Handbook Table of Contents > Teaching Methods > Safety Procedures
Indiana University Teaching Handbook
Teaching Methods
Safety Procedures
Safety takes on special importance when you are directly responsible for the health and well being of 25 or more laboratory students. Window shattering explosions are rare, but it is not uncommon for students to break beakers of acid, cut themselves while working with glass tubes, or ignite a stack of lab notes with a Bunsen burner.
Most departments’ orientations cover safety procedures, but if they do not, the professor or lab coordinator in charge of the course will probably take responsibility for describing departmental policies. Throughout the semester you should demonstrate to students the proper technique of decanting, mixing, and measuring liquids, handling and cleaning glassware, organizing a work area, disposing of hazardous materials, and using burners and other equipment—all of the precautionary measures you perform almost unconsciously; your students, however, don’t have your experience and will therefore appreciate your concern and advice.
