Bio 425

General Rules of Laboratory Conduct

1. Eating and drinking is prohibited in the laboratory at all times.

2. Avoid putting any objects (such as pencils, fingers, etc) in your mouth while working in the laboratory.

3. Wash your hands with soap and water at the conclusion of each laboratory period.

4. If a living culture of microorganisms is spilled, notify the instructor in charge of the laboratory immediately.

5. If you are injured in any way (burning is the most common type of injury sustained in this laboratory), notify the instructor immediately.

6. Make sure that all gas, water, and electrical appliances at your table are turned off before you leave.

7. Unless otherwise specified, all cultures are to be grown in the 37 C incubator.

8. Make sure you wipe off the immersion oil before putting your microscope away.

9. All used petri dishes are to be placed into the biohazard bags which are inside the disposal cans at the back of the lab. Used culture tubes and other items are to be placed in the plastic coffin also in the back of the room. Place culture tubes into test tube racks, do not lay them on their side. Contaminated material must never be placed in the wastebasket.

10. At the beginning and end of each lab period the bench top in your work area needs to be cleaned and disinfected with the disinfectant provided in the red squeeze bottles.

11. A lab coat should be worn at all times in the laboratory. Safety goggles will be needed for some laboratories. Loose clothing and open toe shoes can be hazards in lab and generally should be avoided.

12. If your hair is long it should be pulled back and held out of your face with a rubber band or clip.

13. Be sure to familiarize you self with the location of all safety devices in the lab.

14. Pipetting will be performed with a mechanical device. Pipetting by mouth is not allowed in this laboratory.