Lab safety/Safety Contract

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    An important part of your biology work will take place in the laboratory.  The lab is a safe environment in which to work if some general rules are observed and if the people who work in the lab are informed and careful.  These guidelines are specifically for Biology, and you might have others in other science courses.

    As a first step toward becoming an informed lab worker, read the following safety rules.  Discuss them with your teacher, with your lab partners, parents and with other members of the class.  Reread them to make sure that you understand each rule.  Ask your teacher about the rules that are unclear to you.  When you are sure that you understand all of the safety rules, sign and date the contract in the space provided.  Signing the contract indicates that you are aware of the rules of the laboratory.  You will be allowed to work in the lab only after you have signed this contract in duplicate, had your parent sign the contract, made a map of the room indicating safety equipment and emergency exits, and have passed a safety test. Can you tell I'm serious about safety?  Safety in our classroom is my #1 priority.  It should be yours, too. oO:-)7

 

DRESS CODE

  1. To protect your eyes from possible injury, always wear safety goggles when working with heat, chemicals or glassware (except microscope work).   Your grade will suffer if you aren't wearing safety goggles.  Wear glasses rather than contact lenses unless you have permission from the instructor.  Goggles will fit over glasses. 
  2. Tie back long hair and loose clothing and remove jewelry when you work at the lab station.  Roll up loose sleeves that might fall into chemicals or become caught on equipment. 
  3. Do not wear open-toed shoes or sandals in the lab when using glassware or chemicals.  Never go barefoot.

PREPARATION FOR LAB WORK 

  1. Prepare for the experiment by reading all of the directions before you start the lab.  Be sure you understand all directions.  Discuss the procedures with your lab partner or team.  Assign specific tasks to individuals, especially if time is a factor in the procedure.
  2. Before you begin work, make sure that you know how to operate the equipment that will be used in the experiment.

PERFORMING AN EXPERIMENT 

  1. Keep your lab work area clear of any materials that are not needed for performing the experiment.  Texts, notebooks, bookbags, sweaters and other materials should be stored away from the work area.  Push in stools when not in use and as you leave the lab area.
  2. Handle all equipment as directed.  Note safety precautions in the instructions for your experiments.
  3. Handle all sharp instruments with extreme care.  Remember that they are considered weapons if they go out of the room or are handled in an inappropriate manner. Never try to catch falling sharp instruments.  "Dueling" with probes will net an automatic "0" on a lab and a call home.
  4. Do not stir solutions with a thermometer; use a glass stirring rod.  If a thermometer breaks, inform your teacher at once, and  your teacher will clean it up.  Do not touch the mercury from broken mercury thermometers.
  5. Take extreme care not to spill materials in the lab.  Report all spills immediately, and follow your teacher's directions for cleaning them up.  Keep your lab area neat and clean. 
  6. Never use an open flame in Biology lab. Use tongs or a clamp to pick up hot containers.  Test the temperatures of equipment and containers that have been heated by placing the back of your hand near any object before picking it up.  If you can feel heat, the object might be too hot to handle.
  7. Dispose of materials only as directed.  Do not pour chemicals or other solids into a sink or put specimens or their parts into the trash or sink.
  8. After  you have completed your work, turn off all equipment and clean your work area.  Return all equipment and materials to the place that you got them. Report any broken or missing equipment.
  9. Keep hands away from your face, eyes, mouth and body while using chemicals or preserved specimens.  Wash your hands before and after each experiment.
  10. Never eat, drink, or chew gum in the lab.  Never eat or drink from lab equipment.
  11. Perform only those experiments authorized by your teacher. Never do an experiment that is not called for in the laboratory procedures or your instructor.
  12. Do not work alone in the lab.  When entering the room, do not touch any equipment, chemicals or other materials in the laboratory area until you are instructed to do so.
  13. Experiments must be personally monitored at all times.  You will be assigned a laboratory station at which to work.  Do not wander around the room, distract other students, or interfere with the laboratory experiments of others.

FIRST AID or EMERGENCIES 

  1. Report any accident to your teacher immediately, no matter how minor the accident might seem.  Follow your teacher's recommendations for further treatment.
  2. Report all fires to your teacher at once, and leave the room after turning off electrical equipment.  Do not try to put out a fire by yourself.  If a person's clothing or hair are on fire, smother the fire with a fire blanket or use the water faucets. (Our new lab will have better safety equipment!!)
  3. Know the locations of the fire extinguisher, fire blanket, first aid kit, and other safety equipment. Learn how to use each item.
  4. Know the shortest exit route from the lab, from the corridor, and from the building.

HANDLING CHEMICALS                 

  1. Read the labels on chemical containers twice.  Many chemicals look alike.  Label all containers into which you put materials. (This is very important!!)
  2. Do not touch, taste, or smell chemicals unless directed to by your teacher.  Waft fumes toward your nose by waving your hand over the mouth of the container if directed to smell a chemical.
  3. To avoid the contamination of chemicals, take only what you need, and do not return unused chemicals to the bottle.  Dispose of chemicals only as directed by your teacher.
  4. Always pour acid into water; never pour water into acid.
  5. Do not use your mouth to draw liquids into a pipette; use a pipette bulb.
  6. Never point the open end of a heated test tube toward yourself or anyone else.

HANDLING GLASSWARE                                                                    

  1. Do not use cracked, chipped, scored, or badly scratched glassware.
  2. Never handle broken glass with your bare hands.  Tell your teacher, and let your teacher clean up broken glass.
  3. Allow plenty of time for hot glass to cool before touching it.  It shows no visible signs of its temperature, and can cause painful burns.
  4. Learn the names of the equipment and glassware you use so there is no missunderstanding.

HANDLING LIVING ORGANISMS

  1. Treat all microorganisms as if they were harmful.  Use antiseptic procedures, as directed by       your teacher, when working with microbes.  Dispose of microbes as your teacher directs.
  2. Treat living organisms carefully.  Do not cause pain, discomfort, or injury to an organism.  Follow your teacher's directions when handling animals.  Wash your hands thoroughly after handling animals or their cages.

DISSECTIONS

34.     Place the dissection specimens in the pan.  Do not dissect a handheld specimen. Treat specimens respectfully.

35.     Use dissection tools as directed.  Use the right tool for the job.

GENERAL DEPORTMENT

36.     Move from area to area carefully.  Do not make sudden moves. Other students may be endangered.

37.     No horseplay. (Yes, shoving is horseplay.)

38.     No practical jokes or pranks.

 

 

BIOLOGY SAFETY CONTRACT

I, ____________________________ have read the safety rules for the biology classroom and lab and agree to follow all of the safety rules set forth in this contract.  I realize that I must obey these rules to ensure my own safety, and that of my fellow students and instructors.  I will cooperate to the fullest extent with my instructor and fellow students to maintain a safe lab environment.  I will also closely follow the oral and written instructions provided by the instructor.  I am aware that any violation of this safety contract that results in unsafe conduct in the laboratory or misbehavior on my part, may result in being removed from the laboratory, detention, receiving a failing grade, and/or dismissal from the course.

 *Failure to have goggles at the beginning of any lab involving heat, chemicals or glassware (except microscopy) will result in removal from the room and a grade of "0" for the lab.  The removal is required by the State of Ohio.

I do/do not wear contact lenses.

I do/do not have a medical condition that could result in the need for emergency medical attention (explain here if you do).

 

Signed (student) ________________________________Date ___________

 

Dear Parent or Guardian:

We feel that you should be informed regarding the school's effort to create and maintain a safe science classroom/laboratory environment.  With the cooperation of the instructors, parents, and students, a safety instruction program can eliminate, prevent, and correct possible hazards.

You should be aware of the safety instructions your son/daughter will receive before engaging in any laboratory work.  Please read the list of safety rules above.  No student will be permitted to perform laboratory activities unless this contract is signed by both the student and parent/guardian and is on file with the teacher, a safety test is passed with a 90% or greater, and a classroom map is constructed by the student.

Your signature on this contract indicates that you have read the Student Safety contract, are aware of the measures taken to ensure the safety of your son/daughter in the science laboratory, and will instruct your son/daughter to uphold his/her agreement to follow these rules and procedures in the the laboratory.

Signed (parent) ________________________________Date ___________

Day phone ________________________ Convenient hours _______________________

Evening phone _______________________ Convenient hours _____________________

 

 

© Mariemont City Schools 2002, Halsall (12/28/05 )