Science Safety Rules 
To prepare yourself to work safely during a laboratory session, read over the following safety rules.
Make sure you understand and follow each rule.
Dress Code
1. To protect yourself from injuring your eyes, wear safety goggles whenever you work with
chemicals, glassware, a source of heat, or any substance that might get into your eyes.
General Precautions
2. Read all directions for an experiment before beginning the activity. Carefully follow all written
and oral instructions. If you are in doubt about any part of the experiment, ask your teacher for
assistance.
3. Never perform activities that are not assigned or authorized by your teacher. Obtain permission
before “experimenting” on your own. Never handle any equipment unless you have specific
permission to do so.
4. Never engage in horseplay.
First Aid
5. Always report all accidents or injuries to your teacher, no matter how minor.
6. Know what to do in case of specific accidents, such as getting chemicals in your eyes or on your
skin. (Rinse chemicals from your body or clothing with plenty of water.)
7. Know the location of the nearest telephone and how to contact the office in an emergency.
Using Chemicals Safely
8. Never mix chemicals “for the fun of it.” You might produce a dangerous, possibly explosive
substance.
9. It is not safe to touch your face, mouth, eyes, or other parts of your body while you are working
with chemicals. Never touch, taste, or smell a chemical unless you are instructed to do so by your
teacher. Many chemicals are poisonous.
10. If you are instructed to test for odors, gently wave a hand over the substance, drawing the scent
toward you.
11. Take extreme care not to spill any material during the lab session.
Using Sharp Instruments
12. Handle scalpels or other sharp instruments with extreme care. Never cut material toward you;
cut away from you. Do not walk around or wave your arms with sharp instruments in your hands.
13. Immediately notify your teacher if you cut your skin during a lab session.
Animal and Plant Safety
14. Never perform experiments that cause pain, discomfort, or harm to mammals, birds, reptiles,
fish, or amphibians. This rule applies to home as well as in the classroom.
15. During field work, protect your skin by wearing long pants, long sleeves, socks, and closed shoes.
Know how to recognize the poisonous plants in your area, as well as plants with thorns, and
avoid contact with them.
16. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling any plants, animals, or soil.
End-of-Experiment Rules
17. After an experiment has been completed, clean up your work area as instructed by your teacher
and return all equipment to its proper place.
18. Dispose of waste materials as instructed by your teacher.
19. Wash your hands after every experiment.
Laboratory Safety Contract
I have read and understand the Science Safety Rules. I agree to follow all safety
rules and guidelines that have been established in each of the following categories:
(please check)
 Dress code
 General
Precautions
 First Aid
 Using
Chemicals
Safely
_________________________
(student signature)
 Using Sharp
Instruments
 Animal and
Plant Safety
 End-ofExperiment
Rules
__________________________
(parent signature)
Date_____________________
Adapted from The Prentice-Hall Integrated Science Laboratory Manual – Student Safety Manual