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Teaching
- Lab Safety
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I. LABORATORY ATTIRE AND CONDUCT IN AND OUT OF THE LAB
1. You should dress neatly. You will have
a definite psychological advantage in quickly establishing control
of your class if they can distinguish you from their colleagues.
2. Protective clothing is often advantageous; you may wish to routinely
wear a lab coat in your classes.
3. Your students will look upon you as a member of the faculty. You are
to conduct yourself (in and out of the lab) in a professional manner.
Serious violations may result in dismissal without previous warnings.
II. LABORATORY SAFETY REGULATIONS IN TEACHING LABORATORIES
A. Supervision
Never work in a chemical laboratory without proper supervision. Your best protection against accidents is the presence of a trained, conscientious supervisor who is watching for potentially dangerous situations.
B. Eye Protection
In the teaching laboratories, safety glasses (goggles) of an approved type must be worn by all persons in the room at all times that anyone is working with or transporting glassware or conducting any experimental work. Experimental work includes many simple tasks such as transporting chemicals, cleaning glassware or work area, obtaining quantitative measurements that involve chemicals, etc. Light-weight "visitors' shields" or prescription glasses with side shields are not suitable for use in the instructional laboratories.
C. Protective Clothing
Proper protective clothing must be worn by all persons in the room at all times that anyone is working with or transporting glassware or conducting any experimental work. Exposed skin is particularly susceptible to injury by splattering of hot, caustic, or flammable materials. Students and instructors must be protected from their necks to below their knees. This requirement includes no shorts, no short skirts, no sleeveless garments, and no bare mid-riffs. Long lab coats or aprons are required if shorts or short skirts are worn. Makeshift coverage, such as shirts being used as aprons, paper taped over the knees, etc., is not considered to be suitable. Tight fitting clothing, long unrestrained hair, clothing that contains excessive fringe or even overly loose-fitting clothing may be ruled to be unsafe.
D. Protective Footwear
No sandals, no open-toed shoes, and no foot covering with absorbent soles are allowed. Any foot protection that exposes any part of one's toes is unsuitable for wear in the laboratory.
E. Bicycles, Roller-skates, etc.
Bicycles are not allowed in the buildings where chemistry labs meet. Using skate boards, in-line skates, roller-skates, and unicycles is also not allowed. If skates, etc., are brought inside the building, they may not be stored by laying them on the floor.
F. Food and Drinks in the Labs
Food and drinks are never allowed in the labs. This includes all visible insulated water bottles or mugs, containers of water or flavored drinks, containers of ice intended for consumption, etc. If a food or drink container is empty or unopened, it must be inside a backpack, etc., and out of sight.
G. No Unauthorized Experiments
"Simple" chemicals may produce undesired results when mixed. Any experimentation not directed by the laboratory manual or approved by your instructor will be considered to be unauthorized experimentation.
H. Removal of Chemicals and Equipment from the Laboratory
The removal of chemicals and/or equipment from the laboratory is strictly prohibited and is grounds for severe disciplinary action.
I. No Horseplay
Horseplay and pranks are prohibited in instructional chemistry laboratories.
For more information, write the Graduate Student Advisor: gradmail@mail.chem.tamu.edu.
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