LABORATORY SAFETY RULES
Common sense prevents accidents • • • •
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Do not enter the laboratory until your teacher asks you to come in Never run in the laboratory Never touch equipment in the laboratory unless you are told to use it Never tamper with power points Wear covered in shoes in the laboratory, safety goggles when doing experiments and hairnets when using the Bunsen burners Never carry large bottles by the neck Never open a bottle near a naked flame Always hold glass tubing close to the cork when pushing it into a hole Never taste chemicals Never mix chemicals at random - it might be dangerous Always point test tubes away from people Keep books, paper, long hair and clothing away from flames Always handle hot equipment with tongs After heating equipment, let it cool down before picking it up – this avoids burns! Never look downwards into a beaker Don’t use paper to light Bunsen burners, and don’t put burning things in the rubbish bin Check with your teacher on how to dispose of waste liquids and solids – broken glass should not be put directly into the rubbish bin If you spill something on your skin or clothes, wash it immediately with lots of water and tell your teacher Report all accidents and breakages to your teacher Always clean equipment after use and put it back where you got it from – anything that cannot be cleaned with hot soapy water should be referred to the teacher for further attention Clean your work bench if there is a spill and following experiments
