Safety Rules and Guidelines for Chemistry
(Adapted
from Flinn Scientific’s Safety Guidelines)
Link
to "STUDENT SAFETY AGREEMENT
PURPOSE: Chemistry is a
hands-on laboratory class. You will
be doing many laboratory activities this year.
These will require the use of various chemicals, burners and glassware.
Safety in the chemistry classroom is the top priority for you, the
students, for your parents and for me. To
ensure a safe chemistry classroom, I have developed a list of rules.
Your agreement to abide by these guidelines and rules constitute our
safety agreement. These rules must
be followed at all times. A copy of
the attached “Agreement” must be signed by
both you and a parent or guardian before you can participate in the laboratory.
This copy of the Safety Rules and Guidelines is to be kept in your class
notebook as a constant reminder of the safety rules.
GENERAL GUIDELINES:
1.
Conduct yourself in a responsible, thoughtful manner at all times in the
laboratory.
2.
Follow all written and verbal instructions carefully.
If you do not understand a direction or part of a procedure, ask the
instructor before proceeding.
3.
Never work alone. No student
may work in the laboratory without an instructor present.
4.
Do not touch any equipment, chemicals, or other materials in the
laboratory area until you are instructed to do so.
5.
Do not eat food, drink beverages, or chew gum in the laboratory.
Do not use laboratory glassware as containers for food or beverages.
[Drinking water from ones own water bottle in the classroom (desk) area
only is allowed.]
6.
Perform only those experiments authorized by the instructor.
Never do anything in the laboratory that is not called for in the
laboratory procedures or by your instructor.
Carefully follow all instructions, both written and oral.
Unauthorized experiments are prohibited.
7.
Be prepared for your work in the laboratory.
Read all procedures thoroughly before entering the laboratory.
Horseplay, practical jokes, and pranks are dangerous and prohibited.
8.
Water play with distilled water bottles or faucets is never permitted.
9.
Observe good housekeeping practices. Work areas should be kept clean and tidy at all times.
Bring only your laboratory instructions, worksheets, and/or reports to
the work area. Other materials
(books, purses, backpacks, etc.) should be left at the desk areas.
10.
Keep the floor area around the lab work areas clear.
Push any unused stool under the lab benches when not in use.
11.
Know the locations and operating procedures of all safety equipment
including the first aid kit, eyewash station, safety shower, fire extinguisher,
and fire blanket. Know where the
fire alarm and the exits are located.
12.
Always work in a well-ventilated area.
Use the fume hood when working with volatile substances or poisonous
vapors. Never place your head into
the fume hood.
13.
Be alert and proceed with caution at all times in the laboratory.
Notify the instructor immediately of any unsafe conditions you observe.
14.
Dispose of all chemical waste properly.
Follow specific instructions (oral or written) for chemical disposal on
each lab activity. Check the label of all waste containers twice before adding
your chemical waste to the container.
15.
Never mix chemicals in sink drains. Sinks are to be used only for water and those solutions
designated by the instructor. Solid
chemicals, metals, matches, filter paper, and all other insoluble materials are
to be disposed of in the proper waste containers, not in the sink.
16.
Chemical container labels must be read carefully before use.
Set up and use the prescribed apparatus as directed in the laboratory
instructions or by your instructor.
17.
Keep hands away from face, eyes, mouth and body while using chemicals.
Wash your hands with soap and water after performing all experiments.
Clean, rinse, and wipe dry all work surfaces (including sink area) and
apparatus at the end of the experiment. Return
all equipment clean, dry and in working order to the designated area or cart.
18.
Experiments must be personally monitored at all times.
Do not wander around the room, distract other students, or interfere with
the laboratory experiments of others.
19.
You will choose a lab station at which to work.
You will use equipment from common lab station drawers.
You are responsible to keep the proper equipment in the drawers.
Seek replacements for missing or broken equipment from the teacher.
Do not look for missing equipment in another lab group’s drawers.
20.
Students are never permitted in the teacher offices and lab prep rooms
unless given specific permission by their instructor.
21.
Know what to do if there is a fire drill during a laboratory period;
containers must be closed, gas valves turned off, fume hoods turned off, and any
electrical equipment turned off.
22.
Wear laboratory goggles any time chemicals, heat, or glassware are used.
No exceptions.
23.
Contact lenses should not be worn in the laboratory unless you have
permission from your instructor.
24.
During lab activities long hair, dangling jewelry, and loose or baggy
clothing (ties) must be secured. Shoes
must completely cover the foot. No
sandals or open-backed shoes allowed.
25.
Lab aprons are always available and may be worn at any time during the
lab activities.
26.
Report any accident (spill, breakage, etc.) or injury (cut, burn, etc.)
to the instructor immediately, no matter how trivial it may appear.
27.
If a chemical should splash in your eye(s) or on your skin, immediately
flush with running water from the sink or eyewash station for at least 10
minutes.
28.
When mercury thermometers are broken, mercury must not be touched.
Notify the instructor immediately.
29.
All chemicals in the laboratory are to be considered dangerous.
Never taste chemicals in the laboratory.
Do not touch or smell any chemical unless specifically instructed to do
so. The proper technique for smelling chemical fumes will be
demonstrated to you.
30.
Check the label on chemical bottles twice before removing any of the
contents. Take only as much
chemical as you need.
31.
Never return unused chemicals to their original containers.
32.
Always put the appropriate lids or stoppers back on the stock bottles or
containers immediately when you are finished.
Many chemicals absorb moisture from the air.
33.
No chemicals may be removed from the chemistry classroom without the
explicit permission of the instructor.
34.
Never use mouth suction to fill a pipet.
Use a rubber bulb or pipet pump.
35.
When transferring reagents from one container to another, hold the
containers away from your body.
36.
Concentrated acids must be handled with extreme care.
You will be shown the proper method for diluting strong acids.
Always add acid to water, swirl or stir the solution and be careful of
the heat produced, particularly with sulfuric acid.
37.
Handle flammable hazardous liquids over a pan to contain the spills.
Never dispense flammable liquids anywhere near an open flame or source of
heat.
38.
Take great care when transferring acids or other chemicals from one part
of the laboratory to another. Hold
them securely with both hands and walk carefully.
39.
Carry glass tubing, especially long pieces, in a vertical position to
minimize the likelihood of breakage and injury.
40.
Never handle broken glass with your bare hands.
Use a brush and dustpan to clean up broken glass.
Place broken or waste glassware in the designated glass disposal
container.
41.
When removing an electrical plug from its socket, grasp the plug, not the
electrical cord. Hands must be
completely dry before touching an electrical switch, plug, or outlet.
42.
Examine glassware before each use. Never use chipped or cracked glassware. Never use dirty glassware.
43.
Report damaged electrical equipment immediately.
Look for things such as frayed cords, exposed wires, and loose
connections. Do not use damaged
electrical equipment.
44.
Place the ring on a ringstand so that the ring is over the base.
45.
If you do not understand how to use a piece of equipment, ask the
instructor for help.
46.
Do not immerse hot glassware in cold water; it may shatter.
47.
Exercise extreme caution when using a gas burner.
Take care that hair, clothing and hands are a safe distance from the
flame at all times. Do not put any
substance into the flame unless specifically instructed to do so.
Never reach over an exposed flame. Light
gas burners only as instructed by the teacher.
48.
Never leave a lit burner unattended. Never leave anything that is being heated or is visibly
reacting unattended. Always turn
the burner or hot plate off when not in use.
49.
You will be instructed in the proper method for heating and boiling
liquids in test tubes. Do not point
the open end of a test tube being heated at yourself or anyone else.
50.
Heated metals and glass remain very hot for a long time.
They should be set aside to cool and picked up with caution.
Use tongs or heat-protective gloves if necessary.
51.
Never look into a container that is being heated.
52. Do not place hot apparatus directly on the laboratory desk. Always use an insulating pad, wire screen or ceramic gauze. Allow plenty of time for hot apparatus to cool before touching it.
53. When bending glass, allow time for the glass to cool before further handling. Hot and cold glass have the same visual appearance. Determine if an object is hot by bringing the back of your hand close to it prior to grasping it.
Link to "STUDENT SAFETY AGREEMENT
