UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, JAMAICA

LABORATORY PRACTICE: Conduct and Safety

Order and cleanliness are basic requirements for obtaining meaningful laboratory results.
Not withstanding some exceptions, the potential hazards in chemical laboratories are no
different than hazards we face in our own kitchen or garage. For the most part, simply
exercising common sense in the laboratory is sufficient. As students, you are laboratory
workers, who must be engaged in hands-on, minds-on learning activities for optimal
understanding of complex scientific concepts. Therefore, the performance of laboratory
experiments and demonstrations must be guided by the elements of Good Laboratory
Practice (GLP). You are expected to be prepared, organised, consistent and diligent at all
times for your general laboratory work.

The following guidelines spell out the 'common sense' of behaviour in the chemical
laboratories. However, some of these guidelines apply to general laboratory situations.
Remember, you are ultimately responsible for your own behaviour. So be careful.

Basic rules:

 Ensure that you review the theoretical approach thoroughly before attempting to
conduct an experiment.
 Never conduct unauthorized experiments or engage in horseplay in a laboratory.
Please report any unsafe behaviour or unsafe condition to the laboratory instructor
immediately.
 Wear appropriate clothing. In particular, you must wear shoes in the laboratory.
This does not include sandals. Avoid wearing your best clothes, and if you have
long hair tie it back. Avoid wearing dangling jewellery or loose clothing.
 Wear eye protection at all times in the laboratory.
 Wearing a "Walk-man" or other device that interferes with hearing is not allowed.
 Don't eat, drink, smoke, or apply make-up in the laboratory. You may wind
up wearing or eating bacteria or some nasty solution that was spilled and not
cleaned up by a previous student.
 You should never pipette anything by mouth.
 Always pay attention to your surroundings and be aware of what others are doing.
Always be courteous.
 Never work alone in the laboratory.
 Know what hazards exist for any chemical you use in the laboratory and take
proper precautions to limit any effects of these hazards. As a laboratory worker,
you have a duty to familiarise yourself with the Material Safety Data Sheet
(MSDS) for all hazardous products you intend to use for your work.

Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is a document that contains information on the
potential health effects of exposure to chemicals, or other potentially dangerous
substances, and on safe working procedures when handling chemical products. It is an
essential starting point for the development of a complete health and safety program. It

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contains hazard evaluations on the use, storage, handling and emergency procedures
related to that material. The MSDS contains much more information about the material
than the label. The MSDS is intended to tell what the hazards of the product are, how to
use the product safely, what to expect if the recommendations are not followed, what to
do if accidents occur, how to recognize symptoms of overexposure, and what to do if
such incidents occur.

Be prepared for an emergency

 Know where to find the nearest exit in case of fire or other emergency.
 Know the whereabouts of the nearest fire extinguisher, fire blanket, first aid kit,
eye wash equipment, shower and telephone.
 For on-campus emergencies call the telephone extension number 2170
 In case of fire, clear out of the laboratory first and then call an emergency number.

Hazardous materials

 Both liquid and dry chemicals can be flammable, poisonous, carcinogenic,

etc. Pay attention to special instructions, such as to work with a substance only in
a fume hood.
 Biological hazards include bacteria and body fluids, such as blood. Handle
with appropriate care, and dispose of biological hazards as instructed.
 Dispose of hazardous materials as instructed. Never pour anything down the
sink without checking with an instructor.
 Clean up spills and broken glass. Don't handle broken glass with your bare
hands. Use a broom and dustpan, and throw away all broken glass and disposable
glass pipettes, cover slips, and other sharp or easily breakable glass in a container
for glass disposal only. Immediately notify the instructor of all incidents.

Hazardous equipment

 If appropriate, turn off equipment that is not being used.

 Do not use a Bunsen burner unless instructed to do so.
 Keep liquids and chemicals, especially flammable materials, well away from any
heat source or electrical equipment.
 If any electrical equipment is malfunctioning, making strange noises, sparking,
smoking, or smells "funny," do not attempt to shut it off or unplug it. Get an
instructor immediately. It is imperative that the instructor knows of any equipment
problems.

Cleanup

 Clean spilled chemicals from equipment such as balances - they can corrode and
ruin equipment.
 Clean up your bench area at the end of the day, or during your session in the lab if
things are too messy.

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  Keep coats, purses, backpacks, books, and other materials away from your work
area. Consider what will happen to such items if someone spills chemicals or bio
hazardous materials on them.
 Always wash your hands before leaving the laboratory.

General conduct

On certain occasion, special equipment will be provided from the storeroom and this
equipment should be cleaned, dried and completely returned at the end of the experiment.
When using equipment, be certain that you understand how to operate the device safely.
Any equipment or areas you use must be cleaned after use. For example, the centrifuges
should be wiped out and the rotors rinsed and allowed to drain.

Do not waste materials, including disposable items and reagents. This practice is
economically and ecologically important. Calculate how much you will need and take
only a slightly greater amount (about 10% excess).

Do not return excess reagent to the stock bottles. Discard properly at the end of lab
period. Pay attention to the discussions prior to the experiment for special disposal
instructions.

Do not pipette directly from stock reagent. Exception: small volume stock solutions (less
than 2 ml) can be obtained directly from stock solutions. Be careful to use a clean pipette
and do not contaminate these solutions.

Put the lids back on stock solutions and reagents after using them, otherwise solutions
can become contaminated or just evaporate. Many solid reagents are hygroscopic and
pull water out of the air.

If you don't find some of the required equipment or reagents, ask an instructor for help.

Acknowledgement

1. The Institute of Science Technology, Brooke House, 24 Dam St, Lichfield, Staffs, WS13
6AB, England
2. William Marsh Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas, U.S.A.
3. Translink, Mechelsestraat 132, 3000 Leuven, Belgium

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 Signatories to the Rules of Laboratory Conduct and Safety

STUDENT NAME ______________________________ I.D.#

____________________

DEPARTMENT
__________________________________________________________

By signing below, the student indicates that they have read and agreed
to follow these rules of laboratory conduct and safety. The student is
expected to follow these rules as well as any additional printed or
verbal safety instructions given by the supervising laboratory worker.

This page is to be returned during the student’s registration. If the

student, has any question, please feel free to speak with the
responsible officer-in-charge of health and safety at the department or
the course instructor.

STUDENT’S SIGNATURE ________________________ DATE

__________________

INSTRUCTOR’S SIGNATURE_______________________ DATE

________________

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