Safety in Science class : Laboratory safety rules

Despite the many hours that our students spend doing experimental work in science laboratories, accidents over the years have been few.

BUT to maintain this good record, ALL students and parents should familiarize themselves with the laboratory rules and procedures, which follow. These rules are based upon those prepared by a committee of safety experts for the Association for Science Education.

Any student who seriously or repeatedly breaks these rules will be reported to the Principal, and may be denied the privilege of participating in practical work in the Experimental Sciences.

The biggest danger in the laboratory is YOU!

When and why are you a danger? You are a danger whenever you are IGNORANT or CARELESS. Remember this, because the person most likely to suffer from your mistakes is you!

IGNORANCE

Attend very carefully to any instructions and warnings. If you are not sure what to do, ASK FIRST.

KNOW the locations of safety appliances such as safety showers, eye fountains and fire extinguishers, and KNOW HOW TO USE THEM.

Do NOT enter a laboratory unless authorized to do so by a teacher or lab technician.

CARELESSNESS

THINK before you act. CONCENTRATE on what you are doing. Lots of dangers are obvious if you think first. If an accident happens, KEEP CALM - don't rush into stupid action in a panic. Tell your teacher at once about any accident.

What are the DANGERS? The main ones are:

• Cuts and burns

• Eye damage

• Electric shock

• Poisoning

• Fires

• Explosions

CUTS AND BURNS

Much laboratory apparatus is made of glass - use it carefully and sensibly or it will break and you may cut yourself. ALWAYS report anything you have broken, or anything that you find broken - don't just push it into a cupboard for someone else to find and cut himself or herself on!

NEVER try to push glass tubing through a cork or rubber bung - ask your teacher to do this for you.

Be very careful with scalpels and razors - never wander around the lab with an open blade in your hand. Cutting instruments should be kept really sharp; a blunt one requires more force, and may cause damage if it slips.

BURNS are often caused by picking up a hot piece of apparatus in your fingers before it has had time to cool. Remember that some things can remain hot for a surprisingly long time after you have stopped heating them. If you burn yourself, run cold water over the burn IMMEDIATELY.

Use bunsens near the back of the bench, so that you are less likely to get your hair and clothes burned. Tie back long hair for safety.

Always leave a yellow flame showing if you have to leave your bunsen, and remember to have an insulating mat underneath it.

EYE DAMAGE

Your eyes are very precious - look after them. They are very easily damaged, and a particle or a chemical in the eye can be very painful indeed, even if it does not cause a permanent injury.

Follow the instructions given to you by your teacher about the wearing of SAFETY SPECTACLES.

If one of your classmates gets a chemical in an eye, it is important to act at once - SECONDS COUNT! Call the teacher, and wash the eye gently with lots of cold water.

It is very dangerous to use a microscope where there is direct sunlight shining. If sunlight is accidentally reflected up through the microscope, your eye could be permanently damaged - remember what a burning glass can do!

ELECTRIC SHOCK

Electricity can also cause burns but the main danger is electric shock.

• NEVER try to push anything other than the proper plug into a mains socket.

• NEVER handle electrical apparatus with wet hands.

• NEVER take the cover off a piece of equipment plugged into the mains.

• NEVER unplug a piece of apparatus by pulling on its cable.

• ALWAYS check apparatus for loose or bare wires before plugging in.

• ALWAYS ensure that the switch is off before plugging in.

POISONING

There are many hidden dangers in the lab. Remember, IGNORANCE is your worst enemy, and this applies especially to poisonous substances, some of which can make you ill even though you may not notice the effect at the time.

• NEVER taste anything in the lab unless your teacher tells you to do so.

• NEVER eat or bring food into a lab - the food may absorb a poisonous chemical or germ without your knowing it.

• NEVER apply cosmetics in a laboratory.

• NEVER fill a pipette by suction; use a pipette filler.

• LABEL any chemical you have to leave after a lesson, so that others know what it is.

• DISPOSE of chemical wastes according to the instructions given to you by your teacher - remember that toxic chemicals going down the sink will probably find their way into someone's drinking water.

• ALWAYS wash your hands after working in a lab.

• ALWAYS wipe your bench clean if you spill anything.

Gases and vapours are often poisonous, so:

• Use a fume cupboard if your experiment gives off fumes.

• Use only small quantities of chemicals.

• Use a spatula for handling powders; the dust may be poisonous.

• Never stick your nose directly over the top of a test tube to smell it; waft the fumes carefully towards you with your hand if you need to test them.

• Keep bacteria and fungus cultures covered; they can easily get out into the air.

Some chemicals soak very easily through the skin and can pass into the bloodstream. They are seldom met at school, but it is best to handle ALL chemicals with care. If a chemical gets on your skin, wash it off at once.

Some substances are only safely handled when wearing protective gloves.

Note that in all CHEMISTRY courses students are required to wear laboratory coats or aprons for experimental work.

WHAT TO DO ABOUT FIRE

In the lab you will come across many substances which catch fire easily. Flammable liquids should NEVER be heated directly with a bunsen - use a hot water bath or electrical heater.

In the event of any fire, CALL YOUR TEACHER.

NEVER try to blow it out - it doesn't work, and usually makes things worse! If a small amount of a burning liquid spreads across the bench, it will probably go out of its own accord. Keep calm and call the teacher.

Always STAND, when heating a flammable liquid. If you were sitting with your knees under the bench and the container broke, you could be badly burned.

Use a proper lighter for lighting a bunsen - NEVER paper. Paper is difficult to put out, and you may end up setting the waste bin on fire.

Be very careful about throwing chemicals away - if in doubt ask your teacher. Some may smoulder for a while in the waste bin before catching fire. Some things, especially flammable liquids, could cause an explosion if put down the sink.

EXPLOSIONS

In this section we are not only talking about the kind of big bang you get when you let off a firework - that kind of explosion is fortunately not too common in the school lab. More often we get a small "pop" and the contents of someone's test tube suddenly shoot across the room. Here are some simple safety rules for heating or mixing chemicals:

• ALWAYS use the correct test tube holder.

• ALWAYS point the mouth of the test tube away from other people and yourself.

• ALWAYS concentrate.

• WEAR safety spectacles and a laboratory coat.

• WORK at arm's length.

• NEVER distract other people from what they are doing.

If you have ever thought it might be fun to try your hand at homemade fireworks, there is one simple rule - DON'T. There are plenty of people around who have not heeded this rule, and who have missing eyes or fingers to prove it. The same goes for any experiment in the lab which you have not been told to do. Ask your teacher before trying something new.

CLEARING UP

• Return all apparatus to its correct place.

• Wipe down your bench space carefully.

• Wipe up any spilt liquid on the floor; someone could slip on it.

• Think before you get rid of rubbish, and put it in the right place.

• Leave your stool neatly under the bench.

• Wash your hands.

GENERAL ADVICE

• Keep the aisles between benches clear of stools, bags, etc.

• Never run in the lab.

• Never throw things in the lab.

• Never shout across the lab to a classmate.

• Never interfere with anyone else's experiment, nor with apparatus which has been left from a previous class or set out for a subsequent one.

• Don't distract others.

• Don’t wear bulky outdoor clothing in the lab.

• Remember that long hair, loose sleeves etc. are not only a fire hazard, they can also get caught up in mechanical devices.

• Learn these lab rules; you should know them well, and your parents should be familiar with them, too.

ENJOY YOUR SCIENCE, BUT SAFELY