10 laboratory safety rules every lab worker should follow

Why these 10 laboratory safety rules matter

The 10 laboratory safety rules below are not classroom slogans. They are everyday controls for reducing chemical exposure, biological contamination, fires, cuts, spills and confusion during emergencies. A safer lab depends on knowing the hazard, choosing the right control, following written procedures, using appropriate protective equipment and responding quickly when conditions change.

This guide is intended for teaching, research, testing and industrial laboratory environments. It reflects widely used safety principles from the OSHA Laboratory Standard, OSHA Hazard Communication requirements, CDC/NIOSH hierarchy of controls, CDC/NIH biosafety guidance, EPA hazardous waste guidance and the National Academies’ prudent laboratory practices. OSHA requires covered workplaces using hazardous chemicals in laboratories to maintain a written Chemical Hygiene Plan and provide information and training for laboratory employees. (osha.gov)

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Quick checklist of the 10 rules

Rule	Daily action	Main risk reduced
1. Know the hazard before you start	Review the procedure, labels, SDS and risk assessment before handling materials.	Unknown exposure, incompatible work, wrong response
2. Follow approved procedures	Use current SOPs and the lab’s Chemical Hygiene Plan or biosafety procedures.	Improvisation, skipped controls, inconsistent training
3. Wear task-appropriate PPE	Select eye, face, hand, body and respiratory protection based on the task.	Skin, eye, inhalation and splash injuries
4. Use engineering controls correctly	Use fume hoods, biological safety cabinets, shields and ventilation as specified.	Vapor, aerosol, splash and explosion exposure
5. Label everything clearly	Keep original labels intact and label secondary containers and samples.	Misidentification, wrong storage, delayed emergency response
6. Store materials by compatibility	Separate acids, bases, oxidizers, flammables, toxics, gases and reactive materials.	Fire, gas release, pressure buildup, violent reaction
7. Keep food and personal items out	Do not eat, drink, apply cosmetics or store food in laboratory areas.	Ingestion and cross-contamination
8. Manage waste at the point of generation	Use compatible, closed, labeled containers and separate incompatible waste streams.	Leaks, reactions, regulatory problems
9. Keep work areas clean and controlled	Maintain clear benches, exits, cords, sharps controls and stable equipment setups.	Trips, cuts, spills, blocked exits, equipment accidents
10. Know emergency actions	Locate eyewash, shower, alarm, spill kit, exits and reporting contacts before work begins.	Delayed response and increased injury severity

The 10 rules explained

1. Know the hazard before you start

Every laboratory task should start with a direct question: what could harm the worker, the sample, the facility or the environment? For chemicals, that means checking the container label, safety data sheet, written procedure and any local hazard assessment before the material is handled. For biological work, it means understanding the organism or specimen, route of transmission, aerosol potential and required containment.

NIOSH describes the hierarchy of controls as a preferred order for reducing workplace exposures: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls and PPE. In routine lab work, a safer reagent, smaller scale, closed system or validated ventilation control is usually more protective than relying only on gloves and caution. (cdc.gov)

2. Follow approved procedures

A laboratory is not the place to improvise with hazardous materials. Approved SOPs should identify the required controls, quantities, temperatures, pressure limits, incompatibilities, waste handling steps and emergency actions. If the procedure changes, the hazard review should change with it.

In U.S. chemical laboratories covered by OSHA’s Laboratory Standard, the Chemical Hygiene Plan is the central written program for chemical safety. OSHA states that the plan must include items such as standard operating procedures, control measures, PPE, fume hood performance measures, employee training and provisions for particularly hazardous substances. (osha.gov)

3. Wear task-appropriate PPE

PPE is essential, but it has to match the task. Safety glasses may be suitable for some low-risk work. Splash goggles and a face shield may be needed when corrosive liquids, pressure, cryogens or larger liquid volumes are involved. Glove selection should consider chemical compatibility, breakthrough time, dexterity and whether the glove could create a secondary hazard near heat or moving parts.

Lab coats, closed-toe shoes, long pants and tied-back hair are basic controls in many laboratories. Respirators need special attention because they are not just another item of PPE. Where respirators are required, OSHA’s respiratory protection rules include selection, medical evaluation, fit testing, training, maintenance and program evaluation. (osha.gov)

4. Use engineering controls correctly

Engineering controls reduce exposure before it reaches the worker. Examples include chemical fume hoods, biological safety cabinets, local exhaust ventilation, splash shields, glove boxes, sealed rotors and pressure relief devices. These controls are effective only when used as designed.

Do not use a chemical fume hood as a storage cabinet. Do not block airflow with unnecessary bottles, paper or equipment. Keep the sash at the marked operating height, place work far enough inside the hood and avoid rapid movements that disrupt airflow. For biological materials, use the containment device specified by the biosafety risk assessment rather than assuming that one cabinet or hood can replace another.

5. Label everything clearly

Unlabeled containers create immediate and long-term risk. A clear label should identify the material, concentration or composition when needed, hazards, date where relevant and owner or project if required by the local program. Secondary containers, reaction vessels, sample tubes and waste containers should not depend on memory or a notebook alone.

OSHA’s Hazard Communication framework requires chemical hazard information to be communicated through labels, safety data sheets and worker training. OSHA’s overview explains that employers with hazardous chemicals must have labels and safety data sheets for exposed workers and must train workers to handle those chemicals appropriately. (osha.gov)

6. Store materials by compatibility

Safe storage is not alphabetical storage. Acids, bases, oxidizers, reducers, flammable liquids, water-reactive materials, peroxide formers, compressed gases and highly toxic materials may need separate locations or dedicated cabinets. The purpose is to prevent a broken bottle, spill, heat source or sprinkler discharge from bringing incompatible materials together.

Good storage also means limiting quantities at the bench, keeping containers closed, using secondary containment where appropriate, securing gas cylinders and keeping chemicals out of exits, aisles, direct sunlight and heat. OSHA’s non-mandatory laboratory guidance recommends keeping incompatible waste types separate and storing each waste type in a compatible container pending transfer or disposal. (osha.gov)

7. Keep food and personal items out

Eating, drinking, chewing gum, applying cosmetics and handling contact lenses in laboratory work areas can turn surface contamination into ingestion or mucous membrane exposure. Food and drinks should not be stored in lab refrigerators, freezers, cabinets or on benches used for laboratory materials. Personal phones and notebooks can also carry contamination out of the lab if they are handled with contaminated gloves.

This rule is simple, but it often breaks down when low-risk work is treated as casual work. A better routine is to keep a clear boundary: remove gloves before touching common surfaces, wash hands before leaving and keep clean areas clean.

8. Manage waste at the point of generation

Waste is still hazardous material. It needs the same level of attention as the original reagent or sample. Use containers that are compatible with the waste, keep them closed when waste is not being added, label them clearly and separate incompatible streams. Do not mix waste to save space unless the procedure and waste program specifically allow it.

EPA guidance for academic laboratories notes that eligible academic entities may operate under optional Subpart K requirements or under other generator rules, and that hazardous waste determinations and removal practices depend on the applicable program. In daily lab work, workers should follow the site’s waste labels, accumulation limits, pickup schedule and training rather than making informal disposal decisions. (epa.gov) See also: analytical methods.

9. Keep work areas clean and controlled

Housekeeping is a safety control, not a cosmetic preference. Clear bench space reduces accidental mixing and spills. Dry floors reduce slips. Organized cords reduce trip hazards. Closed drawers and clear exits protect evacuation routes. Proper sharps containers reduce cuts and punctures. Stable clamps, intact glassware and pressure-rated equipment reduce the chance of sudden release.

Before starting, remove unrelated chemicals and equipment from the work area. During work, clean small drips promptly when it is safe to do so. After work, return materials to approved storage, decontaminate the surface as required and leave the setup in a condition that the next person can understand.

10. Know emergency actions

Emergency response should be understood before the first pour, heat cycle or culture transfer begins. Workers should know the fastest safe route to exits, eyewash, safety shower, fire alarm, spill kit, first-aid supplies and emergency contacts. They should also know when to evacuate rather than attempt cleanup.

OSHA laboratory guidance emphasizes planning, practice and drills, including knowing the location of emergency equipment such as the nearest fire extinguisher, fire alarm, exit, telephone, emergency shower or eyewash and first-aid kit. It also notes that emergencies may involve more than one problem at the same time, such as medical, fire and contamination issues after an explosion. (osha.gov)

How to turn rules into a working safety system

A list of laboratory rules is useful only if it changes behavior at the bench. The most effective programs connect each rule to a specific owner, document and verification step. Hazard review belongs in the SOP or risk assessment. PPE selection belongs in the procedure and training record. Waste requirements belong on the container label and in the waste pickup process. Emergency readiness belongs in drills and inspections.

Supervisors should check whether the rule is visible at the point of use. If workers have to search through multiple binders or folders during a task, the instruction is unlikely to guide real behavior. Short bench cards, posted compatibility charts, labeled storage zones and pre-use checklists can make formal rules easier to follow.

Training should also be task-specific. General laboratory orientation is not enough for a new reaction, instrument, organism, pressure system or hazardous waste stream. When a procedure changes, the training and hazard review should be updated before the work is repeated.

Common gaps that make basic rules fail

The first gap is overreliance on PPE. Gloves and goggles are important, but they are the last line of defense in the hierarchy of controls. If a safer substitute, smaller scale or better enclosure is feasible, that control should be considered before accepting a higher exposure risk.

The second gap is treating labels as paperwork. A missing label can delay spill response, waste handling, storage decisions and medical evaluation after exposure. Clear labels protect the person doing the work and anyone who enters the room later.

The third gap is weak change control. A procedure that was safe at one scale may not be safe at a larger scale, higher temperature, different solvent, new biological agent or longer unattended run. Any meaningful change should trigger a fresh hazard review.

The fourth gap is unclear stop-work authority. Workers should know they can pause work when controls are missing, equipment is damaged, a label is unclear, ventilation is not functioning or they have not been trained for the task. A strong safety culture treats a stop as useful information, not as a disruption.

Frequently asked questions

Are these 10 laboratory safety rules enough for every lab?

No. They are a practical baseline, not a complete safety program. A chemistry teaching lab, clinical lab, microbiology lab and materials testing lab may share many habits, but each needs task-specific procedures, training, emergency planning and regulatory review.

What is the most important laboratory safety rule?

The most important rule is to know the hazard before starting. Without that step, PPE, storage, waste handling and emergency response may all be wrong. Hazard awareness drives the rest of the safety system.

How often should laboratory safety training be refreshed?

Training should occur before a worker begins hazardous work and before new exposure situations. Refresher timing depends on the employer’s program, the hazards and applicable rules, but retraining is especially important after incidents, procedure changes, new equipment or observed unsafe practices.

Should students follow the same rules as employees?

Students should follow the same protective habits and any additional institution-specific rules. In teaching laboratories, instructions must be especially clear because participants may have limited experience recognizing hazards, selecting PPE or responding to abnormal conditions.

What should I do if a safety rule conflicts with productivity?

Pause the work and ask the supervisor, instructor or safety officer to resolve the conflict. A deadline does not remove the hazard. If a control is impractical, the right response is to redesign the procedure, not to bypass the rule.