General Safety Rules
DO:
1. Wear lab coats (knee-length) and appropriate eye protection (minimum safety goggles).
2. Keep clean work places free of unwanted chemicals, biological specimens, radios, and idle equipment.
3. Keep exits and passageways clear at all times.
4. Become familiar with the locations and operation of safety and emergency facilities such as the fire
extinguishers, first aid kits, emergency wash facilities, fire alarm pull stations, telephones, and emergency
exits.
5. Wash hands before leaving the laboratory.
6. Leave behind protective clothing (lab coats, gloves, etc.) when leaving the laboratory to eat.
7. Remove contaminated cloths immediately.
8. Wash before eating, drinking, smoking, or applying make-up.
9. Tie or otherwise restrain long hair when working with chemicals, biohazards, radioisotopes, or moving
machinery.
10. Work only with materials when you know their flammability, reactivity, toxicity, safe handling, storage
and properly operating emergency procedures.
11. Perform all procedures involving the liberation of volatile materials or aerosols of a toxic or flammable
nature in a fume hood.
12. Place sharp objects (syringe needles, broken glass, blades, etc.) in a labeled rigid container before disposal.
Materials contaminated with bio-hazardous agents should first be autoclaved.
13. Keep wet hands and water away from electrical equipment.
14. Secure your compressed cylinders.
15. Perform a safety check at the end of each experiment - make sure that gas, water, electricity, vacuum lines,
air and heaters have been turned off and decontaminate any equipment or work areas which may have been
in contact with hazardous materials.
16. Lock laboratory when unoccupied.
17. Store coats, packs, etc., in areas provided, not around the lab bench.
18. Pay strict attention to all instructions before undertaking an experiment. If you do not understand, ask.
19. Clean up apparatus and work areas at the end of the lab period.
20. Set up apparatus so that it is not necessary to reach through the assembly to turn water, gas or electricity
off.
21. Assemble apparatus so that control valves and switches will remain accessible if a fire should occur.
22. Be aware of what neighboring laboratory personnel are doing.
DO NOT:
1. Wear open shoes, such as sandals, in the lab.
2. Block access to emergency equipment (eyewashes, safety showers and fire extinguishers).
3. Pipette by mouth.
4. Pour water into acid.
5. Return unused chemicals to stock bottles.
6. Run, walk in the lab.
7. Carry hazardous chemicals between the lab and storage rooms by hand. Use secondary containers.
8. Place chemicals where they will cause trip hazards, or are liable to cause personal injury. Reagent bottles,
empty or full should not be left on the floor.
9. Place chemicals near incompatible substances that may cause them to react.
10. Leave chemicals or experiments unattended.
11. Store food, food containers, drinking glasses in the laboratory.
12. Keep food in refrigerators at the laboratory.
13. Sniff or taste chemicals.
14. Smoke, eat, or drink, food, beverages or tobacco in laboratories.
15. Apply cosmetics or lip-balm in the laboratory.
16. Engage in horseplay or other act or mischief in the lab.
17. Perform unauthorized experiments.
18. Remove chemicals from the lab unless directed otherwise from the instructor/supervisor.
19. Use damaged or broken equipment when handling or experimenting with chemicals.
