{"id":3379,"date":"2020-02-27T10:06:27","date_gmt":"2020-02-27T10:06:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-lab-safety-rules-every-researcher-should-follow\/"},"modified":"2026-03-06T11:03:32","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T05:33:32","slug":"10-lab-safety-rules-every-researcher-must-follow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-lab-safety-rules-every-researcher-must-follow","title":{"rendered":"10 Lab safety rules every researcher should follow"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"background: white;\"><span style=\"line-height: normal;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">The importance of lab safety cannot be emphasized enough. Scientific laboratories expose researchers to a potentially dangerous environment that contains numerous hazards: chemical, biological, physical, and even radioactive. A review article published in <em>Nature <\/em><\/span><em>\u00a0<\/em>[1] <span style=\"color: black;\">in November 2019 by <\/span><span style=\"background: white;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">Dana M\u00e9nard and John Trant\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: black;\">paints a scary picture of the overall attitude towards lab safety.\u00a0 Here are some of the alarming findings of the study:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"background: white;\"><span style=\"line-height: normal;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">30% of scientists surveyed report having witnessed a lab\u00a0accident severe enough to warrant medical attention. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: normal;\"><span style=\"text-autospace: none;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">15-30% of researchers report having been involved in a lab accident or having suffered an injury in the lab.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"background: white;\"><span style=\"line-height: normal;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">25-38% of lab personnel have been involved in accidents and injuries that have never been reported to the PI or supervisor. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"background: white;\"><span style=\"line-height: normal;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">Only 40% of survey participants reported wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) when working in the lab.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"background: white;\"><span style=\"line-height: normal;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">25% of survey participants have not been trained in the specific hazard with which they work.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"background: white;\"><span style=\"line-height: normal;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">27% of researchers never performed\u00a0any kind of risk assessment before conducting laboratory work. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: normal;\"><span style=\"text-autospace: none;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">According to <\/span><span style=\"background: white;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">M\u00e9nard and Trant, <\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: black;\">\u201crisky practices and a cavalier attitude toward safety are so normalized within academia that the low standards in the field are not troubling or even apparent to those on the inside.\u201d With an aim to effect a change in this attitude, we have listed a few basic rules and best practices that researchers should follow to ensure a safe working environment within the laboratory.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><a href=\"#protective-lab-attire\">1. Wear protective lab attire<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><a href=\"#no-food-or-drink\">2. Do not bring food or drink into the lab<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#safe-disposal-of-lab-waste\">3. Dispose of lab waste safely<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#handle-chemicals-with-caution\">4. Use caution when handling chemicals<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#lab-equipment\">5. Handle lab equipment carefully<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#in-case-of-fire\">6. Know what to do in case of fire<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#experiment-in-the-lab\">7. Restrict your experiments to the lab<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#avoid-panic\">8. Do not panic in case of accidents<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#lab-partner\">9. Work with a lab partner as far as possible<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#act-responsibly\">10. Act responsibly in the lab<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"protective-lab-attire\" style=\"padding-top: 80px; margin-top: -80px;\">1. Wear protective lab attire<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"background: white;\"><span style=\"line-height: normal;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><b><span style=\"color: black;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span style=\"color: black;\">Make sure you use PPE at all times inside the laboratory. Put on a lab coat with full sleeves, closed-toe shoes, and safety goggles before entering the lab. If you have long hair, it\u2019s better to keep it tied and out of the way when working in the lab. Find out if the work you are currently doing needs you to wear any other protective gear or remove accessories such as metal watches, rings, etc. Protective attire not only reduces the risk of damage to the skin and eyes, but also minimizes possibilities of contamination. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"no-food-or-drink\" style=\"padding-top: 80px; margin-top: -80px;\">2. Do not bring food or drink into the lab<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"background: white;\"><span style=\"line-height: normal;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">It may be tempting to sip on a cup of coffee or some water when working at your experiments, but steer clear of this. Food and drink in the lab can not only get messy, but can also be a source of distraction. Moreover, there is a possibility of contamination as c<\/span><span style=\"color: black;\">hemical residues may be present on tables and on your hand when you are working in the lab. Also, m<\/span><span style=\"color: black;\">ake sure you wash your hands well before leaving the lab. Traces of harmful chemicals, tissue, bacteria, etc. can lead to contamination of other spaces such as the lunch table or your work station, causing illness or other problems. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"safe-disposal-of-lab-waste\" style=\"padding-top: 80px; margin-top: -80px;\">3. Dispose of lab waste safely<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"background: white;\"><span style=\"line-height: normal;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">This is one area of lab safety that researchers often tend to neglect. When disposing chemicals, do not pour them down the sink; use designated disposal bins or containers instead. Never pour back unused reagents into the bottle; dispose of them safely. Do not pour plant waste down the sink as it may clog up the drains; make sure you use disposal bins to dispose plant waste. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"background: white;\"><span style=\"line-height: normal;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">When using biological cultures, find out if it\u2019s safe to use soap and water to clean up or if a stronger agent is needed to destroy dangerous microorganisms present in the cultures. Also, find out the protocol in your lab for disposing sharp products such as razors, needles, glass containers, etc. Read laboratory manuals and ask your colleagues or professors if you\u2019re in doubt.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"handle-chemicals-with-caution\" style=\"padding-top: 80px; margin-top: -80px;\">4. Use caution when handling chemicals<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"background: white;\"><span style=\"line-height: normal;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\">Injuries from chemicals in laboratories are fairly common, but at times, they can\u00a0be fatal.<span style=\"background: white;\"><span style=\"color: #333333;\"> Karen Wetterhahn, a renowned American chemist, died as a result of mercury poisoning in 1997 [2]<\/span><\/span><span style=\"background: white;\"><span style=\"color: #333333;\">. A few drops of a compound containing mercury fell on her hand, penetrated the gloves and entered her body. A few months later, she started exhibiting symptoms of mercury poisoning, such as loss of balance and impaired vision, speech, and hearing ability, and ultimately succumbed to the poison.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">Do not sniff or taste any chemical. Be extremely cautious when mixing chemicals. Make sure to double-check the name of the reagent you are supposed to use and the one on the bottle before using it. Hold the container away from your body and swirl gently. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left: .5in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">Read precautions on lab manuals and bottle labels before using and follow those to a tee. Do not leave reagent bottles unstoppered as this could cause accidents. To avoid accidents, label all test tubes and other containers and mark potentially dangerous chemicals.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"lab-equipment\" style=\"padding-top: 80px; margin-top: -80px;\">5. Handle lab equipment carefully<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin-left: .5in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><b> <\/b>Apart from chemicals, laboratory equipment can also cause accidents if mishandled. Use razor blades with caution, unplug hot plates, and switch off Bunsen burners. If you see any electrical cords that are frayed or damaged, do not touch them and report it to the relevant authorities immediately. Handle broken glassware carefully; do not use your hands to pick up the pieces \u2013 a broom and dustpan work best. Remember to put back all equipment in its proper place after use.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"in-case-of-fire\" style=\"padding-top: 80px; margin-top: -80px;\">6. Know what to do in case of fire<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin-left: .5in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><b> <\/b>Always store inflammable material in fireproof cabinets. Make sure you put them back in their designated cabinets after use; it\u2019s extremely dangerous to leave them lying around. Use Bunsen burners and hot surfaces with caution. Always follow instructions when producing substances that have explosive properties. Find out the location of the fire extinguisher as soon as you start working in a lab. While you should definitely use the fire extinguisher as a first step, in case you see the fire spreading or the extinguisher not having the desired effect, call the fire department immediately.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"experiment-in-the-lab\" style=\"padding-top: 80px; margin-top: -80px;\">7. Restrict your experiments to the lab<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin-left: .5in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><b> <\/b>Do not carry lab equipment home or to any other place for preparation or any other purpose. This could lead to contamination of the experiment as well as the other environment. It\u2019s best to wash the clothes you\u2019ve used in the lab before reusing them. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"avoid-panic\" style=\"padding-top: 80px; margin-top: -80px;\">8. Do not panic in case of accidents<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin-left: .5in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><b> <\/b>Even after taking precautions, accidents do happen. In case of an accident, don\u2019t panic. Panic can worsen the situation. Stay calm; don\u2019t run as you might trip over wires or knock down chemical bottles. It\u2019s important to<b> <\/b>know the location of safety equipment, such as the fire extinguisher, first aid kit, emergency phone, eyewash stations, etc. If chemicals or particles get into your eyes or skin, wash them off immediately. Take lab safety drills seriously; attending these regularly will prepare you for actual emergencies. Finally, always keep your supervisor informed about your experiment and follow their instructions carefully.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"lab-partner\" style=\"padding-top: 80px; margin-top: -80px;\">9. Work with a lab partner as far as possible<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin-left: .5in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"background: white;\"><span style=\"line-height: normal;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\"><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">\u00a0Try to work with someone else in the lab. While this may not always be possible, having a second pair of eyes increases chances of mistakes and slip-ups getting detected on time, preventing major damage. Additionally, with two people, response is always quicker in case of accidents. Even for a minor injury, like a cut from broken glass, it helps to have someone around to get the first aid kit or help with cleaning the glass. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"act-responsibly\" style=\"padding-top: 80px; margin-top: -80px;\">10. Act responsibly in the lab<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin-left: .5in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\">While the lab is meant for experiments, they should be planned and researched well in advance. Don\u2019t conduct random experiments just for fun, like this group of students (in the anecdote \u201cFire oops\u201d) who drew on the lab table using alcohol and setting it on fire to see the pretty blue flame trace out the doodle [3]. You should have the right attitude when you come to the lab and make sure you\u2019re<b> <\/b>fully focused. A little distraction can often cause irreversible damage, and in extreme situations, even loss of lives.<b> <\/b>Alert others in the lab to maintain a safe distance when mixing chemicals or dealing with potentially hazardous substances. Make sure you double-check everything before use and clean up after. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left: .5in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"background: white;\"><span style=\"color: #1e1e1e;\">While laboratories and institutions are accountable for lab safety and there are regulations at local, state, and federal levels, individual researchers also carry the responsibility of going beyond simple compliance and fostering a culture of safety and caution at the laboratory. This requires a strong commitment to keeping yourself and others around you safe from injury \u2013 by working attentively, carefully, and safely in the laboratory. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left: .5in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><i>Do you often feel stressed? Wouldn&#8217;t it be nice to share your highs and lows with a group of researchers who understand you? Join\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/researchervoice\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Researcher Voice, a\u00a0support group for researchers<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0on Facebook that focuses on their physical, mental, and emotional wellness.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/researchervoice\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Click here to join<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/feel-alone-join-a-group-that-supports-your-research-journey\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>read this article<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0to take a sneak peak into what&#8217;s going on in the\u00a0group.<\/i><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><b>Related reading:<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"background: white;\"><span style=\"line-height: normal;\"><span style=\"tab-stops: list .5in;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Calibri Light',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1f4d78;\"><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\"><span class=\"MsoHyperlink\" style=\"color: blue;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"><a style=\"color: blue; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/lab-truths-everything-i-knew-about-laboratories-was-wrong\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lab truths: Everything I knew about laboratories was wrong<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"background: white;\"><span style=\"line-height: normal;\"><span style=\"tab-stops: list .5in;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Calibri Light',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1f4d78;\"><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\"><span class=\"MsoHyperlink\" style=\"color: blue;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"><a style=\"color: blue; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/dismantling-the-stereotype-of-the-crazy-scientist\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dismantling the stereotype of the &#8220;Crazy Scientist&#8221;<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"background: white;\"><span style=\"color: #1e1e1e;\">Lab history: The things you see when you stick around forever (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/lab-history-the-things-you-see-when-you-stick-around-forever-part-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Part 1<\/a>)\u00a0and (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/lab-history-the-things-you-see-when-you-stick-around-forever-part-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Part 2<\/a>)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><b>References<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>1. A review and critique of academic lab safety research <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41557-019-0375-x\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41557-019-0375-x<\/a><\/p>\n<p>2. The Most Famous 4 Laboratory Accidents in History<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.praxilabs.com\/2018\/10\/30\/the-most-famous-four-laboratory-accidents-in-history\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> https:\/\/blog.praxilabs.com\/2018\/10\/30\/the-most-famous-four-laboratory-accidents-in-history\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>3. True lab accidents horror stories <a href=\"https:\/\/sciencenotes.org\/lab-accident-horror-stories\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/sciencenotes.org\/lab-accident-horror-stories\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Other references<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: normal;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><a style=\"color: #0563c1; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.labsafety.org\/lab-safety-terrifying-statistics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"background: white;\"><span style=\"color: #0563c1;\">Lab Safety: Terrifying Statistics<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: normal;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"background: white;\"><span style=\"color: #333333;\"><a style=\"color: #0563c1; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"http:\/\/bookbuilder.cast.org\/view_print.php?book=52628\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #0563c1;\">Top 10 lab safety rules<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: normal;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"background: white;\"><span style=\"color: #4c4c4c;\"><a style=\"color: #0563c1; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/labs.biotecnika.org\/blogs\/research-tips\/top-10-laboratory-safety-tips-every-research-scientist-must-follow\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #0563c1;\">Top 10 Laboratory Safety Tips every research Scientist Must follow<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: normal;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"background: white;\"><span style=\"color: #282828;\"><a style=\"color: #0563c1; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thoughtco.com\/important-lab-safety-rules-608156\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #0563c1;\">The 10 Most Important Lab Safety Rules<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: normal;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"background: white;\"><span style=\"color: #282828;\"><a style=\"color: #0563c1; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.labmanager.com\/lab-health-and-safety\/science-laboratory-safety-rules-guidelines-5727\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #0563c1;\">Lab Safety Rules and Guidelines<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: normal;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"background: white;\"><span style=\"color: #333333;\"><a style=\"color: #0563c1; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.technologynetworks.com\/drug-discovery\/lists\/8-stories-of-lab-safety-gone-wrong-290458\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #0563c1;\">8 Stories of Lab Safety Gone Wrong<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;\">\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The importance of lab safety cannot be emphasized enough. Scientific laboratories expose researchers to a potentially dangerous environment that contains numerous hazards: chemical, biological, physical, and even radioactive. A review article published in Nature \u00a0[1] in November 2019 by Dana M\u00e9nard and John Trant\u00a0paints a scary picture of the overall attitude towards lab safety.\u00a0 Here [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":45213,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2382],"tags":[2704],"new_categories":[],"new_tags":[],"series":[2856],"class_list":["post-3379","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-around-the-web","tag-self-care","series-self-care-for-researchers"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>10 Lab safety rules every researcher must follow | Editage Insights<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Scientific laboratories expose researchers to a potentially dangerous environment. Here are 10 rules and best practices that researchers should follow to ensure a safe working environment.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-lab-safety-rules-every-researcher-must-follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"10 Lab safety rules every researcher must follow | Editage Insights\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Lab safety guidelines and best practices\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-lab-safety-rules-every-researcher-must-follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Editage Insights\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Editage\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-02-27T10:06:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-06T05:33:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Gemini_Generated_Image_o7qgg1o7qgg1o7qg-1.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1408\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"768\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kakoli Majumder\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Editage\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Editage\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kakoli Majumder\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-lab-safety-rules-every-researcher-must-follow#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-lab-safety-rules-every-researcher-must-follow\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Kakoli Majumder\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/person\/5ba62a7791e0fd1fbe9800e626a68515\"},\"headline\":\"10 Lab safety rules every researcher should follow\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-02-27T10:06:27+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-06T05:33:32+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-lab-safety-rules-every-researcher-must-follow\"},\"wordCount\":1625,\"commentCount\":2,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-lab-safety-rules-every-researcher-must-follow#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Gemini_Generated_Image_o7qgg1o7qgg1o7qg-1.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Self-care\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Around the web\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-lab-safety-rules-every-researcher-must-follow#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-lab-safety-rules-every-researcher-must-follow\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-lab-safety-rules-every-researcher-must-follow\",\"name\":\"10 Lab safety rules every researcher must follow | Editage Insights\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-lab-safety-rules-every-researcher-must-follow#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-lab-safety-rules-every-researcher-must-follow#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Gemini_Generated_Image_o7qgg1o7qgg1o7qg-1.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-02-27T10:06:27+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-06T05:33:32+00:00\",\"description\":\"Scientific laboratories expose researchers to a potentially dangerous environment. Here are 10 rules and best practices that researchers should follow to ensure a safe working environment.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-lab-safety-rules-every-researcher-must-follow#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-lab-safety-rules-every-researcher-must-follow\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-lab-safety-rules-every-researcher-must-follow#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Gemini_Generated_Image_o7qgg1o7qgg1o7qg-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Gemini_Generated_Image_o7qgg1o7qgg1o7qg-1.png\",\"width\":1408,\"height\":768,\"caption\":\"Researcher breaking lab safety rules\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-lab-safety-rules-every-researcher-must-follow#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"10 Lab safety rules every researcher should follow\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/\",\"name\":\"Editage Insights\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Editage Insights\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/editage-insights-logo-1-scaled.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/editage-insights-logo-1-scaled.webp\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":324,\"caption\":\"Editage Insights\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Editage\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/Editage\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/person\/5ba62a7791e0fd1fbe9800e626a68515\",\"name\":\"Kakoli Majumder\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/aa6a560a15ecabf985099b8d359ff3b737df251d35e9ae33f6b255e92446c0fa?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/aa6a560a15ecabf985099b8d359ff3b737df251d35e9ae33f6b255e92446c0fa?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Kakoli Majumder\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/kakoli-majumder\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"10 Lab safety rules every researcher must follow | Editage Insights","description":"Scientific laboratories expose researchers to a potentially dangerous environment. Here are 10 rules and best practices that researchers should follow to ensure a safe working environment.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-lab-safety-rules-every-researcher-must-follow","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"10 Lab safety rules every researcher must follow | Editage Insights","og_description":"Lab safety guidelines and best practices","og_url":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-lab-safety-rules-every-researcher-must-follow","og_site_name":"Editage Insights","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Editage","article_published_time":"2020-02-27T10:06:27+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-03-06T05:33:32+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1408,"height":768,"url":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Gemini_Generated_Image_o7qgg1o7qgg1o7qg-1.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Kakoli Majumder","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@Editage","twitter_site":"@Editage","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Kakoli Majumder","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-lab-safety-rules-every-researcher-must-follow#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-lab-safety-rules-every-researcher-must-follow"},"author":{"name":"Kakoli Majumder","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/person\/5ba62a7791e0fd1fbe9800e626a68515"},"headline":"10 Lab safety rules every researcher should follow","datePublished":"2020-02-27T10:06:27+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-06T05:33:32+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-lab-safety-rules-every-researcher-must-follow"},"wordCount":1625,"commentCount":2,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-lab-safety-rules-every-researcher-must-follow#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Gemini_Generated_Image_o7qgg1o7qgg1o7qg-1.png","keywords":["Self-care"],"articleSection":["Around the web"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-lab-safety-rules-every-researcher-must-follow#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-lab-safety-rules-every-researcher-must-follow","url":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-lab-safety-rules-every-researcher-must-follow","name":"10 Lab safety rules every researcher must follow | Editage Insights","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-lab-safety-rules-every-researcher-must-follow#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-lab-safety-rules-every-researcher-must-follow#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Gemini_Generated_Image_o7qgg1o7qgg1o7qg-1.png","datePublished":"2020-02-27T10:06:27+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-06T05:33:32+00:00","description":"Scientific laboratories expose researchers to a potentially dangerous environment. Here are 10 rules and best practices that researchers should follow to ensure a safe working environment.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-lab-safety-rules-every-researcher-must-follow#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-lab-safety-rules-every-researcher-must-follow"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-lab-safety-rules-every-researcher-must-follow#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Gemini_Generated_Image_o7qgg1o7qgg1o7qg-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Gemini_Generated_Image_o7qgg1o7qgg1o7qg-1.png","width":1408,"height":768,"caption":"Researcher breaking lab safety rules"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-lab-safety-rules-every-researcher-must-follow#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"10 Lab safety rules every researcher should follow"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/","name":"Editage Insights","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#organization","name":"Editage Insights","url":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/editage-insights-logo-1-scaled.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/editage-insights-logo-1-scaled.webp","width":2560,"height":324,"caption":"Editage Insights"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Editage","https:\/\/x.com\/Editage"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/person\/5ba62a7791e0fd1fbe9800e626a68515","name":"Kakoli Majumder","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/aa6a560a15ecabf985099b8d359ff3b737df251d35e9ae33f6b255e92446c0fa?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/aa6a560a15ecabf985099b8d359ff3b737df251d35e9ae33f6b255e92446c0fa?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Kakoli Majumder"},"url":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/kakoli-majumder"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3379","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3379"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3379\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44889,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3379\/revisions\/44889"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45213"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3379"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3379"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3379"},{"taxonomy":"new_categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/new_categories?post=3379"},{"taxonomy":"new_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/new_tags?post=3379"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=3379"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}