Lab Safety 
The laboratory is a place of great discovery and learning. But it can also be a place of danger. There are always dangers associated with the use of chemicals, flames and glass. Certain equipment and chemicals in a lab can cause serious harm. Lab safety rules are designed to help keep us and everyone else in class safe when experimenting. Be smart by always following all the lab safety rules.
Always wear proper clothing when working in the lab. This means that safety goggles must be worn at all time. I know that safety goggles are not fashionable and can feel uncomfortable on your face, but they need to be worn when working with chemicals or any heating apparatus. Long hair should be tied back. Wear proper shoes to protect your feet. Sandals or open toed shoes are not recommended because chemicals can be spilled or splattered on your feet or shattered glass can cut your feet. Do not wear contact lenses while in the lab. Even when worn under safety goggles, corrosive fumes can accumulate under the lens and cause serious eye injuries. Be aware of any clothing or jewelry that may dangle into chemicals or flames.
Always be prepared for class. Read all the directions for an experiment. Be sure to follow the directions exactly as they are written. Strict adherence to the directions will prevent any accidents. Be careful not to spill any chemical. Handle all equipment with extreme care. Ask the teacher if you are unsure of what to do.
Be cautious in the lab. Do not reach over flames. Point the opening of a test tube away from yourself and others when heating it. Keep materials way from flames.
Use tongs to pick up or hold hot containers. According to an article on lab safety published by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, hot glassware looks just like cold glassware. (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2007-107/pdfs/2007-107.pdf) Do not dispose of chemicals in the trash or sink unless you have permission from the teacher. According to the article, “Chemistry Laboratory Safety Rules”, some chemicals can be put down the drains. Others need to be dispose of in other ways. If a chemical is disposed of in the drain, make sure to run the water to wash it away rather than risk an unexpected chemical reaction between leftover chemicals in the drain later. (http://chemistry.about.com/od/healthsafety/a/aa080104a.htm) Never mix chemicals for fun and never ever touch, taste or smell a chemical.
Use tongs to pick up or hold hot containers. According to an article on lab safety published by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, hot glassware looks just like cold glassware. (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2007-107/pdfs/2007-107.pdf) Do not dispose of chemicals in the trash or sink unless you have permission from the teacher. According to the article, “Chemistry Laboratory Safety Rules”, some chemicals can be put down the drains. Others need to be dispose of in other ways. If a chemical is disposed of in the drain, make sure to run the water to wash it away rather than risk an unexpected chemical reaction between leftover chemicals in the drain later. (http://chemistry.about.com/od/healthsafety/a/aa080104a.htm) Never mix chemicals for fun and never ever touch, taste or smell a chemical.
Be aware of all safety equipment in the lab. Be aware of the location of the first aid kit, eye wash station, fire blanket and fire extinguishers.
Be aware of first aid procedures. Report all accidents to the teacher no matter how minor you may think they are. Minor burns should be soaked in cold water. If someone faints, give them fresh air. Apply pressure to bleeding wounds and notify the teacher immediately so that medical attention can be contacted. Report any poisoning immediately to the teacher.
While learning about laboratory safety I came across some interesting facts. I was surprised to learn that the accident rate in school laboratories is more than one hundred times greater than the accident rate in professional laboratories.(http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/541239/killer_science_lab_safety_is_important.html) Another interest fact I learned was that contact lenses should not be worn during lab because chemicals can get behind contact lenses and may cause serious damage to your eye before the lenses can be removed. Some corrosive chemicals can cause the contact lenses to melt while you’re wearing them. Something else interesting I learned was that it’s hard to tell if a test tube is hot or cold so always play it safe and use tongs to pick it up.
In my opinion lab safety rules are extremely important. A lab is a great place to experiment and learn new things but performing experiments with chemicals and certain equipment can be dangerous. We should all follow the lab safety rules to ensure a safe laboratory environment for ourselves and the people we are working with. I have learned that wearing the proper clothing such as goggles will not make me look cool but they will protect my eyes from dangerous chemicals. I have also learned that reading all experiment instructions prior to starting an experiment and following the instructions will prevent accidents. Following lab safety rules will enable us to learn new things without exposing ourselves or our classmates to the dangers of lab work.
By: greendragon
