All students must follow appropriate safety precautions in the laboratory. The first step in laboratory safety is to know what procedures you will be following, which chemicals you will be handling, and to review safe handling procedures before lab. The following rules were developed in consultation with Karen Falkenhagen, Health and Safety Specialist, Rutgers Environmental Health and Safety (REHS).

1. Report all accidents and unsafe conditions immediately to your Laboratory Instructor.
2. Know the location of the laboratory and building exits.
3. Know the location and use of the safety showers and eyewash stations. If a chemical is splashed in the eyes or on the skin, immediately flush the affected area(s) with water for at least 30 minutes and remove contaminated clothing.
4. Know the location and use of fire extinguishers. Employees and students are not expected to use fire extinguishers to fight fires nor are they trained in their use due to the danger to their personal safety that would result from attempting to extinguish a fire. The fire extinguishers should only be used to clear a path out of the building if you become trapped during a fire.
5. Know the location of the nearest phone and fire alarm pull station which can be used in an emergency. REPORT EMERGENCIES BY DIALING UNIVERSITY POLICE AT 6-911 FROM A UNIVERSITY PHONE.
6. Know the potential hazards of the materials that you will use. Copies of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) may be found in Biology 107 (DC) and Doolittle 132 (BC). All chemicals used in General Biology 101 are listed in Appendix C, along with their Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) number. MSDS can be found and reviewed by students at http://rehs.rutgers.edu/msdslinks2.html, accessed by either the chemical name or the CAS number.
7. Treat all sharp objects with exceptional caution. Report any blood spill (even if minor) to your lab instructor immediately. Your lab instructor will arrange for cleanup according to the instructions posted in each laboratory.
8. Follow written protocols, procedures, and instructions. Perform only authorized work. If there are questions, ask your laboratory instructor. Follow the specific handling instructions for each chemical outlined in your lab manual; your laboratory instructor will also review these at the beginning of every lab.
9. Wear eye protection in the laboratory when instructed to do so. Splash-proof safety goggles are required when transferring potentially dangerous solutions (e. g., pH <5 or >8). These steps are indicated in the lab manual by a "goggles" icon. You must bring your own goggles.
   
10. Wear proper clothes to protect the body against chemical spills, dropped objects, etc. This prohibits the wearing of bare midriffs, shorts, or sandals in the laboratory. Use of roller blades, scooters, etc. is not permitted anywhere inside the lab building.
11. Do not eat, drink, smoke, use any type of tobacco product, or apply cosmetics in the laboratory. You may not leave lab to smoke during your lab period – you are here to work!
12. Confine long hair and remove or secure ties, other articles of clothing or jewelry in the laboratory.
13. Do not pipette by mouth. In General Biology 101, you will only transfer liquids with disposable 1 mL pipettes with attached bulbs, or syringes. In advanced labs, use only mechanical pipetting devices.
14. Wash hands frequently when handling chemicals and before leaving the laboratory. Remove all protective gear, such as gloves (in General Biology 102), prior to leaving the laboratory.
15. Do not play in the laboratory. Any "horseplay" among students will result in their immediate dismissal from the laboratory with no assignments accepted for that day. Continued disregard for lab safety will be reported to the Dean of Students of the college in which the individuals are enrolled.
16. Observe all rules and ensure that they are enforced.
    
    

General Biology 101-102 are designed for individuals who are planning to be professional biologists, or people who need this background for another profession. The habits you develop now will be important throughout your career. Therefore, learn how to behave in a laboratory – safely!