The purpose of this manual is to provide basic safe operating practices to be applied uniformly in all Georgia Tech laboratories in order to ensure a safe environment in which to work and study for faculty, students, visitors,  and staff.  New situations and hazards arise in research every day.  This manual, therefore, cannot possibly be an all-inclusive list of hazards or solutions to hazards found in Georgia Tech laboratories and research stations.  Instead, it is offered as the foundation and guide to approach new challenges and discover ways of safely dealing with them.