LABORATORY RULES AND

SAFETY

DO’S IN THE LABORATORY

1. Know your equipment and their correct use before manipulatingthem. Handle all
equipmentcarefully.
2. Know the procedure for the experiment and the principles involved in each
exercise.
3. Begin your work on time and work thoughtfully andcautiously.
4. Consult your instructor about any doubt in the experiment procedures and/or in a
chemical reaction.
5. Report at once to your instructor and laboratory custodianany:
a) Loss or breakage ofequipment.
b) Accident that happened during the performance ofan experiment.
6. Label all reagents in the laboratory to prevent serious mistakes orinjuries caused by
the use of wrongchemicals.
7. Clean all equipment used before keeping them in your lockers or before returning them
to the stock room. Keep your working table and theroom clean and orderly before
leaving theplace.
8. After finishing the assigned laboratory work, submit all reports tothe instructor.

DONT’S IN THE LABORATORY

1. Do not taste the reagent unless directed to doso.
2. Do not inhale directly the reagents. Test the odor by wafting towardyour nose a hand
scoop of the vapor from the mouth of thecontainer.
3. Do not look down directly into a glass container to view thecontents. Look from
the side of thecontainer.
4. Do not point the mouth of the test tube toward your face or towardyour neighbor while
heating itscontents.
5. Do not heat the material in the container that is tightlystoppered.
6. Do not pour water to concentrated acid. Always add acid to thewater.
7. Do not use cracked glasswares.
8. Do not insert with bare hands an unlubricated glass tube; glass rod or thermometer to
a rubber stopper. Lubricate the stopper and glasstube with a wet piece of clean cloth
and insert the glass tube in a twisting motion.
9. Do not pipet a liquid reagent by mouth. Use a rubberaspirator.
 10. Do not hold any solid reagent with bare fingers. Usespatula.
11. Do not light a match or do not use an open flame whenflammable chemicals arenearby.
12. Do not perform experiments with the apparatus under your face.Hold equipment at arm’s length from
yourbody.
13. Do not work on chemicals with heavy or toxic vapors in the open-air. Perform the work in a well-
ventilatedhood.
14. Do not perform any experiment not authorized by theinstructor.
15. Do not neglect WARNINGS suggested by theexperiment.
16. Do not EAT, DRINK, SMOKE, SLEEP, or PLAY in thelaboratory.
17. Do not panic when an accident happens in the laboratory. Report accidents at once to
yourinstructor.

CONSERVING MATERIALS AND ENERGY

1. Do not bring the stock reagent bottles to your working tables. Do nottake out excess reagents. Only the
needed amount should be drawn from the stockbottles.
2. Do not return unused reagents into the stock reagent bottles to prevent contamination.
3. Do not pour acid into the sink to prevent corrosion of the drainagesystem. Dispose excess acid into waste
acidjars.
4. Do not leave the faucet and the gas cock open or the lighting and the electrical heating equipment “on”
when not in use. Always turn themoff afteruse.
FIRST AID TIPS
Minor Burns and Scalds
o Soak burned area in cold water or apply ice wrapped with a pieceof cloth until the pain isrelieved.
o For scalds, do not prick, break, drain or remove the burned skin.Apply Vaseline or burn ointment and
cover it with sterilegauze.

Chemical Burns
o Wash the affected area thoroughly with running water then neutralize it with dilute solution of sodium
bicarbonate if acid burn, or with dilute solution of boric acid if alkali burn. Cover the affected area
with powdered sodium bicarbonate or boric acid for 10-15 min. Thenwash