Ch100: Fundamentals for Chemistry 1
Instructor: Tony Zable Emergency: Dial x4444
Lab Safety & Etiquette
Safety is of utmost importance. When you are working in the laboratory, please observe
the following rules:
1. Obtain a pair of department approved safety glasses, and wear them at all times. Eyes
are irreplaceable!!
2. Be sure to wash your hands after each experiment.
3. Know the location of the fire extinguishers, fire blankets, showers, and eyewash
stations. Accidents are usually minor, but it is always wise to be prepared for serious
trouble.
4. Never smell or taste anything in the laboratory unless specifically directed to do so.
Many chemicals are dangerous.
5. Neither food nor drink is permitted in the laboratory.
6. Always check the label on the bottle before using a chemical reagent. If you use the
wrong reagent, you may have a serious explosion.
7. Perform experiments that generate an objectionable gas under a fume hood.
8. Never use chipped, cracked or broken glassware.
9. When inserting glass tubing into a cork, make sure that the end of the tubing has been
fire polished and that lubricant is used.
10. Do not pick up hot objects with your fingers. Allow heated glass sufficient to cool.
11. When diluting an acid, pour the acid slowly into the water. Never add the water to the
acid.
12. Do not perform any unauthorized experiment. If you have an idea for improving an
experiment or for a new experiment, consult your instructor.
13. Bare feet or open shoes cannot be permitted in the lab.
14. Be familiar with the escape route in case there is a fire alarm.
15. Report all injuries to your instructor.
16. Never point the opening of a heated test tube at another person.
17. Do not take reagent bottles to your lab bench for your personal use. Pour the
approximate amount you need from the bottle into a small container, and carry this
back to your desk.
18. Never put excess reagent back into the original bottle. There is always a chance of
error and subsequent contamination of the original reagent. If you do not know how
to dispose of the chemical, ask your instructor for instructions.
19. Never weight reagents or chemicals directly on a balance or scale. First, weight an
empty container or zero the container. Then add your reagent to it and reweigh.
20. Dispose waste into designated containers when directed to do so.
Failure to observe these rules may be cause for expulsion!
