Test-Tube Rack • Used to keep test tubes upright so they do not fall over and spill their contents

22. Graduated Cylinder • “Graduated” or marked with a scale for measurement. Used to accurately measure liquid volume.

23. Erlenmeyer Flask • Used to measure liquid – not as accurate as graduated cylinder • Helps prevent liquids from splashing or giving off noxious fumes

24. Pipette • Used to dispense small measures of liquid

25. Thermometer • Used to measure temperature

26. Petri Dish • Used to culture (grow) bacteria and other microorganisms on a nutrient agar

27. Tongs • Used to grasp heated materials

28. Watch Glass • Serves as a holding container

29. Hot Plate • Source of electrical heat

30. Bunsen Burner • Source of gas heat

31. Tripod • Holds glassware above a Bunsen burner • Piece of wire gauze sits on top of tripod to hold the container

32. Triple-Beam and Mechanical Balance • Used to determine the mass of materials to the nearest gram or ten thousandth of a gram

33. Mechanical Pan Balance • Used to accurately determine mass to the nearest ten thousandth of a gram

34. Spring Scale • Used to determine force

35. Chemical Fume Hood • Used to contain and safely remove hazardous gases from the laboratory

36. Microscope • Allows for visualizing very small objects or organisms too small to see with the unaided eye

37. Telescope • Allows visualization of objects too far away to be seen with the unaided eye

38. Meter Stick • Measures length or width

39. Scalpel • Sharp bladed instrument for cutting

40. Tweezers / Forceps • Grasping

41. Probe • Blunt-ended instrument for exploring specimen

42. Teasing Needle • Tapered end used for separating tissues

43. Scissors • Cutting