The work in scientific laboratories is versatile and complex. The hazards that can occur there are equally varied and complex. Because work processes change frequently and usually several people are working on different topics at the same time, mutual hazards can also occur which are often hardly foreseeable.
For this reason, numerous rules and regulations of industrial safety must be observed and applied in laboratories.
Basic principles and guidelines can be found in the so-called laboratory guideline "Safe working in laboratories" (DGUV Information 213-850, formerly BGI/GUV-I 850-0, BGR/GUV-R 120).
These apply to laboratories where work is carried out using chemical, physical or physico-chemical methods. In detail, these can be purely chemical or physical laboratories, but the regulations must also be applied in microbiological or genetic engineering laboratories.
The regulations of the Ordinance on Hazardous Substances apply to activities involving hazardous substances. In the information document "Activities with hazardous substances in the university sector" (DGUV Information 213 039 formerly: BGI/GUV-I 8666), this has been prepared and explained for the interests of the universities.
In addition, the information document "Safety in University Practical Training in Chemistry" (DGUV-I 213-026) is available in German and English especially for practical training in chemistry.