Safety
Almost all laboratory investigations have special hazards which must be taken into consideration. In the high school living environment/biology laboratory, your teacher will usually engage in a pre-lab discussion which will include a discussion of the lab methods, special instructions, and most importantly, the specific safety procedures which are involved in the laboratory experience.

Laboratory Safety
Safety in the laboratory must be a primary concern to both student and teacher. Specific safety concerns vary from between different science courses and laboratories, but many safety concerns and precautions need to be taken in all science laboratories. At the beginning of most laboratories, the teacher will engage in a pre-lab discussion. Many safety procedures will be discussed during these discussions. It is important to listen attentively and follow the safety procedures given by the teacher.

Some General Lab Safety Rules

1.   Keep all flammable materials away from open flames or dangerous chemicals. 2.   Tie back long hair when you are working with an open flame. 3.   Do NOT mix chemicals or perform unscheduled experiments without your teacher's approval. 4.   Never use chemicals from an unlabeled container. Do not taste, smell, or touch chemicals unless specifically instructed by your teacher to do so. 5.   Wear safety goggles during experiments involving dissection, heating, hammering or while using acids/bases or other chemicals. If you do not have goggles on, stay away from students that are experimenting.                                                                                          6.   Point the open end of a test tube or flask away from yourself and others while heating it. Never heat a closed container. 7.   Use liquid squeeze bottles only for their intended purpose. 8.    Keep the lab clean and discard materials in containers designated for this. 9.    Be careful picking up hot materials, especially glassware. Hot glass and cold glass appear the same. Always use heat resistant material to pick up hot materials. 10.   Do not force glass tubing into a stopper. Use glycerine or water to lubricate the glass before doing this. 11.   Do not eat in the lab or place pencils, pens, or other materials in your mouth. 12.   Never return excess chemicals back to their container. 13.   Always dispose of materials as per your teacher's instructions. Never pour chemicals down the drain unless instructed. 14   Know where all laboratory safety equipment is located in the lab and how to use it. Eye Wash Station                Fire Extinguisher

 

Some Dissection Safety Rules

1. If you wear contact lenses, these should be removed when working near chemicals or dissections. Contact lenses can hold chemicals in the eye(s) increasing the potential damage in the event of an accidental splashing of chemicals into the eye(s). 2. Inform your teacher of any illness as a result of exposure to chemicals used in specimen preparation. 3. Avoid contact with preservative chemicals. Rinse the specimens completely before dissection. 4. Properly mount dissection specimens to dissecting pan. Do not dissect a specimen while holding it. 5. Handle scalpel or razor blade (safety edged) with extreme care. 6. Always cut away from your body and away from others. 7. Never ingest specimen parts or remove specimens/specimen parts from the classroom. Properly dispose of dissected materials. 8. Store specimens as directed by your teacher. Clean up the work area and return all equipment to the proper place when the dissection is completed. 9. Wash your hands after each dissection.     Previous Page      Back to Top      Next page