The following guidelines will help you to maintain a clean, safe and pleasant work area for yourself and for those with whom you work. Remember that you are responsible for your personal work area as well as one of the common areas listed below.

Personal Work Area

All chemical spills should be cleaned up. No standing (or running) water should be evident on your bench. All glassware should be put away, either in your lab drawer or, in the case of items that have been temporarily issued, at the front of the lab. Hot plates should be stored on the shelf above the bench, and sand baths should be returned to the appropriate bin.

Balance/Refractometer Table

All bottles of chemicals should be closed with their own lids. Balances should be free of chemical spills (solid or liquid). Tabletop should be cleaned of any solid or liquid chemical spills. The refractometer should be cleaned and turned off.

Mel-Temp Bench

Benchtop should be free of chemical spills, glass waste and paper waste. Meltemps should be turned off. Other lab equipment (glassware, thermometers, etc.) should be placed on the bench in front of the lab.

Fume Hoods

Chemical stock bottles should be closed with their own lids. Unclaimed glassware should be emptied into the waste containers and brought to the front of the lab. The surface of the hoods should be wiped clean.

Sinks

Sinks should be free of paper and other debris. Brushes and wash bottles should be placed next to or behind the sink. The area around the sink should be wiped clean of any soap and baking soda. Unclaimed glassware should be emptied and brought to the front of the lab.

Balance Bench

Any chemical spills on or around the balances should be cleaned up. Ainsworth balances should be turned off (the switch in the middle should be pointed up), and any glassware or other items should be brought to the front of the lab.

In general, you will be part of a team responsible for one of these areas. Work with other members of your team to make sure your area is tended, and divide the responsibilities as evenly as possible. If we all take care of the lab while we work, it will be very little work at all.