Laboratory Safety Guidelines

Laboratory Safety Guidelines

1. Be patient while you are working. Do not start an experiment unless you ascertain all the steps.
2. Do not use an equipment unless you ascertain how to use. Use the laboratory equipment properly. If you do not know how to use, see the equipment user's manual or ask others.
3. Do not touch any equipment or place with contaminated gloves.
4. Once you spill or contaminate any toxic, antibiotics or carcinogens, decontaminate the area or equipment immediately. If you do not know how to decontaminate, ask others or see MSDS.
5. Wear gloves and a laboratory coat while you handle any toxic or carcinogenic chemicals (e.g., EtBr, CsCl, Phenol, etc.).
6. Wear eye or face protection under UV.
7. If any toxic chemicals, antibiotics or carcinogens is spilt on body or clothes, immediately remove the contaminated clothing and wash small spills under water for at least 5 min. Spills on legs can be rinsed in the sink. Do not hesitate to use the lab shower in the laboratory on large spill. Do not rinse contaminated skin with alcohol.
8. After you use any chemical, enzyme or solvent, etc., bring it back to the place where it was.
9. Before you use the last remains, a last bottle of a chemical, tubes, etc., ask to purchase the necessary items.
10. Most enzymes are expensive. Keep the enzymes at -20C. Plan your quantity to be small and convenient before take them out of a freezer.
11. Use a new pipet tip to remove the necessary amount of any enzyme. 

LABORATORY SAFETY

NIST policy on laboratory safety, as defined in the Laboratory safety manual

PROTECTION OF THE BODY

Protective Clothing. Lab workers are to be suitably dressed to avoid injury. Footwear and clothing must be appropriate for each particular lab environment and protective clothing (afforded by lab coats, coveralls, aprons, etc.) may be required for some lab work. Additional protection (such as gloves, face shields, splash goggles, plastic aprons, boots, and legstats) may also be required to perform some experiments. Line supervision will determine the appropriate protective clothing and dress requirements for each lab. Contaminated clothing is to be promptly cleaned or discarded in a manner consistent with disposal of the contaminant itself (see DISPOSAL OF HAZARDOUS WASTE in Chapter V). In addition, care must be taken to prevent contaminated clothing from coming into contact with doorknobs, fixtures, furnishings, apparatus, controls, etc., which unprotected personnel may subsequently contact.

Laboratory Safety Incidents

This site - One of the goals of the AIHA Laboratory Health and Safety Committee is to collect and make available a compilation of laboratory safety incidents. may be used by health and safety professionals, faculty, supervisors, students and any others who may benefit from these "lessons learned". We have attempted to list the key safety and health teaching concepts/principles for each of the incidents listed.

Teaching Safety Programs:

Laboratory Safety Training DVD's