2. Laboratory Rules and Safety Procedures
1. Wear protective googles
2. Dress appropriately for the laboratory
3. Keep your benchtop organized as you work
4. Keep all stock bottles of solid and liquid reagents in the dispensing area
5. Keep the balance and the area around it clean. Never weigh an object
while it is hot.
6. Check the labels on every reagent bottle carefully. More specific
information about all substances is available in the form of Material Safety
Data Sheets (MSDS).
7. Never returned unused chemicals to the reagent bottles.
8. Disposal of wastes must follow state and federal guidelines:
a. broken glass is put into a clearly marked special container
b. organic solvents are never poured into the sink
c. solutions containing cations and anions considered toxic by the EPA are
never poured into the sink
3. Laboratory Rules and Safety Procedures
8. Disposal of wastes must follow state and federal guidelines:
d. solutions poured in the sink should be washed down with plenty of
waters
e. some solid chemicals must also be disposed of in specially labeled
containers. If you are not sure what to do, ask the instructor
9. Avoid contaminating stock solutions
10. Avoid all direct contact with chemicals:
a. wash your hands anytime you get chemicals on them and at the end of
the laboratory session
b. if you spill something, clean it up immediately before it dries or gets on
your papers or skin
c. never pipette by mouth
d. never eat, drink, or smoke in the laboratory
4. Laboratory Rules and Safety Procedures
10. Avoid all direct contact with chemicals:
e. do not look down into the open end of a test tube in which a reaction
is being conducted, and do not point the open end of a test tube at
someone else
11. Working with glass requires special precautions:
a. do not heat graduated cylinders, burets, pipettes, ot bottles with a
burner flame
b. do not hold a test tube or beakers in your hand during a chemical
reactions
c. do not touch glass that has been near a flame or hot plate. Hot glass
looks the same as cool glass and may cause serious burns
d. learn and practice proper procedures when inserting glass tubing into
rubber stoppers
5. Laboratory Rules and Safety Procedures
12. Learn the location and proper use of safety equipment
13. Never work alone in the laboratory area
14. Report all accidents to the instructor, no matter how minor
15. Do not perform unauthorized experiments
8. Common Laboratory Operations & Techniques
o Cutting a glass tubing
o Fire-polishing sharp glass edges
o Bending a glass-tubing
o Handling of reagents
• solid reagents
• liquid reagents
o Measuring the volume of a liquid
o Heating of chemicals
o Decantation
o Filtration
o Evaporation
o Measuring Mass
1. Video: Basic Laboratory Techniques - MeitY Olabs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22ZB0ZwvOsQ
2. Virtual Laboratory: Basic Laboratory Techniques
https://amrita.olabs.edu.in/?sub=73&brch=7&sim=32&cnt=1
11. In the Event of a Lab Accident…
First Aid & Emergency Measures
Specific First Aid Tips
• Burns – hold the affected skin under a stream of running water for at least
10 – 15 min. Keep the wound open and do not apply any ointment till expert
medical help can be provided. In case of strong acid burns after washing with
water rinse with dilute ammonia (1 – 2%) or sodium bicarbonate solution.
• Caution ! never apply acid or alkali to neutralise the corrosive liquid on the
skin. Due to heat of reaction matters can get even more complicated.
• Eyes – if corrosive liquid gets splashed into the eyes wash the eyes
thoroughly with fresh water using an eye fountain or eye wash bottle
• Poisons – dilute the stomach contents by making the casualty drink 1 – 2
glasses of water and try to induce vomiting before poison specific expert
medical help can be provided.
https://lab-training.com/2014/10/27/essentials-laboratory-first-aid/
12. At the End ofYour Lab Time…
1. Practice goodhousekeeping inside the lab
2. Returning all the lab apparatus and materials in the
laboratory stockroom
3. Submit your written laboratory report to your
Instructor.
