IndexGeneral Laboratory Safety Rules and Guidelines1. Emergency response information2. Train before testing3. Schedule your work during normal working hours3. Treat all chemicals in the laboratory as if they were toxic4. Adhere to electrical safety guidelines5. Laser Use Safety GuidelinesConclusionPreston Brown, a graduate student at Texas Tech University was working on highly energetic hydrazine nickel perchlorate (NHP) in early January 2010 when a near-fatal accident occurred that left him for a lifetime. In a series of events involving failure to follow his supervisor's guidelines, failure to use safety and personal protective equipment (PPE), he suffered a punctured eye, the loss of three fingers and severe lacerations to his arms following the NHP explosion. plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay To avoid such harmful repercussions, it is important to always put safety first by ensuring that all lab members are well trained and strictly adhere to the rules and guidelines put in place. This post explores some of these provisions to help new staff or students navigate the laboratory environment in a way that reduces the risk of injury and damage to the laboratory. General Lab Safety Rules and Guidelines The very first action item for new staff o Students must go through a general orientation, usually given by the lab manager or a graduate student. This includes standard operating procedures, safety regulations and emergency response guidelines. It is critical to take this training seriously, take notes if necessary, request copies of these guidelines for in-depth study, and ask questions when things are unclear. Regardless of the type of laboratory you are in, there are general safety rules that you must observe as discussed below.1. Emergency Response Information You should be familiar with what to do in the event of an incident and who to report or contact. It is vital to know where items such as fire extinguishers, emergency showers, eyewash taps, first aid kits and fire blankets are stored and how to operate or use them. Ensure that all incidents, even minor ones, are reported to your supervisor.2. Train before testingDo not use any equipment or conduct experiments without prior training. If you are still unsure about a certain procedure, ask your supervisor or other trained personnel for help. Write down the protocols or make copies of the SOPs to refer to in case of doubt.3. Schedule your work during normal working hours This ensures that you are not alone for extended periods because working alone makes you more vulnerable in the event of accidents or injuries. Having other members around you also ensures that you have multiple pairs of eyes to point out potential risks that you might miss while running your experiments.3. Treat all chemicals in the laboratory as if they were toxic. This means that you should not directly smell, touch or taste chemicals or reaction mixtures. Pipetting with your mouth is dangerous, so use rubber bulbs or electronic blowers to suck up liquids, and when using volatile or toxic chemicals, be sure to open them and use them inside a.