Biosciences Laboratory Conduct and Safety

With some exceptions the potential hazards in a biology or biochemistry laboratory are no different than hazards you face in your own kitchen or garage. For the most part, simply exercising common sense in the laboratory is sufficient. The guidelines below spell out the 'common sense' of behavior in the laboratory, and safety guidelines that apply to specific procedures are listed with those procedures. Remember, you are ultimately responsible for your own behavior. So be careful.

Basic rules

The teaching laboratory is a classroom and your full attention is required. For both safety reasons and to avoid disrupting classroom activities you must TURN OFF all cell phones and pagers; their use is prohibited.
The computers in the classroom are NOT for personal use. Do not surf the net or attempt to check e-mail.
Never conduct unauthorized experiments or engage in horseplay in a laboratory. Please report any unsafe behavior to the instructor.
Wear appropriate clothing. In particular, you must wear shoes (this does not include sandals!) in the laboratory. Avoid wearing your best clothes, and if you have long hair tie it back. Avoid wearing dangling jewelry.
Wear eye protection at all times in the laboratory.
Wearing a "Walk-man" or other device that inteferes with hearing is not allowed.
Don't eat, drink, chew gum, 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.
Never pipet 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.

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 x6000.
In case of fire, clear out of the laboratory first, 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 put 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 pipets, coverslips, and other sharp or easily breakable glass in a container for glass disposal only. Notify the instructor immediatelyof all incidents.

Hazardous equipment

If appropriate, turn off equipment that isn't 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 know of any equipment problems.

Cleanup

Clean spilled chemicals from equipment such as balances - they can corrode and ruin equipment.
Mop any liquid spills - they are a slip hazard.
Be especially careful around the ice machine - spilled ice quickly melts, creating a slip hazard.
Clean up your bench area at the end of the day, or during your session in the lab if things are too messy.
Always wash your hands before leaving the laboratory.

General conduct

Keep coats, purses, backpacks, books, and similar materials away from your work area and out of the way of your colleagues. Please stash such items in an appropriate, perhaps designated location. We mustn't force people to step over a backpack placed in an aisle between benches, for example. Also, consider what will happen to such items if someone spills chemicals or biohazardous materials on them.
On occasion, special equipment, e.g., stir plates and vortexers, will be used from the storeroom and this equipment should be returned complete, clean, and dry 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 pipet directly from bottles or jugs containing buffers or reagents.
Exception: you may use an automatic pipetor to obtain stock solutions of small volumes (less than 2 ml); be careful to use a clean pipet tip and do not contaminate these solutions.
Put the lids 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.
Do NOT write on plastic/glass labware; use lab TAPE.
If you don't find some of the required equipment or reagents, ask the instructor or a TA for help.
On the last day of lab, your drawer must contain ALL the items on the list; REMOVE all labels and EMPTY all containers.

Copyright, Acknowledgements, and Intended Use
Created by B. Beason (bbeason@rice.edu), Rice University, 9 June 1999.
Updated 1 February 2007