LESSON 1: GOOD LAB PRACTICES

LAB SAFETY Science Laboratory:

➢ Is an important part of the chemistry course  It is a room designed for
➢ You are working with chemicals in their pure form, not diluted as they experimental work where
may be in household products. students can validate the
application of scientific
❖ GENERAL LAB SAFETY RULES
concepts.
1. NO open toed shoes or flip flops.

2. NO shorts or loose-fitting clothes.

3. Use clips and hair nets to keep your hair in place.
4. REMOVE rings, watches, and jewelries before performing an experiment.
5. Know what to do during emergency situations.
6. Know how to read and interpret the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).
7. Wear personal protective equipment (PPE), as appropriate.
▪ PPE
i. Wearing of lab gowns/coats whenever
experiments are being performed
ii. Wear eye protective goggles
iii. DO NOT wear contact lenses
iv. Prescription glasses DO NOT count as safety
goggles
v. Wear the right kind of gloves when handling
corrosive reagents like acids as well as hot
containers
8. DO NOT eat, drink, or use tobacco products in the laboratory.
9. NEVER work alone
10. Keep lab doors closed.
▪ However, in an instance wherein experimental work produces too many fumes, lab doors
may be opened.
11. Hallways, corridors, and exit ways MUST BE KEPT CLEAR.
▪ DO NOT locate (even temporarily) lab equipment or supplies in these areas.
❖ SAFETY LAB TECHNIQUES
1. Allow proper storage of space for flammable and waste materials
2. Provide sufficient shelves and cabinets. DO NOT store chemicals, apparatus, or equipment on the
floor.
3. Use only equipment that is free from flaws such as cracks, chips, and obvious defects
4. Whenever possible, lubricate before using glass stopcocks in burettes and separatory funnels.
5. Use a hood when conducting a reaction that could result in an explosion. Close the hood sash to
provide a shield.

❖ GENERAL HAZARD SYMBOLS

▪ Corrosive
- These substances destroy living tissue and equipment upon contact.

CAUTION!
DO NOT breathe vapors; avoid contact with the skin and eyes

Ex. HCL, sodium hypochlorite, sodium hydroxide

▪ Oxidizer
- Oxidizing substances can ignite flammable and combustible material
CAUTION!
Keep away from flammable, combustible, and spontaneously
combustible materials

Ex. Hydrogen peroxide, calcium hypochlorite, ammonium nitrate

▪ Poisonous Substances
- Very hazardous to health when inhaled, swallowed or when they
meet the skin. May even lead to death.
CAUTION!
AVOID CONTACT with the human body and immediately
contact a physician in case of contact.

Ex. Cyanides, arsenic substances

▪ Flammable
- Designates those items which are:
a. Flammable Liquids - CAUTION! Flash point below 141oF
/ 60.5oC
b. Flammable Solids - CAUTION! Keep away from open
flames, sources of heat and sparks
c. Combustible Material - CAUTION! Flash point greater
than 141oF / 60.5oC but less than 200oF / 90oC
- Keep away from open flames, sources of heat and sparks
 ▪ Keep Away from Food
- Store away from foodstuffs. Toxic or poisonous materials which
are hazardous to health when inhaled, swallowed or when they
meet the skin.
CAUTION!
AVOID CONTACT with the human body and immediately
contact a physician in case of contact.

▪ Radioactive
- This symbol designates those substances which have measurable
radioactivity.

CAUTION!
AVOID EXPOSURE

▪ Harmful Irritant (If Swallowed)

- Irritating to skin. Limited evidence of a carcinogenic effect.

▪ Very Toxic to Aquatic Life

- Very toxic to aquatic organisms, may cause
long-term adverse effects in the
aquatic environment.

▪ Explosives
- Are considered all products and preparations, if they explode
through ignition or if they are more sensitive that dinitrobenzene
towards blows and friction

❖ SAFE STORAGE FOR CHEMICALS

➢ To prevent these:
 • GENERAL RULES
➢ Dangerous goods must be stored under special safety conditions to avoid health /
environmental disaster
➢ Doesn’t matter how many
➢ Separate incompatible materials
➢ If the substance has several hazard degrees, it should be classified as per its highest one:

EXPLOSIVE > OXIDIZING > FLAMMABLE > TOXIC >

CORROSIVE > HARMFUL

❖ WASTE MANAGEMENT
▪ Waste Receptacles
▪ Garbage Bins
▪ Broken Glass Container
▪ Cleanliness
Working Attitude:
▪ Patience
▪ Time conscious
▪ Honesty
▪ Cleanliness & Neatness
▪ Achievement driven & focused
▪ Resource Management
(chemical usage, water,
electricity)
▪ Respect
▪ Diligence & Proactive
▪ Independence
Working Attitude:
▪ Wear proper PPE
▪ Inform professors / instructors /
lab technician about health
concerns
▪ Be cautious with your own
health- allergic response to
chemicals
▪ If on medication inform your
professor / instructors / lab
technician & bring your own
health aid kit if necessary
▪ Determine the locations of lab
first aid kits & university clinic
 LABORATORY GLASSWARE AND APPARATUS
Beaker
A general purpose container for
holding or mixing liquids with a
pouring spout. Some beakers have
graduations on them indicating
approximate volume of contents.
Erlenmeyer flask
A general purpose container used
for holding or mixing liq uids. Some
flasks have graduations on them to
indicate approximate volume of
contents.
Florence flask
Sometimes referred to as a boiling flask.
A general purpose container used for
holding or boiling liq uids.
Filtering flask
A heavy wall flask designed for
use in suctio n (vacuum) filtration
of solutions. Has side hose
connection to attach vacuum tubing.
Volumetric flask
A flask used for preparation of
solutions. Volumetric flasks are
calibrated to contain a specific volume
of liquid or solution.
Test tube
A round-botto m glass tube used
to contain or heat small amounts of
materials.
Centrifuge tube
A test t ub e wit h a tap er ed
b o tto m fo r u se i n la b o r ato r y
centrifuges. Solid materials will
collect in the bottom taper during
use.
Funnel
Funnels are used for adding liquid to
narrow mouth containers, or, with fil-
ter paper, for filtering solutions
Funnel, powder
A funnel with a short, wide stem for
use in pouring powders into narrow
mouth containers.
Graduated cylinder
A measuring device, graduated to
contain liquids or solutions. Tall
cylinders should be equipped with a
plastic bumper to absorb impact if the
cylinder is tipped over.
Dropping pipet
A medicine dropper used to deliver
liquids in dropwise amounts.
Pasteur pipet
A capillary tip dropper used to deliver
small drops. These are usually disposable.
Rubber bulb
Fits Pasteur, and other dropping pipets.
These are reusable.
Watch glass
A g la s s d i s h t h at ca n b e u sed fo r
ev ap o ra tio n o f s mal l a mo u n ts o f
liq uid s, for studying small amounts
of solids, or as covers for beakers.
Evaporating dish
A dish used for heating and
evaporating samples. Usually made of
porcelain or glass.
Crucible and cover
A cup, with cover, used for heating
samples to high temperatures. Usually
made of porcelain, glass, or metal.
Gooch crucible
A crucible with a perforated bottom
used for filtering and drying precipitates.
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Casserole
A crucible with a handle for
controlled hand-held heating of
samples.
Wash bottle, plastic
A sq ue eze b o t tl e u s ed to
produce a steady stream or a few
drops of liquid for rinsing
materials from test tubes, beakers
or flasks.
Bottle, reagent
A narrow mouth bottle for
holding laboratory reagents. May
have a glass or polyethylene stopper.
Bottle, gas collecting
A wide mouth bottle commonly used
for collecting gases by water
displacement.
Buret
A graduated measuring d evice fo r
d elivering p r ecise volumes of
liquids or solutions.
Volumetric (Transfer) pipet
A measuring device calibrated to
deliver a specific amount of liquid or
solution.
Mohr (graduated) pipet
A measuring device calibrated to deliver
small quantities of liquid up to the
capacity of the pipet.
Mortar and pestle
Us ed fo r cr u s hi n g a nd grinding
samples. Usually made of porcelain or
glass.
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Büchner funnel
A funnel, usually made of
porcelain, for use in suction filtration of
liquids and mixtures.
Separatory funnel
Used to separate immiscible liquids
or solutions. Contents can be emptied
into small flasks or beakers.
Thistle tube
A long stem funnel-type device used
when liquids or solutions are added to
a reaction in a closed flask.
Thermometer
Either mercury or alcohol filled, used
to measure temperature in laboratory
operations.
Liebig Condenser
An in-line cooling device used for
distillation or reflux operations.
Outer jacket allows water flow for
efficient cooling.
Thiele tube
Used as an oil bath for melting point
determinations. The side arm allows
for circulation of hot oil contained in
tube.
Desiccator
A container used to store materials
in a dry, air tight environment.
Desiccant is placed on the bottom
to absorb moisture assuring a
moisture-free environment. Some
desiccators can be vacuum sealed.
Bunsen Burner
A ga s b ur ner us ed fo r g e n eral
heating in the laboratory .
Tirrill Burner
A variation of a Bunsen burner that
contains a needle valve for gas flow
regulation. (Often referred to as a Bunsen
burner.)
Meeker burner
A wide top burner that produces a hotter,
larger area flame than a Bunsen burner.
Wing top (flame spreader)
A device that fits on a Bunsen burner
to produce a wide, narrow flame suitable
for heating a glass tube for glass bending.
Ring stand support
Consists of a heavy base with a metal
rod for supporting apparatus for a variety
of laboratory operations.
Utility clamp
Adjustable clamp for holding a test tube,
flask, buret, or other apparatus.
Extension clamp
Used with a clamp holder, allows
more variation in positioning than a
utility clamp.
3-prong clamp
Used with a clamp holder, allows for
more versatility in holding different
types of apparatus
Extension clamp holder
Used to attach an extension clamp to a ring
stand support or support frame.
Support ring
Designed as a base support for
beakers or flasks when heated on a
ring stand support.
Spatula and scoopula
For handling small amounts of solid
chemicals.
Thermometer clamp
A clamp specially designed to
hold a thermometer.
Double buret holder
A double clamp for holding two
burets.
Funnel rack
Used to hold several funnels for
filtering operations.
Wire gauze (ceramic center)
A support surface to be used with a
ring support or tripod to provide
uniform heat distribution to a flask or
beaker.
Clay triangle
Iron wire covered with pipe clay.
Used with a ring support for supporting
crucibles during heating. Also used,
with a ring support, for supporting a
funnel when filtering.
Rubber policeman
A rubber tip with a flattened end used on a
glass rod for scraping solids from
containers.
Water bath
A metal bowl with a top of concentric
rings so that different sized glassware can be
fit into the bath.
Beaker tongs
Wide-jaw tongs for holding beakers.
Crucible tongs
Tongs with oval opening in jaws for
holding crucibles. Tips used for handling
crucible covers.
Dish tongs
Jaws are made to encircle an evaporating
dish with fingers to grip the top flange.
Flask tongs
V-shaped jaws are used to hold neck of
flask.
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Test tube holder
Spring-type clamp for holding Spot plate
a test tube. Made of porcelain or glass. Used
for small scale chemical reactions
Forceps and tests.
For handling or manipulating
small samples or materials. Petri dish (culture dish)
Used for containing small samples
Pinchcock clamp or chemical reactions.
A c la mp us ed to p i n c h r ub ber
tubing closed to stop fluid Well plate
flow. May contain 12, 24, 48, or 96 wells.
Used for microscale chemical tests
Screw clamp (Hofmann clamp) and reactions.
An adjustable clamp used to
regulate or stop fluid flow through Water aspirator
rubber tubing. A filter pump that fits on a faucet wh ich
is used to p rod uce suction for filtering.
Triangular file
A metal file used for scratching
glass when cutting it into
smaller pieces.
Pneumatic trough
A device used for collecting gases
Test tube rack by water displacement.
Used for holding test tubes
upright. May be made from
wood, plastic or metal. Some
contain pegs for drying test
tubes.

Test tube brush

A narrow brush with tufted
end for cleaning test tubes

Beaker brush
A large sized brush for
cleaning beakers or
bottles.

Pipet safety bulbs

Several styles shown. Used to
provide suction for filling pipets.
Some bulbs have valves to allow
liquid flow from pipets.

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