General Laboratory Safety Rules and Procedures

for the undergraduate students performing laboratory work in the laboratories at

1. Arrive always on time for the laboratory practice (extra time can’t be given for finalizing
the short tests or performing the tasks for the students being late). Repeated failure to arrive
on time will result in expulsion from the lab.

2. Approved lab coats or apron (made of cotton wool preferably) along with appropriate
clothing (e.g. closed toe shoes with socks and long pants) must be worn at all times in the
laboratory. Clothing must cover the entirety of the legs, arms and shoulders to protect against
chemical spills. Clothing must not be loose or flowing to avoid contact with hazardous
chemicals or mechanical equipment. Shoes must cover the entire feet. Shoes with open toes or
other exposed skin (e.g. sandals) are prohibited in the laboratory.

3. Goggles must be worn at all times in the chemistry laboratory, even if you are not
working on an experiment yourself. Safety goggles must offer front, top, bottom, and side
protection. Failure to wear approved eye protection will result in ONE warning; after that, you
will be expelled from the laboratory for the remainder of that lab.

4. In certain cases (e.g. work with bromine or white phosphorous) rubber gloves must be
worn during chemical manipulations.

5. Because contact lenses may absorb certain solvents, they are prohibited in all chemistry
laboratories. Contact lenses also represent a special hazard in the event of a chemical splash
to the eyes. Contact lenses tend to concentrate hazardous chemical materials against the
cornea and prevent tears from washing the hazardous chemical away.

6. Long hair must be confined (cured back and off the shoulders in such a manner as to
prevent it from coming in contact with hazardous chemicals, fire or mechanical equipment,
and to prevent contamination of the work environment) during your stay in the laboratory.

7. No eating, drinking, or chewing is allowed in the laboratory. Deliberately tasting or

8. The use of media devices is prohibited in the laboratory. This includes cell phones, MP3
players, PDA's, tablets and notebooks of all types. You must be focused on your work without
distractions.

9. No visitors may be present in the laboratory without special arrangements or permission.

10. Students are not allowed to work in the laboratory alone. The laboratory instructor or
a teaching assistant must be present at all times.

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11. No unauthorized experiments will be performed. Use only small portions of chemicals
to perform the tests (1-2 cm 3 of solutions and size of a lentil grain for the solids if not stated
otherwise).

12. Horseplay, practical jokes, and/or rowdiness are not allowed in the laboratory.

13. Following instruction on the first day of laboratory all students are required to know
the locations and proper use of safety showers, eye wash fountains, fire extinguishers,
fire blankets, and first aid kits in the laboratory. Any nonfunctioning safety equipment
must be reported immediately to your teaching assistant.

14. Be prepared (you must come to the lab well prepared and knowing the basis of the
chemical and safety procedures associated with the experiments to be performed).

15. Maintain an orderly arrangement of the apparatus, glassware, and materials in your
work area. Work only with clean and unhurt equipment.

16. Wash your hands often during the work with chemicals. Hand washing must be
conducted before taking a break and at the end of each laboratory session.

17. Experiments mustn’t be left unattended. Open flame devices must never be left
unattended, e.g. hot plate, Bunsen burner, etc.

18. Aisles must not be obstructed in any way. No equipment, chairs, supplies are permitted
in exit passageways or aisles (coats and bags must be stored in the lockers).

19. Doors to the laboratories will be (and must) kept closed during lab class time, but exit
doors must not be blocked, bolted, or obstructed in any way to block access. Each person
must know the location of the closest exit door and in case of an emergency (emergency
signal) she/he has to leave the lab through this door. Even in the case of emergency the
experiment in progress must be stopped/stored safely.

20. Be aware of your surroundings and your lab-mates. If you see an unsafe practice, do
not hesitate to report the instructor about it!

20. Never use mouth to fill a pipette. Pipette bulbs are available in the laboratory (one per
each cabinet).

21. Never direct the open end of test tube toward yourself or anyone else.

22. Never pour water into concentrated acid. Handle and dispense concentrated acids (e.g.,
HCl, HNO3, H2SO4) and bases (e.g., NaOH, KOH, NH 3) with extreme caution and only in the
fume hood as directed by the lab instructor. Use the fume hoods also when toxic or irritating
vapors are involved (CO, SO2, NH3, H2S, etc.). Know how to smell properly the vapors
evolved in the reaction.

23. In the event that your skin (hands, arms, face, etc.) comes into contact with laboratory
chemicals, wash the affected area quickly and thoroughly with soap and water. Use the

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eye wash fountain to flush chemicals from the eyes and face. GET HELP IMMEDIATELY!
Do not rub the affected area with your hands before washing, especially the face or eyes.

24. Chemical spillage over a large part of the body requires immediate action. Flood the
affected area for couple of minutes with tap water. Remove contaminated clothing if
necessary. Use a mild detergent and water only. Get medical attention if needed.

25. Acid and base spills must be neutralized (sodium bicarbonate solution for acids; 1%
acetic acid for bases) followed by washing the affected surface (but the eyes) with plenty of
water. Organic chemical spills and mercury spills must be reported immediately to your
laboratory instructor, who will be responsible for directing the clean-up procedure.

26. Your laboratory instructor must be notified at once of any accident or injury even if
it appears to be minor.

27. Pay attention and follow all chemical waste disposal procedures and use designated
waste containers as directed by the lab instructor. See the lab instructor with any questions
regarding chemical disposal.

28. Clean up any chemical spill. Before leaving the laboratory, make sure your work area is
clean and dry. Ensure that all gas, water valves and electrical equipment are completely
turned off. Collect the equipments belonging to your cabinet before leaving. Close the
cabinet with the lock and return the key to intsructor(s) (unless you are using your own lock
as in this case the key form the lock remains with you while the key form the cabinet must be
returned to the instructor).

29. To avoid contamination, keep lids on reagent bottles, never return unused chemicals
to the original container (this is why you should know the quantity that is desired to take for
the reaction), and always double-check the names of any chemicals before using (similar
names may correspond to chemically different substances (e.g. potassium chloride (KCl) vs.
potassium chlorate (KClO3)) with very different chemical reactivity).

30. Your instructor is available for any assistance you may need. Never hesitate to ask
questions especially if there is any question concerning proper operating procedure. Be sure
that you understand every instruction before proceeding.

We, the undersigned, have read these laboratory safety rules and agree to observe them
during the laboratory course.

# Printed Name Signature

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Course: _______________________________

Date: _______________________________

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Safety exposition given by _______________________________ (signature of the instructor)

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