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Laboratory Safety

Rules

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lab Work can be very fun and exciting, but it can also be dangerous. While working with chemicals in the lab, extra precautions are taken to ensure your safety, the safety of your classmates (and favorite teacher), and, finally, the safety of school property and the environment.

 

1. You must wear PPE when handling chemicals. PPE stands for "Personal Protective Equipment". PPE includes:

  • A Lab Apron

  • Goggles (even if you wear glasses)

  • Chemical Gloves

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. All chemicals in the lab must be labeled. So if you are conducting an experiment and leave it overnight, you must mark it with its chemical name, your name, and your period number. In an emergency, a firefighter or rescue worker needs to know quickly what your chemical is, so he or she can determine its potential for danger.

 

3. All students working in the lab must have closed-toed shoes. "Closed-toed" means that the shoe covers your foot entirely. Flip flops, high heels, or other shoes with exposed skin are not allowed.

 

4. No horseplay in the lab. No practical jokes or playing around the chemicals. You cannot know all the possible repercussions of what-you-think is an innocent joke.

 

5. Do not perform unauthorized experiments. If you want to try something outside of the lab procedure, get your instructor's approval first. I can't promise I'll approve it, but I won't automatically say "no".

 

6. Listen carefully to the instructions for dumping chemical waste. You do not want to dump, for example, heavy metal solutions down the drain. That would be a violation of the Clean Water Act ... In other words, it's against the law!

 

7. Eating and drinking in the lab is not allowed. "Eating" includes chewing gum. It's too easy to accidentally drink out of the wrong container. Also, there is a risk of cross-contamination. Either way, it's not safe to eat or drink in the lab.

 

 

 

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