Physics Laboratory Safety Precautions

These safety rules always apply in the lab 1. Always wear a lab apron and safety goggles. Wear these safety devices whenever you are in the lab, not just when you are working on an experiment. 2. No contact lenses in the lab. Contact lenses should not be worn during any investigations using chemicals (even if you are wearing goggles). In the event of an accident, chemicals can get behind contact lenses and cause serious damage before the lenses can be removed. If your doctor requires that you wear contact lenses instead of glasses, you should wear eye-cup safety goggles in the lab. Ask your doctor or your teacher how to use this important eye protection. 3. Personal apparel should be appropriate for laboratory work. On lab days avoid wearing long necklaces, dangling bracelets, bulky jewelry, and bulky or loose-fitting clothing. Long hair should be tied back. Loose, dangling items may get caught in moving parts, accidentally contact electrical connections, or interfere with the investigation in a potentially hazardous manner. In addition, chemical fumes may react with some jewelry, such as pearls, and ruin them. Cotton clothing is preferable to wool, nylon, or polyester. Wear shoes that will protect your feet from chemical spills and falling objects-open-toed shoes or sandals, and shoes with woven leather straps are not allowed in the laboratory. 4. NEVER work alone in the laboratory. Work in the lab only while under the supervision of your teacher. Do not leave equipment unattended while it is in operation. 5. Only books and notebooks needed for the experiment should be in the lab. Only the lab notebook and the textbook should be used. Keep other books, backpacks, purses, and similar items in your desk, locker, or designated storage area.

6. Read the entire experiment before entering the lab. Your teacher will review applicable safety precautions before the lab. If you are not sure of something, ask your teacher about it. 7. Always heed safety symbols and cautions written in the experimental investigations and handouts, posted in the room, and given verbally by your teacher. They are provided for your safety. 8. Know the proper fire drill procedures and the location of fire exits and emergency equipment. Make sure you know the procedures to follow in case of a fire or an emergency. 9. If your clothing catches on fire, do not run; WALK to the safety shower, stand under it, and turn it on. Call to your teacher while you do this. 10. Report all accidents to the teacher immediately, no matter how minor. In addition, if you get a headache, feel sick to your stomach, or feel dizzy, tell your teacher immediately. 11. Report all spills to your teacher immediately. Call your teacher rather than trying to clean up a spill yourself. Your teacher will tell you if it is safe for you to clean up the spill; if not, your teacher will know how the spillshould be cleaned up safely. 12. Student-designed inquiry investigations, such as the Invention Labs in the Laboratory Experiments manual, must be approved by the teacher before being attempted by the student. 13. DO NOT perform unauthorized experiments or use materials and equipment in a manner for which they were not intended.

Use only materials and equipment listed in the activity equipment list or authorized by your teacher. Steps in a procedure should only be performed as described in the textbook or lab manual or approved by your teacher. 14. Stay alert in the lab, and proceed with caution. Be aware of others near you or your equipment when you are performing an experiment. If you are not sure of how to proceed, ask.

15. Horseplay in the lab is very dangerous. Laboratory equipment and apparatus are not toys; never play in the lab or use lab time or equipment for anything other than their intended purpose. 16. Food, beverages, and chewing gum are NEVER permitted in the laboratory. 17. NEVER taste chemicals. Do not touch chemicals or allow them to contact areas of bare skin. 18. Use extreme CAUTION when working with. Hot plates or other heating devices. Keep your head, hands, hair, and clothing away from the flame or heating area, and turn heating devices off when they are not in use. Remember that metal surfaces connected to the heated area will, become hot by conduction. Gas burners should be lit only with a spark lighter. Make sure all heating devices and gas valves are turned off before leaving the laboratory. Never leave a hot plate or other heating device unattended when it is in use. Remember that many metal, ceramic, and glass items do not always look hot when they are hot. Allow all items to cool before storing. 19. Exercise caution when working with electrical equipment. Do not use electrical equipment with frayed or twisted wires. Be sure your hands are dry before using electrical equipment. Do not let electrical cords dangle from work stations; dangling cords can cause electrical shocks and other injuries. 20. Keep work areas and apparatus clean and neat. Always dean up any clutter made during lab work, rearrange apparatus in an orderly manner, and report any damaged or missing items. 21. Always thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water at the conclusion of each investigation.

Waste Disposal Never put broken glass or ceramics in a regular waste container. Use a dustpan, a brush, and heavy gloves to carefully pick up broken pieces, and dispose of them in a container specifically provided for this purpose. Dispose of chemicals as instructed by your teacher. Never pour hazardous chemicals into a regular waste container. Never pour radioactive materials down the drain.

Heating Safety When using a burner or hot plate, always wear goggles and an apron to protect your eyes and clothing. Tie back long hair, secure loose clothing and remove loose jewelry. Never leave a hot plate unattended while it is turned on. Wire coils may heat up rapidly during this experiment. If heating occurs, open the switch immediately and handle the equipment with a hot mitt. Allow all equipment to cool before storing it. If your clothing catches on fire, walk to the emergency lab shower and use the shower to put out the fire.

HandSafety

Perform this experiment in a clear area. Attach masses securely. Falling, dropped, or swinging objects can cause serious injury. Use a hot mitt to handle resistors, light sources, and other equipment that may be hot. Allow all equipment to. Cool before storing it.

Glassware Safety If a thermometer breaks, notify the teacher immediately. Do not heat glassware that is broken, chipped, or cracked. Use tongs or a hot mitt to handle heated glassware and other equipment that may be hot. Allow all equipment to cool before storing it. If a bulb breaks, notify your teacher immediately. Do not remove broken bulbs from sockets.

Electrical Safety Never dose a circuit until it has been approved by your teacher. Never rewire or adjust any element of a closed circuit. Never work with electricity near water. Be sure the floor and all work surfaces are dry.

If the pointer on any kind of meter moves off scale, open the circuit immediately by opening the switch. Do not work with any batteries, electrical devices, or magnets other than those provided by your teacher.

Chemistry Laboratory Safety Precautions

Some rules are NOT made to be broken. That is true of the rules used in a chemistry lab. They are really, truly for your safety and not your humiliation.

Do Not Pipette By Mouth - Ever You say, "But it's only water." Even if it is, how clean do you think that glassware really is? Using disposable pipettes? I know lots of people who rinse them and put them back! Learn to use the pipette bulb or automated pipetter. Don't pipette by mouth at home either. Gasoline and kerosene should be obvious, but people get hospitalized or die every year, right? I know someone who used his mouth to start the suction on a waterbed to

drain it. Do you know what they put in some waterbed additives? Carbon14. Mmmm...radiation. He couldn't retch fast enough! The lesson is that even seemingly harmless substances may be dangerous!

Read the Chemical Safety Information A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) should be available for every chemical you use in lab. Read these and follow the recommendations for safe use and disposal of the material.

Dress Appropriately (for chemistry lab, not fashion or the weather) No sandals, no clothes you love more than life, no contact lenses, and long pants are preferable to shorts or short skirts. Tie long hair back. Wear safety goggles and a lab coat. Even if you aren't clumsy, someone else in the lab probably is. If you take even a few chemistry courses you will probably see people set themselves on fire, spill acid on themselves, others, or notes, splash themselves in the eye, etc. Don't be the bad example to others, remembered for all time for something stupid!

Identify the Safety Equipment And know how to use it! Given that some people (possibly you) will need them, know the locations of the fire blanket, extinguishers, eyewash, and shower. Ask for demonstrations! If the eyewash hasn't been used in a while the discoloration of the water is usually sufficient to inspire use of safety glasses.

Don't Taste or Sniff Chemicals For many chemicals, if you can smell them then you are exposing yourself to a dose that can harm you! If the safety information says that a chemical should only be used inside a fume hood, then don't use it anywhere else. This isn't cooking class - don't taste your experiments!

Don't Casually Dispose of Chemicals Down the Drain Some chemicals can be washed down the drain, while others require a different method of disposal. If a chemical can go in the sink, be sure to wash it away rather than risk an unexpected reaction between chemical 'leftovers' later.

Don't Eat or Drink in Lab It's tempting, but oh so dangerous... just don't do it!

Don't Play Mad Scientist Don't haphazardly mix chemicals! Pay attention to the order in which chemicals are to be added to each other and do not deviate from the instructions. Even chemicals that mix to produce seemingly safe products should be handled carefully. For example, hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide will give you salt water, but the reaction could break your glassware or splash the reactants onto you if you aren't careful!

Take Data During Lab Not after lab, on the assumption that it will be neater. Put data directly in your lab book rather than transcribing from another source (e.g., notebook or lab partner). There are lots of reasons for this, but the practical one is that it is much harder for the data to get lost in your lab book. For some experiments, it may be helpful to take data beforelab. No, I'm not telling you to dry-lab or cheat, but being able to project likely data will help you catch bad lab procedure before you are three hours or so into a project. Know what to expect. You should always read the experiment in advance.

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

SHORT AND SIMPLE RULES

No unauthorized access to Laboratories and Workshops without supervision No unauthorized use of equipment Wear protective gear Wear only closed toe shoes No jewelers or loose fitting clothing Contain long hair and beards Walk - dont run If you dont understand - ASK No food or drink Read all safety data sheets and labels Be aware of emergency procedures, exits and emergency buttons Read and understand any safety signs, instructions and notices. Think before you act. Clean up as you work to avoid dangerous clutter.

SAFETY PRECAUTIONSIN LABORATORIES AND WORKSHOPS

Construction Laboratories and Workshops are places to experiment, be creative and use skills and talents to construct models, furniture and other design prototypes.

SAFETY = COMMON SENSE

However, these activities in the design and development are often unpredictable. The use of exotic materials, unorthodox use of tools and equipment and a rapid change in the activities as new design ideas develop and change, sometimes make it difficult to respect safety regulations.

Workshop Safety Precaution

THE WRONG TOOL FOR THE JOB

It is sometimes tempting to use available equipment or tools in a way not originally foreseen or to do some work to which they have not been adapted or designed for. All equipment and tools can be used to undertake a variety of tasks but if you dont know the limits or use it the right way - trouble is just around the corner! If you have the slightest doubt about the suitability of the operation, ASK advice from the Technical staff. They will ensure that the necessary precautions are taken and adequate safety equipment made available or alternative equipment can be used. Don't think of the safety organisation as being there to stop you from doing interesting things, it is there to help you achieve success. As well as the Laboratory or Workshop where you are working, Technical staff have access to other resources within the University that can usually carry out special processes that cannot be handled in Faculty Laboratories and Workshops.

Consult, ask for advice and help from Technical staff - thats their job and they want to see how proud you are of the finished project.

CLEAN UP YOUR MESS!

It is the responsibility of ALL Laboratory and Workshop users to keep the surrounding work area clean and tidy at all times and not cluttered with the materials that you are using for your project. Areas around machines and walkways are specially marked to prevent accidents. Dont block them with materials or obstacles that may restrict access or emergency evacuation, or simply clutter up the working space and make safe and efficient working more difficult. At the end of the session, that magical SOMEONE is supposed to wave a magic wand to clean up the mess! Technical staff are not employed to clean-up after you - cleaning equipment is provided and time is usually allocated at the end to cleandown the benches, machinery and sweep the floor around your work area. Making a mess when using a workshop is a fact of life. You cant produce a masterpiece without cutting, sanding, sawing or drilling that special creation.

IS IT SAFE?

Some materials, solutions and solvents are unsafe when they mix or come into contact with other substances. They must be used in well ventilated areas and under fume extraction hoods.

Any materials or solutions that you bring into the Laboratory or Workshop MUST be shown to the Technical Staff to assess if there is any risk in their use in the area. Technical staff provide materials safety data sheets of the common materials used within the Laboratory or Workshop. Before you decide to try some special type of material, ASK what safety hazards may be likely and whether special precautions and processes need to be undertaken.

Verify that all safety equipment that you need for a particular job is present before starting the activity.

WHEN THINGS GO WRONG Even when all the safety precautions are in place, sometimes things go wrong and emergency procedures must be implemented.

Get to know the work environment, in particular where to find:

fire extinguisher fire aid kit emergency stop buttons telephone and emergency number emergency exits

A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING - EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE Laboratories and Workshops are operated by well organized Technical staffs who provides multiple sets of tools and equipment for your use. Leaving a heap of tools lying around on the workbench is inviting a accident to happen. When you have finished using it - put it back in the rack or cupboard for others to use and keep your work area uncluttered. If a tool is broken, blunt, or you break it - tell the Technical staff - they usually wont "bite you head off", because these things happen all the time as students are learning and experimenting with new skills. If a tool it is damaged or unsafe to use, then it is YOUR responsib-ility to inform them. Dont just return it to the cupboard, as the next user could be seriously hurt or injured.

SAFETY SIGNS Signs surround us in everyday life to inform us to Go Left, Slow Down, Stop and a multitude of other instructions. In Laboratories and Workshops, picture safety signs use universal symbols to:

prevent accidents signal health hazards indicate the location of safety, first aid and fire protection equipment give clear guidance and instruction in emergency procedures form part of the total safety information system of the area.

Picture safety signs warn of hazards or risks that are present in the workplace and inform users in the workplace how to avoid that hazard or risks, or its effects. In addition to the picture signs, many individual machines and processes have detailed signs explaining "step by step" instructions to use them safely. Some Laboratories and Workshops provide mandatory signage for students from non-English speaking backgrounds.

TYPES OF SAFETY SIGNS AND THEIR MEANING There are four categories of picture safety signs, distinguished by the color and shape of the symbol:

1. Circle: white background with red borders and cross bar; black symbol Meaning: Stop and Prohibition signs

2. Triangle: yellow background with black border; black symbol Meaning: Caution (warning) signs

3. Rectangle: green background; white symbol Meaning: Emergency-related information signs

4. Circle: blue background; white symbol Meaning: Mandatory (must obey) signs

Engineering Laboratory Equipment Borrowing Procedures

Introduction We pride ourselves for having the best and current up to date equipment available to our students to use in our labs. To keep our equipment in good working order and available this Engineering Laboratory Equipment Procedure must be followed by Students, Faculty & Staff of the Westmead International School of Engineering.

I. Equipment and Supplies

A. Anyone (Student/Staff/Faculty) borrowing Tools\Equipment from any electronics lab or Laboratory Support room must check in/out with a Laboratory Support Attendant (KEN234) or record his/her Name, Student ID Number (10 digit phone number) the date & time loaned, the Item ID (Bar Code) and the item/s borrowed on a YELLOW CARD Form (See Form 1) located in the Laboratory Support Storeroom. B. Tools or instruments must be returned on the same day in order to best assure availability of the limited resources. If the item is needed for a longer time, approval from the Laboratory Supervisor is required. C. All tools must be returned to the original storage site after use. D. Anyone using any components or parts from the lab must return the components or parts to it original storage bin or drawer. If the items are already in short supply (only one or two remaining), they are not to be used without first obtaining approval of the Laboratory Supervisor or Faculty Member. This assures Stock replenishment. E. For the safety our Equipment, all doors to the Electronics Laboratory must be locked at all times and will not be propped open at any time. Access cards can be obtained with your Instructors permission.

FORM 1, with required fields filled in.

WESTMEAD INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT OF EQUIPMENT Name :____________________ Home Phone :_____________________ Student ID no.:_______________ Work Phone:_____________________ Date and Time: ______________________________________________ Name of Equipment/s: ________________________________________ Item ID:_____________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ DATE/TIME RETURNED TO LAB SUPERVISOR ___________________

Westmead International School

College of Engineering Mechanical Engineering

Safety Precautions for:

Physics Laboratory, Chemistry Laboratory, Workshop And also the Procedure for borrowing tools / Chemicals

Richard V. Mayo BSME 421

February 2011