Lab Safety Rules and Equipment

Question 1

A beaker of water has just been boiled on a hot plate and must be moved to the bench. The glass looks exactly as it did before heating. What is the correct action?

Accepted Answer

Switch off the hot plate, lift the beaker with beaker tongs, and set it on a heat-resistant mat.

Answer

Fold a paper towel around the beaker and carry it to the bench by hand.

Answer

Touch the beaker briefly with a fingertip; if it does not hurt, carry it by the rim.

Answer

Run cold water over the outside of the beaker in the sink until it is cool enough to hold.

Question 2

While a student is pouring dilute hydrochloric acid, a drop splashes into one eye. What should happen next?

Accepted Answer

Go straight to the eyewash station and rinse the open eye for at least 15 minutes while a classmate tells the teacher.

Answer

Rinse the eye at the sink tap for about 20 seconds, then tell the teacher and carry on with the lab.

Answer

Tell the teacher, then walk to the nurse's office to have the eye examined before any rinsing.

Answer

Flood the eye with dilute sodium bicarbonate solution to neutralize the acid, then tell the teacher.

Question 3

A small beaker of ethanol on the bench catches fire from a nearby Bunsen burner. The flame is burning inside the beaker only. What is the correct immediate response?

Accepted Answer

Step back, alert the teacher at once, and let the teacher smother the flame by covering the beaker with a heat-resistant lid.

Answer

Pour a beaker of water into the burning ethanol, then tell the teacher.

Answer

Carry the burning beaker to the sink and tell the teacher on the way.

Answer

Blow the flame out and tell the teacher at the end of the period.

Question 4

A student's sleeve catches fire while she is reaching across a lit Bunsen burner. What should her lab partner do first?

Accepted Answer

Walk her to the safety shower and pull the handle while another student calls the teacher over.

Answer

Send her into the hallway to find the nurse and tell the teacher she has gone.

Answer

Beat the flames out with a lab notebook and then tell the teacher.

Answer

Fetch the extinguisher from the wall and spray it at her sleeve, then tell the teacher.

Question 5

A test tube is knocked off the bench and shatters on the floor beside a group of students. What is the correct response?

Accepted Answer

Tell the teacher, keep everyone clear, and collect the pieces with a dustpan and brush into the broken-glass container.

Answer

Pick the largest pieces up with gloved hands, tell the teacher, and brush the rest under the bench.

Answer

Sweep the glass into the classroom trash can and report the breakage at the end of the period.

Answer

Wipe the area with a wet paper towel to gather the small pieces, then tell the teacher.

Question 6

A few drops of dilute sodium hydroxide run onto the back of a student's hand, which begins to feel slippery and itchy. What should he do?

Accepted Answer

Rinse the hand under running water for at least 15 minutes and report the contact to the teacher while rinsing.

Answer

Wipe the hand dry with a paper towel and report the contact to the teacher.

Answer

Rinse the hand with ethanol from the bench tray, then report the contact to the teacher.

Answer

Neutralize the base with vinegar from the supply shelf and then rinse the hand at the sink.

Question 7

About 20 mL of dilute hydrochloric acid spills across a bench when a bottle tips over. What should the group do?

Accepted Answer

Move back, tell the teacher immediately, and use the spill kit only under the teacher's direction.

Answer

Mop the acid up with paper towels and drop them in the classroom trash can.

Answer

Push the acid into the sink with a paper towel and run the tap, then tell the teacher.

Answer

Pour water over the spill to dilute it, wipe it dry, and tell the teacher at the end of the lab.

Question 8

A Bunsen burner begins to roar quietly and the flame burns down at the base of the barrel, which is turning hot and sooty. What should the student do?

Accepted Answer

Turn the gas off at the tap at once and let the barrel cool before relighting the burner.

Answer

Close the air hole while the burner is lit and carry on heating.

Answer

Lift the burner by the barrel and move it to a cooler part of the bench.

Answer

Turn the gas up so the flame lifts back to the top of the barrel.

Question 9

During a lab with formalin-preserved specimens, a student begins to feel dizzy and her eyes sting. What is the correct immediate action?

Accepted Answer

Move her away from the bench into fresh air and tell the teacher straight away.

Answer

Have her sit at the bench with her head down and tell the teacher if she does not improve.

Answer

Give her water to drink at the bench and tell the teacher at the end of the period.

Answer

Send her alone to the restroom to rinse her face, and tell the teacher she has gone.

Question 10

A flask of bacterial broth cultured from a soil sample tips over on the bench. What should be done?

Accepted Answer

Tell the teacher, cover the spill with paper towels, soak them with disinfectant, and leave it for the stated contact time before clearing it.

Answer

Tell the teacher, wipe the broth up with dry paper towels, and put them in the classroom trash.

Answer

Rinse the broth into the sink with plenty of hot water and tell the teacher.

Answer

Spray the bench with disinfectant, wipe it dry immediately, and tell the teacher at the end of the lab.

Question 11

A student draws stain into a pipette using his mouth and gets a small amount of the liquid on his tongue. What should happen next?

Accepted Answer

He spits it out, rinses his mouth repeatedly with water, and reports it to the teacher immediately.

Answer

He swallows a large drink of water to dilute the stain and reports it at the end of the lab.

Answer

He rinses his mouth with ethanol from the bench tray, then reports it to the teacher.

Answer

He reports it to the teacher and waits to see whether any symptoms appear before rinsing.

Question 12

The fire alarm sounds partway through a lab in which three groups still have Bunsen burners alight. What should the students do?

Accepted Answer

Turn off the gas at the burner taps, leave everything else on the bench, and walk out with the class.

Answer

Leave immediately without touching anything, including the lit burners.

Answer

Put all chemicals and glassware away in the cupboards first, then leave with the class.

Answer

Turn off the burners, collect bags and coats from under the bench, and leave with the class.

Question 13

The bench cabinet shown has a sliding glass front and a duct that draws air out of the room. Which laboratory hazard is it there to control?

Accepted Answer

Harmful or irritating vapor given off by a chemical.

Answer

A chemical burn on the skin of the hands.

Answer

Flames spreading from burning clothing.

Answer

Broken glass left on the bench surface.

Question 14

The fixture shown is mounted beside the laboratory sink and delivers two soft streams of water when its lever is pushed. Which emergency is it designed for?

Accepted Answer

A chemical that has splashed into a student's eyes.

Answer

A small fire burning in a beaker on the bench.

Answer

A large chemical spill soaking through a student's clothing.

Answer

Fine dust escaping from an open container of powder.

Question 15

A student knocks over a 500 mL bottle of dilute sodium hydroxide and the solution soaks the front of his shirt and pants. Which piece of safety equipment is used?

Accepted Answer

The safety shower.

Answer

The eyewash station.

Answer

The fume hood.

Answer

The fire blanket.

Question 16

The sealed wall case shown holds a folded sheet of woven glass fiber with a pull tab. Which emergency is it kept for?

Accepted Answer

Flames burning on a person's clothing or in a small container.

Answer

A chemical splashed into a student's face.

Answer

A spill of acid spreading across the floor.

Answer

Gas escaping from a burner tap left open.

Question 17

A group will heat a test tube of dilute sulfuric acid over a burner, and the liquid may spit upward. Which eye protection does this hazard require?

Accepted Answer

Chemical splash goggles that seal against the face.

Answer

Safety glasses with side shields.

Answer

A clear face shield worn on its own over prescription glasses.

Question 18

A class has grown bacterial cultures on agar plates. Which piece of laboratory equipment makes the plates safe to throw away?

Accepted Answer

An autoclave.

Answer

A drying oven set to 60 degrees Celsius.

Answer

A refrigerator at 4 degrees Celsius.

Answer

A fume hood.

Question 19

Students will handle iodine solution and methylene blue, both of which stain skin and can irritate it. Which equipment controls contact with the hands?

Accepted Answer

Disposable nitrile gloves.

Answer

Heat-resistant gloves.

Answer

A laboratory apron.

Question 20

Small flames appear at the plug of a hot plate. The power has been switched off at the wall socket. Which equipment is used on this fire?

Accepted Answer

A carbon dioxide fire extinguisher.

Answer

Water carried from the nearest sink.

Answer

The safety shower above the bench.

Answer

A damp cloth laid over the plug.

Question 21

Which piece of equipment is worn to stop a splash of dilute acid from soaking through a student's clothes to her skin?

Accepted Answer

A laboratory apron.

Answer

Chemical splash goggles.

Answer

Nitrile gloves.

Answer

A test tube rack shield.

Question 22

A student must hold a test tube of water in a burner flame. Which piece of equipment grips the tube?

Accepted Answer

A test tube holder.

Answer

Beaker tongs.

Answer

Crucible tongs.

Question 23

A bottle carries a red-bordered diamond showing liquid dripping from two tubes onto a hand and onto a bar of metal, eating into both. What precaution does this pictogram require?

Accepted Answer

Wear gloves, goggles and an apron, because the contents destroy skin and eyes on contact.

Answer

Keep the bottle away from open flames, because the contents catch fire easily.

Answer

Keep the bottle stoppered, because the contents give off a vapor that is harmful to breathe.

Answer

Handle the bottle gently, because the contents explode if they are shaken.

Question 24

A bottle of ethanol carries a red-bordered diamond showing a single flame burning above a line. What does this pictogram require of the student?

Accepted Answer

Keep the bottle stoppered and well away from any lit Bunsen burner or hot plate.

Answer

Keep the bottle away from paper and other fuels, because it supplies oxygen to a fire.

Answer

Wear gloves whenever the bottle is opened, because the contents destroy the skin.

Answer

Work at a fume hood, because a single breath of the contents can be fatal.

Question 25

A dropper bottle carries a red-bordered diamond showing a skull above two crossed bones. Which handling rule follows from it?

Accepted Answer

A small amount swallowed or breathed in can be fatal, so it is used only as the teacher directs and hands are washed straight after.

Answer

The contents are an irritant, so gloves alone are enough and the bottle may be used at any bench.

Answer

The contents are flammable, so keeping the bottle away from the burner is the only precaution needed.

Answer

The contents harm aquatic life, so the only precaution is to keep them out of the sink.

Question 26

A stain bottle carries a red-bordered diamond containing a bold exclamation mark. What does it tell the student about the contents?

Accepted Answer

They irritate skin, eyes or airways, so gloves and goggles are worn and the liquid is kept off the skin.

Answer

They destroy skin on contact, so an apron and a face shield are required.

Answer

They explode if they are warmed, so the bottle is kept in the refrigerator.

Answer

They are harmless and may be handled with bare hands.

Question 27

A bag beside the sink is printed with a black three-lobed circle on an orange background. What belongs in it?

Accepted Answer

Used agar plates and swabs carrying live cultures.

Answer

Leftover dilute acid poured out of a beaker.

Answer

Pieces of a test tube that smashed on the floor.

Answer

Paper towels used to dry clean glassware.

Question 28

A stock bottle is labeled 'Concentrated sulfuric acid: dilute with care.' A student must make 100 mL of dilute acid from it. What does the label require her to do?

Accepted Answer

Add the acid slowly to the water while stirring, never the water to the acid.

Answer

Add the water slowly to the acid while stirring, so the acid is never left undiluted.

Answer

Mix equal volumes quickly so the heat is spread evenly through the whole mixture.

Answer

Warm the water first so that the acid mixes in smoothly when it is added.

Question 29

A bottle of colorless liquid on the bench has lost its label. It must be handed to the teacher rather than used, smelled, or emptied into the sink.

Accepted Answer

True

Answer

False

Question 30

A reagent label reads 'Oxidizing agent. Keep away from combustible material.' Where should this bottle be stored in the laboratory?

Accepted Answer

On a separate shelf, away from ethanol, paper and other fuels.

Answer

Beside the ethanol, so that all the reactive liquids are stored together.

Answer

In the refrigerator with the biological stains.

Answer

On the open bench beside the Bunsen burners, so it is easy to reach.

Question 31

Look at the picture. The student is pouring dilute acid from a bottle into a flask. Which safety rule is she breaking?

Accepted Answer

Eye protection must cover the eyes for the whole lab, not sit pushed up on the forehead.

Answer

Acid must be poured with the bottle's label turned away from the hand.

Answer

A beaker must be standing inside a sink before any liquid is poured into it.

Answer

Liquids may only be poured while the student is seated at the bench.

Question 32

Look at the picture of a group's bench partway through a laboratory period. Which safety rule is the group breaking?

Accepted Answer

Food and drink are never brought to a laboratory bench or consumed there.

Answer

Bags must be stored under the bench rather than on the floor beside the aisle.

Answer

Reagent bottles must be kept at the front of the bench, nearest the aisle.

Answer

Notebooks must stay closed while chemicals are out on the bench.

Question 33

A student notices a star-shaped crack near the base of the beaker he has just filled with water for heating, and uses it anyway because it is not leaking. Which rule is he breaking?

Accepted Answer

Cracked or chipped glassware is never used and is set aside for the teacher, because heating it can make it break apart.

Answer

Glassware may only be heated when it is completely dry on the outside.

Answer

A beaker must never hold more than 50 mL of liquid when it is heated.

Answer

Water must never be heated in a beaker; only a flask may be used on a hot plate.

Question 34

A student leans over an open flask and inhales deeply to identify the smell of its contents. Which rule does this break?

Accepted Answer

A chemical is never inhaled directly; vapor is wafted toward the nose with a hand, and only when the teacher says to.

Answer

A flask must be stoppered before it is picked up from the bench.

Answer

A chemical may only be identified by smell after it has been diluted with water.

Answer

Chemicals must be smelled through a cloth held over the mouth and nose.

Question 35

A group has 15 mL of unused iodine solution left in a beaker and pours it back into the stock bottle to avoid waste. Which rule are they breaking?

Accepted Answer

Chemical poured out of a stock bottle is never returned to it, because it may already be contaminated; the excess goes to the waste container.

Answer

Iodine solution must be diluted with water before it is returned to a stock bottle.

Answer

Only the teacher may pour liquid from a beaker back into a stock bottle.

Answer

A stock bottle must be shaken after any liquid has been returned to it.

Question 36

Look at the picture of a student working at a lit Bunsen burner. Which safety rule is being broken?

Accepted Answer

Long hair must be tied back and loose sleeves secured before an open flame is lit.

Answer

A Bunsen burner must stand on a heat-resistant mat before it is lit.

Answer

A burner must be lit with the air hole fully open to give a hot blue flame.

Answer

A student must stand rather than sit whenever a burner is alight.

Question 37

At the end of a dissection lab, a tray holds a used scalpel blade and the pieces of a test tube that broke during setup. Where does each one go?

Accepted Answer

The blade goes into the sharps container and the glass into the broken-glass container.

Answer

Both go into the sharps container.

Answer

Both go into the classroom trash can, wrapped in paper towels.

Answer

The blade goes into the sharps container and the glass into the classroom trash can.

Question 38

A group finishes a lab with 30 mL of iodine solution and 20 mL of ethanol left over. What is the correct disposal?

Accepted Answer

Both go into the labeled chemical waste containers the teacher has set out.

Answer

Both are poured down the sink with the tap running.

Answer

The iodine goes into the chemical waste container and the ethanol is poured down the sink.

Answer

Both are left in labeled beakers on the bench for the next class to use.

Question 39

Because she wore gloves for the whole lab, a student does not need to wash her hands before she leaves the laboratory.

Accepted Answer

False

Answer

True

Question 40

A dissection lab is over. The preserved specimen, the tray and the instruments are still on the bench, and the group is still wearing gloves. What is the correct end-of-lab procedure?

Accepted Answer

Put the specimen into the labeled biological waste bag, wash and dry the tray and instruments, then remove the gloves and wash hands.

Answer

Wrap the specimen in paper towels and put it in the classroom trash, then wash the tray and instruments.

Answer

Rinse the specimen and the tray into the sink, then remove the gloves and put them in the trash.

Answer

Remove the gloves first, then wash the tray and instruments and hand the specimen to the teacher.

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Lab Safety Rules and Equipment

Ways to Play

Device Games: Students play on their phones

Blast Go

Zombie Escape

Avalanche

Maze Blast

Cave Climb

Blast Out

Mystery Auction

Tour Guide

Food Truck Rush

Tug of War

Alien Blast

Glacier Rush

Board Games: Teacher-led, projected to the class

Like what you see?

Bug Blast

BlastRace

BlastQuiz

BlastBoard

Seek & Destroy

Mystery Blast

Checkers

Texas Hold 'Em

Da Bomb

Castle Siege

Hot Potato

Market Mayhem

King of the Hill

Bank Heist

Top Corner

Lab Safety Rules and Equipment

Ways to Play

Device Games: Students play on their phones

Blast Go

Zombie Escape

Avalanche

Maze Blast

Cave Climb

Blast Out

Mystery Auction

Tour Guide

Food Truck Rush

Tug of War

Alien Blast

Glacier Rush

Board Games: Teacher-led, projected to the class

Like what you see?

More like this

Bug Blast

BlastRace

BlastQuiz

BlastBoard

Seek & Destroy

Mystery Blast

Checkers

Texas Hold 'Em

Da Bomb

Castle Siege

Hot Potato

Market Mayhem

King of the Hill

Bank Heist

Top Corner