Lab Safety Rules ~ BZU SCIENCE

A laboratory provides a facility to the students to perform different experiments under controlled conditions. While using a laboratory, it is necessary for us to create and maintain a culture of safety. Its reason is that without safety measures, you will not be able to perform different experiments accurately. Moreover, if you are performing different experiments without taking safety measures, there is also a possibility that you may harm yourself and all the people around you. That’s why before performing any experiment in the laboratory, you should clearly understand lab safety rules. In this article, we have explained the top 10 lab safety rules.

Lab Safety Rules in Tabular Form

	Lab Safety Rules
1	Understand & follow instructions
2	Careful while walking in the lab
3	Know location and condition of safety equipment
4	Dress for the lab
5	Careful while handling chemicals
6	careful while handling equipment
7	Don't eat or drink
8	Don't taste of sniff
9	know what to do with lab accidents
10	Clean up

Top 10 Lab Safety Rules

1. Clearly understand and follow the instructions

Either you are going to perform a specific experiment by listening to the instructions of your adviser or you are going to perform an experiment by following the guidelines from a book, it is necessary to you to pay attention to the procedure to perform the experiment. There is no need to start an experiment without understanding its procedure completely. If you have any question relevant to the performance of the experiment, you should try to get a possible answer to this question from your teacher or lab assistant. The importance of this essential lab rule is explained in the following points;
·  In the case of any problem, you will create problems not only for you but also for others in the lab.
·  You will not be able to perform your experiment.
·  There is also a possibility that you may also damage all the types of equipment in the lab.

2. Be careful while walking in the lab

There are some students who don’t take care in the lab and they try to walk in all the corners of the lab without taking care of different things in the lab. If they don’t take care while walking in the lab, there is a possibility that they may hit the types of equipment in the lab accidentally. As a result, these types of equipment may be damaged. There is also a possibility that you may hit the electrical wires that are laid on the floor. As w

3. Know the location and condition of the safety of all the types of equipment

In all the labs, there are some safety types of equipment. These safety of all the types of equipment are helpful for us in alarming situations in the lab. For example, there are water tanks in the lab. These water tanks are helpful in fighting against fire in the labs. In a similar way, there are also cylinders of carbon dioxide gas. These cylinders are also helpful for us in fighting against the fire. Before starting an experiment, you should clearly know the location of these types of equipment. Moreover, you should also try to know that either these types of equipment are in a working position or not.

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4. Dress for the lab

To dress for the lab is also an essential safety measure in order to save you from harmful situations. In the lab dress, there come covered shoes, long pants, a lab coat and safety goggles. Covered shoes are helpful for us in saving our feet from the harmful chemicals in the lab. Long pants and lab coat are helpful for us in saving our clothes and skin from the harms of different chemicals. Safety goggles can save our eyes. While performing any experiment, it is also a safety measure that you should keep your hair up. Its reason is that if your hairs are down, there is a possibility that flame of fire may catch your hair or your hair may fall in the harmful chemical. By getting an idea about the nature of the experiment, you should also try to wear gloves and hearing protection etc.

5. Be careful while handling chemicals

To handle the chemical in the lab is also an art. For this reason, it is also necessary for you to follow some essential safety measures. Some essential safety measures that you have to adopt while handling chemicals in the lab are given below;
·  If you want to pour chemical from one flask to another flask, you should never forget to wear gloves.
·  After using chemical, if you want to dispose of it, it is necessary for you to use the waste containers. These waste containers are easily available on the tables of your lab.
·  While pouring chemical in the waste container, you should make sure that it is vacant. Its reason is that if you pour your chemical in the presence of another chemical in the waste container, it will react with it and you may get harm.

6. Be careful while handling different types of equipment

In the lab, you will have to use different kinds of types of equipment. If you want to use these types of equipment with care, it is necessary for you to learn possible ways to handle these types of equipment. For example, if you want to use a microscope in the lab, you can easily handle it by keeping a hand upon the microscope and a hand down in the microscope. If you want to use any equipment which is made of glass, you should try to hold in your both hands. In a similar way, you should try to handle different types of equipment in the class in different ways.

7. There is no need to eat or drink in the lab

The lab is a place to perform different kinds of experiments and it is not a place to eat or drink anything. Therefore, you should not bring anything for eating or drinking in the science lab. Moreover, you should not keep your eatable things in the same refrigerator where you have kept other chemicals and types of equipment. The importance of this lab safety rule is explained below;
·  If you bring anything to eat or drink in the science lab, there is a possibility that you may touch it with harmful chemicals. As a result, this harmful chemical can create lots of problems for you.
·  There is also a possibility that a part of your food may also be mixed up with your chemical. As a result, you will not be able to get the possible results of your experiment.
·  Some drops of drink can also destroy your lab book or research book.
·  To perform a specific experiment there requires concentration and attention. If you are eating and drinking in the science lab, it means that you are distracting your attention from the main theme of the experiment. As a result, you will not be able to perform your experiment accurately and timely.

8. There is no need to taste or sniff anything in the science lab

No doubt, in a science lab, you will have to use lots of chemicals. In the science lab, there are lots of chemicals. To get an idea about these chemicals from their colour is difficult for the students. Under such a situation, some students try to taste or sniff these chemicals. If you are also tasting or sniffing these chemicals, there is a possibility that you may get harm. Therefore, the best way to get an idea about these chemicals is to read the labels. These labels are present at the glassware of each chemical. If glassware doesn’t have a label, you should contact your teacher or lab assistant. He can tell you about this chemical.

9. Know what to do with lab accidents

If you are using the lab equipment and chemicals with care, there are rare chances of occurrence of these accidents. Anyhow, there is a possibility of these accidents. There are some students who try to cover it up. It is the wrong strategy because it may harm you or other people in the lab. The best strategy to deal with lab accidents is to contact your lab assistant. He can easily handle this accident because he knows the best strategies to handle lab accidents.

10. When the lab is over, clean up

Once you have performed your experiment and you want to leave the lab, you should try to clean it up. Some essential strategies to clean up the lab are given below;
· You should pour the waste chemicals in the waste container.
·  You should use a brush to wash the beakers, flasks and test tubes.
·  You should put back all the types of equipment from where they belong.
·  You should also hang up the safety goggles and lab coats from where you have taken.
·  In the end, you should try to wash your hands with soap.