Lab Safety

LABORATORY SAFETY
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
1. It is your responsibility to read safety and fire alarm posters and

follow the instructions during an emergency
2. Know the location of the fire extinguisher, eye wash, and safety
shower in your lab and know how to use them.
3. Notify your instructor immediately after any injury, fire or
explosion, or spill.
4. Know the building evacuation procedures.
COMMON SENSE
Good common sense is needed for safety in a laboratory. It is

expected that each student will work in a responsible manner and
exercise good judgment and common sense. If at any time you are not
sure how to handle a particular situation, ask your Teaching Assistant or
Instructor for advice. DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING WITH WHICH YOU
ARE NOT COMPLETELY FAMILIAR!!! It is always better to ask
questions than to risk harm to yourself or damage to the equipment.
PERSONAL AND GENERAL LABORATORY SAFETY
1. Never eat, drink, or smoke while working in the laboratory.

2. Read labels carefully.
3. Do not use any equipment unless you are trained and approved as
a user by your supervisor.
4. Wear safety glasses or face shields when working with hazardous
materials and/or equipment.
5. Wear gloves when using any hazardous or toxic agent.
6. Clothing: When handling dangerous substances, wear gloves,
laboratory coats, and safety shield or glasses. Shorts and sandals
should not be worn in the lab at any time. Shoes are required when
working in the machine shops.
7. If you have long hair or loose clothes, make sure it is tied back or
confined.
8. Keep the work area clear of all materials except those needed for
your work. Coats should be hung in the hall or placed in a locker.
Extra books, purses, etc. should be kept away from equipment that
requires air flow or ventilation to prevent overheating.
9. Disposal - Students are responsible for the proper disposal of used
material if any in appropriate containers.
10.Equipment Failure - If a piece of equipment fails while being used,
report it immediately to your lab assistant or tutor. Never try to fix
the problem yourself because you could harm yourself and others.
11.If leaving a lab unattended, turn off all ignition sources and lock
the doors.
12.Never pipette anything by mouth.
13.Clean up your work area before leaving.
14.Wash hands before leaving the lab and before eating.
ELECTRICAL SAFETY
1. Obtain permission before operating any high voltage equipment.

2. Maintain an unobstructed access to all electrical panels.
3. Wiring or other electrical modifications must be referred to the Electronics Shop
or the Building Coordinator.
4. Avoid using extension cords whenever possible. If you must use one, obtain a
heavy- duty one that is electrically grounded, with its own fuse, and install it
safely. Extension cords should not go under doors, across aisles, be hung from the
ceiling, or plugged into other extension cords.
5. Never, ever modify, attach or otherwise change any high voltage equipment.
6. Always make sure all capacitors are discharged (using a grounded cable with an
insulating handle) before touching high voltage leads or the "inside" of any
equipment even after it has been turned off. Capacitors can hold charge for many
hours after the equipment has been turned off.
7. When you are adjusting any high voltage equipment or a laser which is powered
with a high voltage supply, USE ONLY ONE HAND. Your other hand is best
placed in a pocket or behind your back. This procedure eliminates the possibility
of an accident where high voltage current flows up one arm, through your chest,
and down the other arm.
MECHANICAL SAFETY
1. When using compressed air, uses only approved nozzles and never
direct the air towards any person.
2. Guards on machinery must be in place during operation.
3. Exercise care when working with or near hydraulically- or
pneumatically-driven equipment. Sudden or unexpected motion
can inflict serious injury.
CHEMICAL SAFETY
1. Treat every chemical as if it were hazardous.

2. Make sure all chemicals are clearly and currently labeled with the
substance name, concentration, date, and name of the individual
responsible.
3. Never return chemicals to reagent bottles. (Try for the correct
amount and share any excess.)
4. Comply with fire regulations concerning storage quantities, types of
approved containers and cabinets, proper labeling, etc. If uncertain
about regulations, contact the building coordinator.
5. Use volatile and flammable compounds only in a fume hood.
Procedures that produce aerosols should be performed in a hood to
prevent inhalation of hazardous material.
6. Never allow a solvent to come in contact with your skin. Always use
gloves.
7. Never "smell" a solvent!! Read the label on the solvent bottle to
identify its contents.
8. Dispose of waste and broken glassware in proper containers.
9. Clean up spills immediately.
10.Do not store food in laboratories.
LASERS SAFETY
1. Never ever look into a laser beam, no matter how low power or "eye
safe" you may think it is.
2. Always wear safety goggles if instructed by your Instructor or
Teaching Assistant.
3. The most common injury using lasers is an eye injury resulting
from scattered laser light reflected off of mountings, sides of
mirrors or from the "shiny" surface of an optical table. The best way
to avoid these injuries is to always wear your goggles and NEVER
LOWER YOUR HEAD TO THE LEVEL OF THE LASER BEAM! The
laser beam should always be at or below chest level.
4. Always use "beam stops" to intercept laser beams. Never allow
them to propagate into the laboratory. Never walk through a laser
beam. Some laser beams of only a few watts can burn a hole
through a shirt in only a few seconds.
5. If you suspect that you have suffered an eye injury, notify your
instructor or teaching assistant IMMEDIATELY! Your ability to
recover from an eye injury decreases the longer you wait for
treatment.
ADDITIONAL SAFETY GUIDELINES
• Never do unauthorized experiments.

• Never work alone in laboratory.
• Keep your lab space clean and organized.
• Do not leave an on-going experiment unattended.
• Always inform your instructor if you break a thermometer. Do not
clean mercury yourself!!
• Never taste anything. Never pipette by mouth; use a bulb.
• Never use open flames in laboratory unless instructed by TA.
• Check your glassware for cracks and chips each time you use it.
Cracks could cause the glassware to fail during use and cause
serious injury to you or lab mates.
• Maintain unobstructed access to all exits, fire extinguishers,
electrical panels, emergency showers, and eye washes.
• Do not use corridors for storage or work areas.
• Do not store heavy items above table height. Any overhead storage
of supplies on top of cabinets should be limited to lightweight items
only. Also, remember that a 36" diameter area around all fire
sprinkler heads must be kept clear at all times.
• Areas containing lasers, biohazards, radioisotopes, and carcinogens
should be posted accordingly. However, do not post areas
unnecessarily and be sure that the labels are removed when the
hazards are no longer present.
• Be careful when lifting heavy objects. Only shop staff may operate
forklifts or cranes.
• Clean your lab bench and equipment, and lock the door before you
leave the laboratory

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LABORATORY SAFETY

1. It is your responsibility to read safety and fire alarm posters and

Good common sense is needed for safety in a laboratory. It is

PERSONAL AND GENERAL LABORATORY SAFETY

1. Never eat, drink, or smoke while working in the laboratory.

1. Obtain permission before operating any high voltage equipment.

1. Treat every chemical as if it were hazardous.

ADDITIONAL SAFETY GUIDELINES

• Never do unauthorized experiments.

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