Chemistry Laboratory Safety 

If there is an emergency, call  911 from any phone in the Science building.  

Safety in the laboratory is very important.  You must follow the following rules and behave in a appropriate manner at all times.  Your laboratory course time is your scheduled time to do your work.  Specific written permission is required from your lab instructor for any exceptions.  No guests are allowed in the chemistry labs.  Only students who are registered for the lab course and time are permitted to be in the lab. 

Before you begin any experiment, you must read the procedure to determine the potential hazards.  Be sure you know where to put the waste.  All glass must be disposed in the glass waste container. 

Appropriate attire is required for lab safety.

• Eye protection must be worn over the eyes at all times that the lab drawers are open.  Your goggles must be OSHA approved.  Many glasses that are available at hardware stores are not OSHA approved.  If you do not have OSHA approved goggles, you will not be allowed to work in lab.  (OSHA: Occupational Safety and Health Administration.)
• We recommend that you do not wear contact lenses.  
• You must wear closed toe shoes.
• Keep long hair pulled back.
• Clothing that covers the body and legs is highly recommended.
• If you are pregnant or nursing, you must contact your lab instructor immediately.

Responsible behavior is required for lab safety.

• Smoking, eating, chewing gum or tobacco, drinking, or applying cosmetics are not allowed in the lab.  Do not put anything in your mouth while working in the chemistry lab.
• Wash hands frequently while in the lab and at the end of each lab period.
• Know the location and how to use the fire extinguisher, fire blanket, eyewash fountain, and safety shower.
• Gloves should be used when handling toxic or corrosive chemicals.
• Never use an open flame in the vicinity of flammable substances.
• Keep your face away from the opening of the vessel when mixing reagents, when applying heat to a reaction mixture, or when testing for an odor. 
• Clamp all apparatus firmly, especially when heating, cooling, or performing vacuum filtration.
• When inserting glass tubing into stoppers, lubricate the glass with glycerin and wrap the tubing in a towel to protect your hands.  
• Only evacuate round-bottom flasks or thick-walled filter flasks. Never evacuate normal erlenmeyer flasks, even with an aspirator.
• Unlabeled containers of chemicals are not to be stored in your locker. Labels should include description of the contents (compound name) and a page reference to your lab notebook.

Proper waste disposal is essential for lab safety.

• Evaporate solvents in the fume hood.
• Unused material that you have removed from the reagent bottle should be placed into a proper disposal container.
• Glass waste must be put in the glass waste container. No Exceptions!
• Mercury spills (even a broken thermometer) or major spills of acids or bases are to be reported immediately to the instructor.

Etiquette is necessary for lab safety.

• At the end of each lab period, clear your counter-top and wipe with a damp paper towel. Clean up all spills promptly.
• All reagents and solvents are to be returned to their proper places immediately when no longer in use. 

Hazard Warning: CAUTION---the solids, liquids and gaseous substances, and combinations thereof, used in experiments are potentially hazardous in one or more of the following ways:

• they may be irritants to, or have caustic action on, the skin, mucous membranes, lungs, and eyes;
• they may be systemic poisons;
• they may be flammable or explosive.

Origin of hazards: Unexpected and possibly dangerous situations can result from one or more of the following:

• incorrect transfer and handling procedures.
• incorrect reaction temperatures.
• using incorrect amounts of chemicals.
• incorrect order of addition of two or more substances.
• incorrect rate of addition of two or more substances
• using one or more incorrect substances.
• incorrect disposal of chemicals.
• incorrect dilution of concentrated acids (Reminder: acids are ALWAYS added to water slowly, carefully, with stirring).

(Cut at the dotted line and hand in the signed portion of this page to the Stockroom).

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I have read and understood all of the foregoing safety precautions.  I understand that there are risks to myself and others.  Therefore, I agree to abide by the above rules and I will behave in a responsible manner.

_________________________________ _____________ ____________

signature/ locker number/ date

Last updated by K.Stone on 09/07/2004