Laboratory safety rules

Safety rules in a science laboratory are there to keep you and your fellow students safe.  Most rules are common sense such as no eating or drinking in the lab.  

Here is a list of the most common:

1. Food and drink are not permitted during class in the lab at any time.
2. Do not come in the lab early unless the instructor is present.
3. Read all instructions, from start to finish BEFORE you start the experiment.
4. Do not wear loose hair or clothing around moving equipment.
5. Wear safety glasses during a lab experiment.
6. Never touch a possibly live circuit and do not touch electrical equipment with wet hands.
7. Only use laboratory equipment for the instructional purpose for which they were intended.
8. Never look directly in the beam of a laser and light from a lamp used for the experiment.
9. All trash and waste materials should be disposed of in the proper container. Do not pour chemicals into the laboratory sink.
10. Do not take apart any apparatus or piece of equipment.
11. All damaged equipment and chemical spills should be immediately reported to the laboratory instructor.
12. Accidents and emergencies must be immediately reported to the laboratory instructor. 
13. Leave your lab station neat, clean and organized at the end of each lab period.
    
14. Be aware of where the fire extinguishers are located.

Warning signs

Various warning signs should be displayed in a physics laboratory, and you need to take notice of them as they display information about potential hazards.