Students should read these laboratory safety guidelines which are not all
inclusive but provide necessary information for the more common situations that
may be develop. However, the laboratory safety is based on each student's
exercising common sense and caution when conducting an experiment. Report all
injuries to the instructor or lab assistant, and if medical assistance is
necessary call
All experiments are safe if conducted according to the manual. Safety glasses or lab coats are not required in this laboratory, however, if a student desires to wear safety glasses, they are available upon request.
In this lab you will use a low power helium-neon laser. This laser may be used without safety glasses, but you must not under any circumstances look into the laser beam or its reflection off metal surfaces. Especially dangerous are reflections off jewelry and watches. Do not use mirrors to reflect laser beam.
In most of the experiments you will use electric power. Be careful not to touch simultaneously electric wires and water or gas outlets since they form a ground. When water is spilled on your workbench, turn off all electric equipment and wipe up the water. Never work on electric circuits with wet hands or while standing on a wet floor. Even low voltages can be dangerous in such situations. Some of the power supplies used in the laboratory have low voltage output, but the current that can be pulled from these devises may be strong enough to cause severe burns.
Liquid nitrogen is safe if handled properly. While pouring nitrogen into dewars avoid splashing. To protect eyes you may want to wear safety glasses. Do not touch liquid nitrogen. If your clothes get wet with liquid nitrogen, take the clothes off immediately. Forget modesty. In most cases liquid nitrogen will evaporate harmlessly, but when once the clothes get wet, nitrogen may cause severe frostbite.
Mercury vapor is a hazardous material. Therefore do not heat mercury, except mercury sealed in a thermometer. If unsealed mercury becomes heated, immediately remove it from the heat source and leave the room. When mercury is spilled, notify instructor.
Eating, drinking and smoking are not permitted in the laboratory.
When a fire alarm sounds, all the students must leave the building and may not return to the lab unless told by campus police or fire officials. Before leaving the laboratory turn off all equipment.
In a case of emergency notify the lab instructor or the Chairman of the Physics Department.