Ms.

Helwegs Chemistry Class Safety Contract

This year we will be doing lots of hands-on labs that involve many different chemicals and
hazardous materials. Safety is our number one priority and thus a list of rules has been
developed and provided to you in the contract below. This contract must be signed by you
and a parent/guardian before you will be allowed to participate in any lab activities.
1. Conduct yourself in a responsible manner at all times. Horseplay will not be tolerated and
will result in immediate dismissal from the lab area and a grade of 0 for the lab.
2. Follow all instructions carefully. Listen closely during prelab demonstrations and read each
procedure before you do it. If you do not understand something, ask your instructor.
3. Eating, drinking, and gum chewing are not permitted in the laboratory.
4. Working in the laboratory without the instructor present is prohibited.
5. Unauthorized activities or investigations are prohibited. Unsupervised work is not permitted.
6. Entering preparation or chemical storage areas is prohibited at all times.
7. Removing chemicals/equipment from the lab is prohibited unless approved by the instructor.
8. Safety goggles will be worn during all activities in the lab, including pre-lab work and cleanup, unless the instructor explicitly states that the activity does not require eye protection.
9. When an activity requires the use of laboratory aprons, aprons will be provided by the
instructor. The apron shall remain tied throughout the activity or investigation.
10. Report any accident or injury to your instructor IMMEDIATELY, no matter how minor it
might seem (for example: spills, breaking something, cuts, burns, asthma, light-headedness,
nausea, hands itching after acid encounter, and so on).
11. Dress appropriately for laboratory work by protecting your body with clothing and shoes. Tie
back long hair and do not wear loose/baggy clothing or dangling jewelry. Sandals or opentoed shoes are not to be worn during any lab activities.
12. Know the locations/procedures of all safety equipment. This includes the eye wash stations,
deluge shower, fire extinguishers, fume hood, safety blanket, and electric and gas shut offs.
13. If a chemical should splash in your eye(s) or on your skin, notify the instructor immediately.
Flush using the eyewash station or safety shower. Assist your classmates if needed.
14. Certain classrooms may have living organisms. Students must not handle organisms without
instructor authorization. Wash your hands with soap and water after handling all organisms.
15. When an activity or investigation requires the use of laboratory gloves for hand protection,
the gloves shall be appropriate for the hazard and worn throughout the activity.
16. Keep hands away from face, eyes, and mouth when handling chemicals. Be sure to wash
your hands at the end of the lab.
17. Avoid inhaling in fumes that may be generated during an activity or investigation.
18. Do not force glass tubing into rubber stoppers. Use glycerin as a lubricant and hold the
tubing with a towel as you ease the glass into the stopper.
19. Proper procedures shall be followed when using any heating or flame producing device.
Never leave a flame unattended. Do not put any substance into the flame unless instructed to
do so. Never reach over an exposed flame. Light gas burners only when instructed.
20. Heated metals and glass remain hot for a long time. They should be set aside to cool and
picked up with caution. Use tongs if necessary. Remember, hot and cold glass look the same!
21. Never point the mouth of a test tube toward yourself or anyone else. Reactions in test tubes
have been known to be violent and discharge out.

22. Always add acid to water, never the other way around. Use a stirring rod when pouring.
23. Hold containers away from you when transferring chemicals from one container to another.
24. Should a fire drill, lockdown, or other emergency occur during an investigation or activity,
listen to your instructors direction. Containers must be closed, gas valves turned off, fume
hoods turned off, and any electrical equipment turned off.
25. All chemicals in the laboratory are to be considered dangerous. Do not touch, taste, or smell
any chemicals unless specifically instructed.
26. Always read the reagent bottle labels twice before you use the reagent. Be certain the
chemical you use is the correct one. Take only as much chemical as you need. Never return
unused chemicals to their original containersthis causes contamination. If you take too
much of something, check to see if another lab group might need it.
27. Replace the top on any reagent bottle as soon as you have finished using it and return the
reagent to the designated location.
28. Be clean. Work areas should be kept clean and tidy at all times. Bring only your laboratory
instructions, worksheets, and/or reports to the work area. Leave your bookbags and
belongings at your deskthey are hazard in the lab.
29. Work surfaces are to be cleaned at the end of each laboratory or activity.
30. Solid chemicals, metals, matches, filter papers, broken glass, and other materials designated
by the instructor are to be deposited in the proper waste containers, not in the sink. Follow
your instructors directions for disposal of waste.
31. Sinks are to be used for the disposal of water and those solutions designated by the instructor.
32. Examine glassware before use. Never use chipped/cracked glasswareit might burst when
heated. Never handle broken glass. If there is broken glass, notify the instructor immediately
and they will clean it up.
33. Glassware is to be washed with hot, soapy water and scrubbed with the appropriate type and
sized brush, rinsed, dried, and returned to its original location.
34. Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) contain critical information about hazardous chemicals of which
students need to be aware. Your instructor will review the SDSs for the hazardous chemicals
students will be working with and also post the SDSs in the lab for future reference.
35. Tell your instructor if you observe any unsafe conditions during a lab.
By signing this form, I acknowledge that the science classroom and laboratory can be an unsafe
place to work and learn. The safety rules are developed to help prevent accidents and to ensure
my own safety and the safety of fellow students. I will follow any additional instructions given
by my instructor. I understand that I may ask my instructor at any time about the rules if they are
unclear. My failure to follow these laboratory rules may result in disciplinary action.
Student: I have read and will adhere to the policies stated in this science safety contract.
STUDENT SIGNATURE: ____________________________________DATE: _____________
Parent/Guardian: I have read the above science safety contract and understand that my child is
expected to adhere to all of the policies within.
PARENT/GUARDIAN SIGNATURE: ___________________________DATE: ____________