All lab users share the responsibilities of keeping their work stations and work areas free from the accumulation of materials and equipment. Clutter is a safety hazard that promotes trips and falls, chemical spills, and fires.
Stock chemicals are to be returned to the storage cabinet when you are done with them and always returned to the cabinet before leaving at the end of the day.
Dirty Glassware is to be placed in appropriate containers- not left on lab benches or in sinks.
Minor Spills are to be cleaned up immediately by the lab staff; major spills are to be reported immediately.
Eliminate safety hazards by maintaining laboratory work areas in a good state of order. Maintain at least two clear passages to laboratory exits.
Always keep tables, fume hoods, floors, aisles and desks clear of unnecessary material.
Wipe down bench tops and other laboratory surfaces after each use with an appropriate cleaning or disinfecting agent.
If experiments must be left unattended, place a copy of the unattended work permit next to experimental apparatus indicating the chemicals involved, your name and a number where you can be reached in case of an emergency. Put a copy of this form on the door. (See the Section on Unattended Operations)
Keep the laboratory floor dry at all times. Immediately attend to spills of chemicals or water, and notify other lab workers of potential slipping hazards.
All machinery under repair or adjustment should be properly tagged prior to servicing. All service work should be done by authorized personnel.
Sink traps and floor drains should be flushed and filled with water on a regular basis to prevent the escape of sewer gases or the release of chemical odors in the event of an emergency. Drains which will not be routinely used may be "topped" with 20 - 30 ml of mineral oil to prevent evaporation of water in the trap.
