The laboratory is a safe place to work if you are careful. However, you will be working with both equipment and materials that can cause injury when not properly handled. Accidents in the lab are generally the result of carelessness, haste, and disregard of safety rules and practices. It is therefore important that you read, understand, and carefully follow these rules when working in the laboratory. To indicate that you have read and understand these General Guidelines, you will be asked to sign and date a statement. Additional information is also attached relating to specific safety practices.

GENERAL GUIDELINES:

l. The laboratory is a place for serious work. Study the lab procedure BEFORE coming to class and be prepared to begin work when you arrive.

2. DO NOT PERFORM UNAUTHORIZED EXPERIMENTS. Complete only those lab activities assigned by your teacher.

3. Follow both written and oral instructions carefully. DO NOT IMPROVISE. Take Data DURING the lab.

4. Set up apparatus' as described by your teacher or lab manual. Never set up or leave any piece of glassware to be used near the edge of the table where it can be knocked onto the floor. Use the designated instrument for handling equipment or apparatus.

5. Be alert and proceed with caution at all times. NEVER leave an experiment unattended. Always mark glassware with a wax pencil and label your chemicals.

6. Keep work space uncluttered. Only lab manuals or directions, notebook, pen/pencil, and calculator should be brought into the work area. All other books, purses, etc. should be left in a designated storage area.

7. Wear clothing appropriate for working in lab. Loose garments such as jackets and ties should be removed. Roll up and secure long sleeves. Jewelry that might present a safety hazard such as dangling necklaces, chains, bracelets, and earrings should not be worn in the lab. Wear provided aprons, safety glasses, gloves, and other personal protection equipment.

8. When open flames are present in the lab, long hair will be tied back or covered.

9. Clean and wipe dry all work surfaces at the end of class or your grade will be lowered. Make sure to use soapy water to clean glassware. Wash your hands thoroughly. You should clean up when instructed - 5 minutes before the end of the period.

10. NEVER bring food or drinks into the lab.

11. Return all equipment and reagents to the proper places when no longer needed. Dispose of chemicals, broken glassware, and other waste materials as directed by your teacher.

12. Know the location of emergency equipment and how to use it.

13. Report all accidents to your teacher.

14. If you miss all or part of a lab, you must do a research project as an alternative assignment. You usually have 1 week before it is due from the time you return to school.

A. WORKING WITH CHEMICALS:

l. All chemicals are potentially harmful. Even those considered "safe" may at sometime in the future be found to cause disorders. It is therefore important to keep chemicals from hands, face, and clothing. Wear protective equipment-- gloves, goggles, and aprons.

2. Keep all combustible materials away from open flames. Be familiar with the CHEM ALERT sign. For ex., RED means flammable.

3. Never put your face near the mouth of a container which holds chemicals. Where determining odors, use a wafting motion to direct the odors to your nose.

4. Never taste or touch any substance in the lab unless specifically instructed to do so by your teacher.

5. Clean up all spills immediately; dispose of waste materials as instructed by your teacher.

6. Double check labels on reagent bottles. Names of very different substances can be nearly alike, and using the wrong substance can lead to accidents.

7. Always use the fume hood when working with posionous or noxious vapors.

8. Take only the amount of reagent needed to perform your experiment. DO NOT return unused reagents to stock bottles. Check to see if any other lab station needs the reagent. If not, inform the teacher.

9. When transferring chemical reagents from one container to another, hold the containers out away from your body. When transferring solid reagents using a spatula or scoopula, always clean the spatula or scoop before using.

10. ALWAYS immediately replace the lid on containers. Never place the stopper of a reagent bottle on the lab table. The inside of the lid should face toward the ceiling.

11. Always add a reagent slowly observing what happens as it is added. NEVER dump one reagent into another.

12. When diluting acid, pour the acid slowly and carefully into the water, stirring constantly. NEVER ADD WATER TO ACID. So much heat is liberated in solution that steam may be formed with almost explosive violence.

13. NEVER use mouth suction to fill a pipette. Use a rubber bulb and constantly watch the tip of the pipette to avoid drawing in air.

14. If any chemical comes in contact with your skin, wash the area thoroughly.

15. Pouring a liquid from a glass stock bottle - demo by teacher.

B. WORKING WITH GLASSWARE:

1. Check all glassware before using for flaws such as cracks and chips. Dispose of flawed glassware in the broken glass container.

2. Never handle broken glass with your bare hands. Use a brush and dustpan to cleanup the broken glass.

3. When inserting glass tubing/thermometers, etc. through a rubber stopper, first lubricate the tube and stopper with water or glycerine. Wrap the tubing with a paper towel or piece of cloth near the end to be inserted, and insert with a twisting motion.

4. Use caution and the proper equipment to handle hot glassware. Hot glass looks the same as cool glass. Use beaker tongs to remove hot beakers. Use test tube holders to help with an experiment. Also, there are crucible tongs for crucibles.

5. Do not heat test tubes too suddenly. Apply the flame intermittently until the apparatus is hot.

6. Always use a ceramic/porcelain centered wire gauze when heating pyrex or kimax glassware.

7. Do not heat graduated cylinders or bottles; they break easily. Test tubes may break if heated above the level of the liquid inside. Evaporating dishes and crucibles may be heated red hot if necessary.

8. Do not attempt to catch falling glassware.

C. WORKING WITH BURNERS:

1. ALWAYS use caution when using a gas burner. Keep your head and clothing away from the flame. Remember that long hair must be tied back. Safety goggles must be worn.

2. ALWAYS turn the burner off when it is not in use.

3. NEVER heat anything without being instructed to do so.

4. NEVER look into a container that is being heated. When heating a substance in a test tube, be certain that the mouth of the test tube is not pointed toward yourself or anyone nearby.

5. Never leave unattended anything that is being heated or is visibly reacting.

6. Keep lab area free of all flammable materials.

D. IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT:

1. Immediately alert your neighbors and teach as to the nature of the accident. REMAIN CALM.

2. If chemicals have been spilled on someone, get the individual under a shower and wash the affect area thoroughly. If chemicals are in the eyes, check for an remove contact lenses. Run water from the eyewash fountain into the eyes for at least 15 minutes.

3. Extinguish very small fires by smothering with an inverted beaker or with clay or sand. Larger fires require the use of a fire extinguisher and evacuation of the room.

4. If clothing catches fire, douse the individual with water or wrap in a fire blanket.

5. Small cuts may be treated in the clinic.

6. Anyone overcome by smoke or fume inhalation, unconscious, or bleeding severely should be removed from the room and proper medical personnel should be called for assistance. In case of serve bleeding, apply appropriate pressure.

7. In cases of emergency, IMMEDIATELY stop the experiment and turn off all burners and electrical devices. If you are directed to leave the room, do so promptly in an orderly manner to avoid confusion and the possibility of injury. Remain calm, quiet, and follow directions from your teacher.

l. SPOTPLATE - Observe by putting white paper on the lack lab top. Stir the mini-experiment using your stirring rod or toothpicks.

2. BEAKERS - To observe liquids in beakers, swirl the glassware or use the stirring rod.

3. GRADUATED CYLINDER - To measure precise volumes of liquids. NEVER WEIGH or HEAT them.

4. TRIPLE-BEAM BALANCE - Pans are not to be removed. Do not put hot items on the pan. Also, to weigh a solid, put the substance on a paper towel or weighing paper first and then weigh it on the balance pan.

5. GLASS TUBING - These should be carried in a vertical position by your hands.

6. MORTAR AND PESTLE - Its purpose is to crush/grind a solid into small pieces or a powder.

7. ERLENMEYER FLASK - These flasks are used for titrations.

8. WATCH GLASS - Can be used to cover an evaporating dish. Also, used to observe a solid or liquid.

9. BURNER - To light a burner the following steps need to be followed: A. hair tied back, B. put rubber tubing (if it needs lubricated, add 2 drops of glycerine) on gas valve about 3 notches in and turn a half. C. Turn on gas valve by 1/4 - 1/2 turn toward you. D. Strike your lighter over burner (1-2 in.) above the burner. E. Adjust gas and air columns.

NOTE: The hottest part of the flame is the top of the inner cone (light blue).

10. FILTERING SET-UP: Filter paper is folded into fourths. Make a cone - wash bottle to wet inside of cone so it adheres to the inside wall of the funnel. Funnel and filter paper apparatus is set up and drain into a beaker. Pass the solution in slowly. Solids (precipitate) will be collected in the filter paper and Liquid (filtrate) will be collected by the beaker.