NSF North Mississippi GK-8

Lab Safety
NSF North Mississippi GK-8
Why is Lab Safety Important?
Lab safety is a major aspect of every lab
based science class.
Lab safety rules and symbols are needed
so that students do not injure themselves
or their classmates.
NSF North Mississippi GK-8
Lab Safety Rules
1. Always follow the teachers directions and
only do lab work when a teacher is present.
2. Conduct yourself in a responsible manner at all
times. No Horseplay!
3. Do not touch any equipment, chemicals, or other
materials until told to do so.
4. Do not eat food, drink beverages, or chew gum
in the lab. Do not use lab glassware as food or
beverage containers
5. Report ALL accidents to your teacher
immediately, even if you think it is minor.
NSF North Mississippi GK-8
Clothing
Wear:
Goggles/safety
glasses
Closed-toed shoes
Clothing made of
natural based fiber
such as cotton
Tie back long hair
Do NOT Wear:
Sandals
Jewelry
Loose or Baggy
clothing


NSF North Mississippi GK-8
Lab Safety Equipment
Safety Shower Safety Goggles Eye Wash
NSF North Mississippi GK-8
Lab Safety Equipment
Fire
Extinguisher
Fire Blanket Fume Hood
NSF North Mississippi GK-8
Lab Safety Symbols
Found in your textbook
Glassware
Heat
Eye and Face
Sharps
Electrical
Animal
Chemical
Fire
NSF North Mississippi GK-8
Other Chemical Hazards and
Symbols
Flammable


Explosive


Toxic/Poison

Irritant


Corrosive


Environmental
NSF North Mississippi GK-8
Chemical Hazard Symbols and
Definitions
Flammable Any substance that will
burn if exposed to an open flame.

Explosive A substance that may
explode if exposed to heat or flame.

NSF North Mississippi GK-8
Chemical Hazard Symbols and
Definitions
Toxic/Poison A substance that can
lead to death if inhaled, ingested, or
absorbed by the skin.

Corrosive A substance that can
destroy or burn living tissue and can
eat away at other materials.
NSF North Mississippi GK-8
Chemical Hazard Symbols and
Definitions
Irritant - A substance that causes
inflammation upon contact with skin
or mucous membranes.

Environmental - Substances that
are harmful to the environment.
They must be disposed of properly,
not washed down the drain.

NSF North Mississippi GK-8
Accidents and Injuries
Report ALL accidents and injuries to your
teacher immediately!!!
Be aware of safety hazards associated with
each chemical you use.
Eye accident Wash the eye with copious
amounts of water for at least 15 min.
Fire Burns Stop, Drop, and be covered with a
fire blanket or soaked with water. Do not
remove clothing stuck to victim. Get medical
attention immediately.

NSF North Mississippi GK-8
Waste Disposal
First ask your teacher
where/how to dispose of waste.
Never pour anything down the
drain unless you are told to do
so.
A waste bottle will be supplied
for substance that cannot go
down the drain
NSF North Mississippi GK-8
Reasons for proper waste
disposal
Hazardous chemicals down the drain can
lead to pollution of ground water, lakes,
rivers, etc.
Plants and animals will die if they are
exposed to hazardous chemical waste.
Serious health problems will become
present in people if hazardous waste finds
its way into drinking water.
Erlenmeyer Flask
An Erlenmeyer Flask is a cone-shaped
container with neck, so you can hold
the flask or attach a clamp or use a
stopper. They are used to measure,
mix, and store liquids. The shape
makes this flask very stable. They are
one of the most common and useful
pieces of chemistry lab glassware.
Most Erlenmeyer flasks are made of
borosilicate glass so that they can be
heated over a flame or autoclaved.
The most common sizes of
Erlenmeyer flasks probably are 250 ml
and 500 ml. They can be found in 50,
125, 250, 500, 1000 ml. You can seal
them with a cork or stopper or place
plastic or paraffin film or a watch
glass on top of them.
Beaker
No lab would be complete
without beakers. Beakers are
used for routine measuring and
mixing in the lab. They are used
to measure volumes to within
10% accuracy. Most beakers are
made from borosilicate glass,
though other materials may be
used. The flat bottom and spout
allow this piece of glassware to
be stable on the lab bench or hot
plate, plus it's easy to pour a
liquid without making a mess.
Beakers are also easy to clean.
Crucible
A crucible is a cup-shaped
piece of laboratory
glassware that is used to
hold samples which are to
be heated to high
temperatures. Many
crucibles come with lids.
A funnel is a conical piece of glassware that
terminates in a narrow tube. It is used to transfer
substances into containers that have narrow
mouths. Funnels may be made of any material. A
graduated funnel may be called a conical
measure.

Funnel
Graduated cylinders are
used to measure volumes
accurately. The can be used
to calculate the density of an
object if its mass is known.
Graduated cylinders usually
are made from borosilicate
glass, though there are
plastic cylinders, too.
Common sizes are 10, 25, 50,
100, 250, 500, 1000 ml.
Choose a cylinder such that
the volume to be measured
will be in the upper half of
the container. This minimizes
measurement error.
Graduated Cylinders
Petri dishes come as a set,
with a flat bottom dish and a
flat lid that rests loosely over
the bottom. The contents of
the dish are exposed to air
and light, but the air is
exchanged by diffusion,
preventing contamination of
the contents by
microorganisms. Petri dishes
that are intended to be
autoclaved are made from a
borosilicate glass, such as
Pyrex or Kimax. Single-use
sterile or non-sterile plastic
petri dishes also are available.
Petri dishes commonly are
used for culturing bacteria in
a microbiology lab, containing
small living specimens, and
holding chemical samples.
Petri Dish
Pipettes are used to
measure and transfer small
volumes. There are many
different types of pipettes.
Examples of pipette types
include disposable,
reusable, autoclavable, and
manual.
They are calibrated to
deliver a specific volume.
Some pipettes are marked
like graduated cylinders.
Other pipettes are filled to
a line to reliably deliver
one volume again and
again. Pipettes may be
made of glass or plastic.
Pipette
Test Tube and Rack
Test tubes are round-
bottom cylinders, usually
made of borosilicate glass
so that they can withstand
temperature changes and
resist reaction with
chemicals. In some cases,
test tubes are made from
plastic. Test tubes come in
several sizes. The most
common size is smaller
than the test tube shown
in this photo (18x150mm is
a standard lab test tube
size). Sometimes test tubes
are called culture tubes. A
culture tube is a test tube
without a lip.
Volumetric flasks are
used to accurately
prepare solutions for
chemistry. This piece of
glassware is
characterized by a long
neck with a line for
measuring a specified
volume. Volumetric
flasks usually are made
of borosilicate glass.
They may have flat or
round bottoms (usually
flat). Typical sizes are 25,
50, 100, 250, 500, 1000
ml.
Volumetric Flask
Watch glasses are
concave dishes that have
a variety of uses. They
can serve as lids for flasks
and beakers. Watch
glasses are nice for
holding small samples for
observation under a low-
power microscope.
Watch glasses are used
for evaporating liquid off
of samples, such as
growing seed crystals.
They can be used for
making lenses of ice or
other liquids. Fill two
watch glasses with liquid,
freeze the liquid, remove
the frozen material, press
the flat sides together...
lens!
Watch Glass
1 ) Beaker Tongs are best used for
holding or moving a hot beaker. The jaws
are usually covered with plastic so beakers
may be firmly held under the rim while
pouring contents.
2) Crucible Tongs pick up crucibles, test tubes,
flasks, beakers, etc. They feature rustproof, 1/4 nickel-
plated steel wire with riveted joints and accurately
aligned corrugated tips. Long handles give an added
measure of safety when reaching into ovens or fume
hoods, or when handling hot liquids.

Ring Stand &
Supports/Clamps
A ring stand will
conveniently heat beakers,
flasks, test tubes, and
other glassware over a
burner, or set up physics
apparatus such as
moveable pulleys and
inclined planes.


A ring support attaches to
the stand to support other
equipment.
The burette clamp holds
burettes and test tubes.
Wire Gauze
and
Clay Triangle
Wire gauze rests on the
ring to support glassware
above an alcohol burner.
The triangle rests on the
ring to support funnels,
crucibles and evaporating
dishes.
Bunsen Burner
A Bunsen burner is a
common piece of
laboratory equipment
that produces a single
open gas flame, which is
used for heating,
sterilization, and
combustion.
Mortar and Pestle
A mortar and pestle is a
tool used to crush, grind,
and mix substances. The
pestle is a heavy stick
whose end is used for
pounding and grinding,
and the mortar is a bowl.
The substance is ground
between the pestle and
the mortar.
Well Plate
This is a flat plate with
multiple wells used as
small test tubes. In
chemistry used for
mixing small amount of
reagents for chemical
reactions.
NSF North Mississippi GK-8
Sources
Turner, B. and K.K.Shamsid-Dean. 2005. Good, Messy, Frothing Fun. Teaching Problem-
Based Lab Safety. Science Scope. April/May: 10-13.

Curan, David. 2004. Chemical Safety Symbols Explained. Accessed 2005 June 19.
<http://wwwgeocities.com/david_charles_curran/safety/chemical_safety_symbols_4.html>.

Free Weird Science Clipart. Accessed 2005 June 18.
<http://chemistry.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=chemistry&zu=http%3A%2
F%2Fwww.angelfire.com%2Fscifi%2FWeirdImages%2Ffree_clipart_icons_gifs_cartoon_sci
ence.html>.

2001 Science Education Centre. Making School Laboratories a Safe Place, Educators
Guide. Accessed 2005 June19. <http://www.sec.org.za/lab/labsafe.htm>.

2004 March. Laboratory Safety Symbols. Accessed 2005 June 19.
<http://mywebpage.netscape.com/mrshigginschms/labsymbols.html>.

2004 Environmental Defense and GetActive Software. Scorecard, The Pollution Information
Site. Accessed 2005 June26. <www.scorecard.org>.


NSF North Mississippi GK-8
Sources
2003 Mississippi Corridor Neighborhood Coalition Resources Frequently Asked Questions.
Accessed 2005 June 26. <http://www.mcnc-mpls.org/faq.asp>.

2004 The Concise Biotech Dictionary. Accessed 2005 June20.
<http://www.thebiotechdictionary.com>.

Cushman, David. 2003 May. Safety Symbols used on this Website. Accessed 2005 June 25.
<http://website.lineone.net/~dave.cushman/safetysymbols.html>.

Safety goggles and fume hood photos. SMC Safety Rules. Accessed 2005 July 7.
<http://homepage.smc.edu/chem10/SafetyRules.html>.

Bradley Corporation. Accessed 2005 July 7.
<http://www.bradleycorp.com/sweets/guidelines/emrgency.htm>.

2005. Fire Safety and Fire Extinguishers. Accessed 2005 July 8.
<http://www.ilpi.com/safety/extinguishers.html>.

Fire Blanket Photo. Accessed 2005 July 9. <http://www.chem.unl.edu/safety/hslab8.html>.


Resources
http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistrylabexperiments/ig/Che
mistry-Laboratory-Glassware/Erlenmeyer-Flask.-17L.htm


http://wardsci.com/