SAFETY IN THE

SCIENCE LAB

General Safety RulesGeneral Safety Rules

1. Listen to or read instructions carefully before attempting to do anything.

2. Wear safety goggles to protect your eyes from chemicals, heated materials, or things that might be able to shatter.

3. Notify your teacher if any spills or accidents occur.

General Safety RulesGeneral Safety Rules

4. After handling chemicals, always wash your hands with soap

and water.5. During lab work, keep your

hands away from your face.6. Tie back long hair.

General Safety RulesGeneral Safety Rules

7. Roll up loose sleeves.8. Know the location of the fire

extinguisher, fire blanket, eyewash station, and first aid kit.

9. Keep your work area uncluttered. Take to the lab station only what is necessary.

General Safety RulesGeneral Safety Rules

10. It is suggested that you wear glasses rather than contact lenses.

11. Never put anything into your mouth during a lab experiment.

12. Clean up your lab area at the conclusion of the laboratory

period.13. Never “horse around” or play

practical jokes in the laboratory.

Glassware SafetyGlassware Safety

1. Chipped or cracked glassware should not be used. Show it to the teacher.

2. Broken glassware should not be disposed of in a classroom

trashcan. There is a special glass disposal container for it.

3. Do not place hot glassware in water. Rapid cooling may make it shatter.

Chemical SafetyChemical Safety

1. Wear protective goggles whenever heating liquids or observing rapid reactions, e.g., baking soda and vinegar.

2. Never mix chemicals together unless you are told to do so (and then only in the manner specified).

3. Never taste any chemicals (you should never taste anything in the lab).

Chemical SafetyChemical Safety

4. If you need to smell the odor of a chemical, waft the fumes toward your nose with one hand. Do not put your nose over the container and inhale the fumes.

5. Never pour water into a concentrated acid. Acid

should be poured slowly into water.

Chemical SafetyChemical Safety

6. Follow the instructions of your teacher when disposing of all chemicals.

a. Chemicals are never returned to their stock bottles.

b. Except for acids and bases, liquids are never put down the sink; put them in the assigned waste container.

c. Solvents such as alcohol, paint thinner and acetone are flammable. Never put them in the sink.

Electrical SafetyElectrical Safety

1. Lay electrical cords where no one can trip on them or get caught in them.

2. Unplug cords by pulling the plug and not the cord.

3. Never poke anything into electrical outlets.

Heating SafetyHeating Safety

1. Let burners and hotplates cool down before touching them. Test to see if they are cool enough by bringing the back of your hand

close to them.2. Use tongs and/or protective

gloves to handle hot objects.3. Never reach across an open

flame or burner.

Heating SafetyHeating Safety

4. Never leave a burner or hotplate unattended.

5. Always point test tubes that are being heated away from people.

6. When heating a test tube, move it around slowly over the flame

to distribute the heat evenly.

First AidFirst Aid

Injury: BurnsWhat To Do: Immediately flush with

cold water until burning sensation is lessened.

First AidFirst Aid

Injury: Cuts, bruisesWhat To Do: Cover minor cuts with a

band-aid.

Pressing directly on minor cuts will stop bleeding in

a few minutes. Apply cold compress to bruises to reduce swelling.

First AidFirst Aid

Injury: EyesWhat To Do: Flush eyes

immediately with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes. If a foreign object is lodged in

the eye, do not allow the eye to be rubbed.

First AidFirst Aid

Injury: Spills on the skinWhat To Do: Flush with large

quantities of water. For acid spills, apply baking soda solution. For base spills, apply vinegar or boric acid.

Fire SafetyFire Safety

Burns are the most common lab injury.To start a fire you need three things:

1. Fuel – something to burn2. Oxygen- combines with the fuel to produce a chemical reaction called combustion or burning3. Kindling temperature – the heat needed to start the fuel burning.

Fire SafetyFire Safety

Fires are classified by the fuel type.Class A: wood, paper, clothing, grass

*put out with a water extinquisher

Class B: Grease, oil, paint.* use a dry chemical extinquisher

Class C: Electrical fires* use a CO2

Class D: Combustible metals like magnesium, sodium and

lithium. *Smother with sand.

Hazard Labels: WHMIS

Workplace Hazardous

Materials Information

SystemSymbols for products used at school

Hazard Labels: WHMIS

BIOHAZARDOUS: blood, bacteria, viruses

CORROSIVE: chemical burns

FLAMMABLE

COMPRESSED GAS

Hazard Labels: WHMIS

OXIDIZING Agent: a source of oxygen.

POISONOUS: act quickly. Most

household chemicals and cleaners contain this symbol

DANGEROUSLY REACTIVE

TOXIC: slower effects to the body.

Asbestos and Arsenic are toxic.

Hazard symbol labels

Household hazard symbols

Equipment

Test Tube Ring clamp

Equipment

Bunsen Burner Graduated cylinder

Equipment

Erlenmeyer Flask Test Tube Holder

Equipment

Ring Stand

Tweezers or Forceps

Equipment

Medicine dropperEye dropper or Pipette

Goggles

Equipment

Rubber Stoppers Beakers