CENTENARY UNIVERSITY

LABORATORY SAFETY GUIDELINES

All students must read and understand the information in this document with regard to laboratory
safety and emergency procedures prior to the first laboratory session. Your personal laboratory
safety depends mostly on YOU. Effort has been made to address situations that may pose a hazard
in the lab, but the information and instructions provided cannot be considered all-inclusive.
Students must adhere to written and verbal safety instructions throughout the academic semester.
Since additional instructions may be given at the beginning of laboratory sessions, it is important
that all students arrive at each session on time. All labs contain things which by themselves are not
harmful, but through carelessness or inattention can become extremely dangerous.

YOUR PRESENCE IN THE LABORATORY IMPLIES THAT YOU UNDERSTAND AND

FOLLOW THESE PRECAUTIONS:

General Laboratory Safety Procedures:

• Students in teaching laboratories are not allowed to work alone in any area housing chemicals
or equipment. Your instructor must be present before you are allowed to enter the lab.
• Students are not allowed to enter the science storage rooms or preparation areas unless given
specific permission.
• Inform the instructor if you are pregnant or have other conditions that may limit your
participation in laboratory exercises.
• Conduct yourself in a responsible manner at all times while in the laboratory and hallways.
Horseplay, practical jokes and pranks are dangerous to you and to your fellow students.
• Be prepared for the experiment before entering the laboratory. Read procedures carefully ahead
of time. This will save confusion.
• Absolutely no food, drink, gum chewing or application of cosmetics is allowed in the
laboratory. Do not use laboratory glassware or other containers for food or beverages.
Smoking is prohibited in the lab and in and around the building. Leave your meals, snacks,
water-bottles, cell-phones, etc. outside the laboratory. Some labs have hooks under the work
benches for hanging backpacks, bags or purses…do not put them on work benches.
• Do not touch any equipment, chemicals, or other materials in the laboratory area until
instructed to do so.
• Follow directions, both written and oral, carefully. If you do not understand a direction or
procedure, ask the instructor before proceeding.
• Monitor your experiments at all times. Do not wander around the room, distract other students,
or interfere with the laboratory experiments of others.
• Keep your work area clean and tidy at all times.

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• Be aware of your surroundings; know what is going on around you. If you see someone doing
something dangerous, point it out to your instructor.
• Do not use chipped glassware. Discard it in the Glass Disposal boxes if free of chemical
residue. If contaminated, inform professor for appropriate disposal instructions.
• Never handle broken glassware. Inform professor of breakage and they will dispose of it.
• When using sharp instruments, always carry them with tips and points pointing down and away
from your body. Always cut away from your body. Never try to catch a falling sharp object.
• Grasp sharp instruments only by the handles.
• Needles, syringes, scalpel blades and other sharp objects must be disposed of in “Sharps
Containers”.
• Handle heavy objects carefully. If dropped on your feet they can cause injury.
• Learn the locations and operation of emergency equipment: This includes eyewash, safety
shower, fire extinguisher, fire blanket, chemical and blood/body fluid spill-stations, telephone
for emergency contact, and first aid supplies –make sure you know how to use these items.
Be aware of all exits from the building.
• Access to emergency equipment, safety showers, and eyewashes should never be blocked.
Exits and aisles must not be obstructed in any way.
• During an emergency remain quiet and orderly and follow the directions given by the
instructor.
• Know what to do if there is a fire drill during a laboratory period. Close all containers and gas
valves, shut off running water, and disconnect electrical equipment. Exit the room in a quiet
orderly manner.
• In case of emergency, call Campus Security: Dial “0”, and “911”.

CLOTHING:
• Loose clothing shall not be worn when conducting a laboratory activity.
• Long hair must be tied back.
• Open toed shoes are not permitted in the laboratory.
• Wear appropriate protective equipment, as instructed by your professor. This could include
chemical splash goggles, gloves, lab coats, faces shields etc. Remove gloves when you leave
the lab, disposing of them properly as directed by your instructor- this prevents
contaminating the door handles and everything you touch outside the lab.

ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES:

• Report any accident, spill, or injury to the instructor immediately, no matter how trivial it may
seem. This includes strains, sprains, bruises, cuts, foreign material in the eye, and any other
such occurrence.
• If a chemical should splash on your skin or in your eye, immediately flush with running water
for twenty minutes. Have your partner notify the instructor.

CLEAN UP:
• At the end of lab: Clean and organize your lab bench thoroughly, and put all equipment,
materials and reagents back where you got them from. Clean all items used in the lab, such as
equipment and glassware, as instructed by your professor. Do not leave spills or residue on

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 any equipment or work benches. The lab should look the same at the completion of the lab as
it did at the beginning.
• Return all equipment clean and in proper working order to the proper storage area as per
instruction. If equipment is broken or not working properly report the problem to your
instructor.
• Sinks are not intended for waste disposal. Matches, paper towels and other solid waste shall be
placed in the trash cans. Do not leave trash on workbenches, in drawers or on floor.
• Wash your hands thoroughly before leaving the lab at any point and after performing
experiments.
• Allow adequate time for cleanup at the end of the class period. Ask your instructor to inspect
your area before leaving the classroom. Do not leave without your instructor’s approval.

Handling Equipment and Chemicals:

• Treat all equipment, chemicals, reagents, and media with respect, using them only as
instructed.
• Do not leave operating Bunsen burners, hotplates, gas jets, or water baths unattended. Never
heat a closed system (i.e. test tube with cap on top).
• Spills or breakages should be reported to your instructor who will dispose of items in the proper
container. When any thermometer is broken, the liquid must not be touched. Notify the
instructor immediately.
• All chemicals must be disposed of as directed by your instructor. If you are unsure how to
dispose of something, you must ask.
• Unplug all electrical equipment used during the laboratory activity. When removing an
electrical plug from a socket, grasp the plug, not the cord.
• Your hands must be completely dry before touching any electrical equipment.
• Report damaged electrical equipment immediately. Do not use damaged electrical equipment.
• Never take chemicals, specimens, supplies, or equipment out of the laboratory without the
explicit knowledge and consent of your instructor. You are forbidden to take any materials
home.
• Do not mix clean and dirty/used glassware and equipment…place used items in specified
locations.
• Double check that all equipment, has been turned off and unplugged prior to leaving the lab.

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 Guidelines for Chemical Procedures:

• Read chemical labels carefully. Read them 3 times: when you pick it up; just before you use
it; and after you are finished. Many mistakes result from accidentally mixing the wrong
chemicals.
• Review SDSs (aka. MSDS),. For each and every chemical you will use in the lab, look up the
SDS (safety data sheet), and note any key features and safety precautions that need to be taken
(A useful general website - http://www.ilpi.com/msds/ )
• Your instructor can help you locate & interpret the SDS.
• Never return unused reagents to the reagent bottle. Be careful to take only what you actually
need. Do not contaminate the reagents.
• Clean up all spills immediately. Spills or breakages should be reported to your instructor
immediately. Broken glassware will be deposited in appropriate container by your instructor.
• All chemicals must be disposed of in their proper waste containers as instructed by your
professor. If you are unsure how to dispose of something, you must ask.
• Important: We are mandated to keep a tally of what & how much chemical waste we are
generating and how it is disposed of – dispose of all chemical waste according to directions
given to you by your instructor each lab. IF YOU ARE UNSURE OF HOW AND WHERE
TO DISPOSE OF WASTE AND/OR WASH ASK YOUR INSTRUCTOR.
• Use mechanical pipetting devices only – DO NOT PIPETTE BY MOUTH.
• Use extreme caution when handling flammable liquids.
• Avoid heating flammable solvents with an open flame.
• Use a secondary container when carrying large glass containers of chemicals.
• Never taste a chemical. Check odors only if instructed to do so, by gently wafting some of the
vapor towards your nose with your hand. Be sure your work area is adequately ventilated for
your experiment.
• Do not leave any chemicals or solutions open or unlabeled. At the end of lab, be sure any
unused solutions have been disposed of properly, or if directed to save them, that they are
properly labeled and stopped. Place them in designated area…DO NOT leave them on work
bench or laboratory shelves.

Guidelines for Microbiology Procedures:

• Treat all cultures as infectious, using universal precautions while handling.

• All stain waste must be poured into the provided disposal jug in the laboratory sink. No stain
waste should be dumped down any sink. If some of the stain waste spills into the sink while
pouring please flush with copious amounts of running tap water. Stain trays and racks should
then be rinsed with tap water in the main sink and placed on drying rack to air dry.

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• All swabs, slides and cover slips used for microbiology work must be placed in the provided
biohazard container. They should not be thrown into regular trash or any other receptacle
unless notified by laboratory staff.
• All used petri dishes must be placed in the provided biohazard container and will be disposed
of by laboratory personnel. They should not be thrown into regular trash or any other receptacle
unless notified by laboratory staff.
• Gloves used to handle microbiology specimens should be placed in the provided biohazard
container and will be disposed of by laboratory personnel. They should not be thrown into
regular trash or any other receptacle unless notified by laboratory staff. Gloves should be
removed prior to leaving the microbiology lab.
• Any sterile media, distilled water or supplies that have been opened are no longer sterile. Please
place them in designated area after use…DO NOT mix non-sterile materials back in with sterile
items.
• Any items you are unsure about can be left on the side set-up table to be disposed of by
laboratory personnel.
• Decontaminate work benches and equipment as directed by your instructor.

Guidelines for Dissections:

• Treat all specimens with respect and dignity.
• Handle dissections tools with care…they are sharp!
• Dispose of any excess preservative in provided jug or beaker as directed by your instructor…do
not pour down the drain. If any spills in the sink while pouring, flush with copious amounts
of water.
• All pieces from dissected specimens from a lab section must be placed in a leak poof plastic
bag, and TIGHTLY sealed, as instructed by professor. Check sink drain after cleaning trays
and add any pieces that have been caught in the drain to the bag for disposal.
• All dissection trays and mats must be thoroughly cleaned…rubber mats must be removed from
trays during cleaning. Stack trays on Labmat to dry; hang mats on drying rack.
• All dissection tools must be thoroughly cleaned with soap, then rinsed and left out to air
dry…do not put dirty or wet dissection tools back in dissection kits
• The bag from the lab section should then be double bagged and placed in the large specimen
barrel then tightly sealed.
• The specimen log must be fully completed for the lab section…include date, type of specimen
and count
• Thoroughly clean work benches as directed by instructor.

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 Guidelines for the Environmental Science Center (ESC):
The Environmental Science Center is located at the Hayford Hatchery and owned by NJ
Department of Natural Resources. As such, we are required by the State of NJ to follow certain
rules and guidelines. Deviation from the policies set forth below will result in expulsion from
the course.

• Students are not allowed to drive to the ESC building unless given permission in advance.
Students may take the University provided shuttle or walk to and from classes at the ESC.
• If given SPECIAL permission to drive, students must obey the 15 mph speed limit while on
the property. Failure to do so could result in issuance of a summons and/or revoking the driving
privilege.
• Students are NOT allowed to deviate from the main path of the roadway unless guided by any
instructor or professor who has permission to do so.
• Students are NOT allowed to engage in any contact with wildlife or any hatchery structures on
the property.

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