Learning Activity 1a: Lab Safety Activities
Earth, Space, and Physical Science
Learning Target:
1a)
I can describe, evaluate, and implement safe lab procedures, including appropriate behavior and the proper use
of safety equipment and emergency procedures. (DOK 1-2)
Lab Safety Rules and Contract
“Your Safer Source
PURPOSE
Scientific investigation is an important part of our science class. However, science labs may have potential
hazards. We will use some equipment and materials that may be dangerous if not handled properly. Safety
in the science classroom is an important part of the scientific process. You, your teacher, and your
classmates are entitled to learn in a safe environment and it is the responsibility of everyone involved to
make safety an ongoing commitment. As such, you will be expected to know, follow, and promote the safety
rules and regulations listed on this handout as we learn more about science. Additional safety instructions
will be given for each activity.
No science student will be allowed to participate in science activities until this contract has been signed by
both the student and a parent or guardian.
Failure to know, follow, and promote the safety rules and regulations will result in the following
consequences. Because of safety, we will adopting a zero-tolerance policy. For any safety offense, the
student will be removed from the lab setting with a referral to the appropriate assistant principal. The
student will not be allowed to complete that portion of the lab and will not return to class on that day. In
addition,
 For the first offense, the student will receive a lunch detention assigned by the assistant principal.
 For the second offense, the student will receive a day of ISS assigned by the assistant principal.
During that ISS, the student needs to copy - in their own writing - the safety rules (# 1-10), highlight
the rules (s)he has violated and write a short paragraph that acknowledges the issue and includes a
plan for improvement. This needs to be completed before the student participates in another lab.
 For any additional offense(s), the student will receive a day of ISS assigned by the assistant
principal and will lose lab privileges for 10 school days. A conference with the student, parent,
teacher, and assistant principal will take place to discuss the student’s unsafe behavior and
establish future consequences.
 During this time, the student will still report to class for attendance. An alternative assignment will
be provided and the student will be required to remain in their assigned seat and complete the
work without interaction with others in the classroom. If the student is unable to work
appropriately in the classroom they will be escorted to study hall or assigned to ISS to do the
work.
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NOTE: At the teacher’s discretion, a student exhibiting unsafe behavior MAY be given one warning. The student will be
asked to sit out of the lab for a period of time. The student must go directly to their assigned seat without making additional
comments and wait for the teacher to address the student and discuss the infraction. If the student takes responsibility for
their unsafe behavior (acknowledges and apologizes), she/he MAY be allowed to re-enter lab. This consequence is not
guaranteed, as it takes valuable time and energy away from the teacher’s responsibility to be monitoring lab for the rest of
the class.
GENERAL SAFETY RULES – Use your Common Sense!
1. When first entering a science room, do not touch any equipment, chemicals, or other materials in the
classroom or laboratory area until you are instructed to do so. Gather your paperwork (science
notebook, handouts) and sit in your assigned seat.
2. Be alert and proceed with caution at all times in the laboratory.
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Report any accident (spill, breakage, etc.) or injury (cut, burn, etc.) to the instructor immediately, no matter
how trivial it may appear. Notify the instructor immediately of any unsafe conditions you observe.
If you or your lab partner is hurt, immediately yell out “Code one, Code one” to get the instructor’s attention.
If a chemical splashes in your eye(s) or on your skin, immediately flush with running water from the eyewash
station or safety shower for at least 20 minutes. Notify the instructor immediately.
3. Know the locations and operating procedures of all safety materials and equipment including
goggles, lab aprons, the eyewash station, safety shower, fire extinguisher, and fire blanket. Know where
the fire alarm and the exits are located. Know the evacuation plan in the event of a fire. If there is a fire
drill during a laboratory period, quickly turn off any electrical equipment you have, extinguish any flames,
and cover any open containers.
4. Be prepared for your work in the laboratory. Read all procedures thoroughly before entering the
laboratory. Carefully follow all instructions, both written and verbal. Perform only those experiments
authorized by the instructor. Labels and equipment instructions must be read carefully before use. Set
up and use the prescribed apparatus as directed in the laboratory instructions or by your instructor.
1. Listen carefully during the pre-lab instructions. Your teacher will let you know what lab materials are needed
and will address specific safety concerns for that specific lab. It is important that you listen actively in order to
be safe. Students who are not attentive during pre-lab will not be allowed to conduct the lab.
2. Respond immediately to directives from the teacher. If your teacher tells you to do something during lab, do it
immediately.
5. Wear laboratory goggles any time laboratory chemicals, heat, or glassware are used. It is the law!
Your teacher may suggest or require the use of lab aprons and or gloves for particular labs.
6. Keep aisles clear. When you leave your classroom seat to work in the laboratory area, place your
backpack under your desk or on the seat. (If your lab seat is your classroom seat, simply place your
backpack under the lab table.) Do not allow it to block the aisle.
7. Personally monitor your experiments at all times. You will be assigned a laboratory station at which to
work and must stay there. You should only communicate with your team members and the teacher
during lab. Never work alone. No student may work in the laboratory without an instructor present.
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Do not wander around the room, distract other students, or interfere with the laboratory experiments of others.
Do not mess with any materials that are not specifically involved in your lab. Stay out of lab drawers and
cabinets.
Students are not permitted in the chemistry stockroom.
8. Conduct yourself in a responsible manner at all times in the classroom / laboratory. Never fool around
in the laboratory. Horseplay, practical jokes, and pranks are dangerous and therefore prohibited.
a. Keep your hands to yourself. Honor other people’s personal space.
b. Throwing stuff is never allowed – even if you are throwing paper towards a trash can.
9. Handle chemicals carefully. Keep hands away from face, eyes, mouth and body while using chemicals.
Wash your hands with soap and water after contact with laboratory chemicals.
a. Do not eat food, drink beverages, or chew gum in the laboratory. You may not have any food or beverage
containers in the lab area. Do not use laboratory glassware as containers for food or beverages.
10. Use good housekeeping practices throughout the lab. Keep your work areas clean and tidy at all
times. Bring only your laboratory instructions, worksheets, and/or reports to the work area. Leave other
materials (books, purses, backpacks, etc.) in the classroom area – under the desk or on your classroom
seat desk - NOT in the aisles.
a. Clean all work surfaces at the end of the experiment. Return all equipment clean and in working order to its
location at the beginning of the lab.
b. Dispose of all waste properly. Sinks are to be used only for water and those solutions designated by the
instructor. Other chemical waste should be disposed of in the designated areas.
 Sinks should be clean and free of any solids before leaving lab. Paper towels, solid chemicals, metals,
matches, filter paper, and all other insoluble materials are to be disposed of in the proper waste containers, not
in the sink.
c. Do NOT remove any chemicals or lab equipment from the classroom.
MORE SPECIFIC SAFETY RULES – These may apply to some labs, but not others. Your
teacher will remind you of these safety rules when they apply to a particular lab.
HANDLING CHEMICALS
A. Never remove chemicals or other materials from the laboratory area.
B. All chemicals in the laboratory are to be considered dangerous. Do not taste any laboratory chemicals.
Avoid touching laboratory chemicals with your bare hands unless specifically instructed to do so. Use
the ‘wafting’ technique for smelling chemical fumes.
C. Check the label on chemical bottles twice before removing any of the contents. Take only as much
chemical as you need. Do not return unused chemicals to their original containers unless specifically
given permission by your instructor.
D. Acids must be handled with extreme care. Avoid transporting acids and other chemicals from one part
of the laboratory to another. If you have to transport them, hold them securely and walk carefully.
E. Never dispense flammable liquids anywhere near an open flame or source of heat. Handle flammable
hazardous liquids over a pan to contain spills.
F. If you spill an acid, it can be neutralized with a base (like baking soda). If you spill a base, it can be
neutralized with an acid (like vinegar). If in doubt, always ask!
G. When needed, use the fume hood to work with volatile substances or poisonous vapors. Never place
your head into the fume hood.
HANDLING GLASSWARE AND EQUIPMENT
H. Examine glassware before each use. Never use chipped or cracked glassware. Do not use dirty
glassware.
I. Do not handle broken glass with your bare hands. Use a brush and dustpan to clean up broken glass.
Place broken or waste glassware in a designated glass disposal container.
J. If you do not understand how to use a piece of equipment, check with your lab partners. If you are all
unsure, ask the instructor for help.
K. Fill wash bottles only with distilled water and use only as intended, e.g., rinsing glassware and
equipment, or adding water to a container. ‘Squirting’ distilled water at another student is strictly
forbidden. In order for a wash bottle to work properly, it should remain vertical; tilt the container you are
squirting into instead of tilting the wash bottle.
L. Report damaged electrical equipment immediately. Look for things such as frayed cords, exposed
wires, and loose connections. Do not use damaged electrical equipment. When removing an electrical
plug from its socket, grasp the plug, not the electrical cord. Hands must be completely dry before
touching an electrical switch, plug, or outlet.
HEATING SUBSTANCES
M. Exercise extreme caution when using a gas burner.
N. Take care that hair, clothing and hands are a safe distance from the flame at all times. Students with
long hair need to tie it back. Your teacher has hair ties for this purpose. Do not put any substance into
the flame unless specifically instructed to do so. Never reach over an exposed flame.
O. Light gas burners by placing a lit match or lighter flame near the top edge of the burner barrel and slowly
turning the gas jet on. If the burner doesn’t light immediately, you may need to adjust the gas valve or
burner barrel and try again.
P. Never leave a lit gas burner or anything that is being heated or is visibly reacting unattended. Always
turn the burner or hot plate off when not in use.
Q. When heating chemicals in test tubes, do not point the open end of a test tube being heated at yourself
or anyone else. Never look into a container that is being heated.
R. Heated objects like metals and glass remain very hot for a long time. Allow plenty of time for a hot
object to cool before touching it. Use tongs or other protection if you need to move a hot object. Hot and
cold glass have the same visual appearance. You can determine if an object is hot by bringing the back
of your hand close to it prior to grasping it.
Science Student Lab Safety Contract
Palmer High School
Science Teacher_______________________________
AGREEMENT
I, ____________________________________________________ ,(print student’s name)
have read and understand each of the above safety rules set forth in this contract.
 I agree to follow them to ensure not only my own safety but also the safety of others in the
science classroom or laboratory.
 I also agree to follow the general rules of appropriate behavior for a classroom at all times to
avoid accidents and to provide a safe learning environment for everyone.
I understand that if I do not follow all the rules and safety precautions, I will not be allowed to
participate in science activities.
Student Signature: ________________________________________________________
Date: ______________________________
Dear Parent or Guardian:
We feel that you should be informed of the school’s effort to create and maintain a safe science
classroom/ laboratory environment. Please read the list of safety rules. No student will be
permitted to perform science activities unless this contract is signed by both the student and parent/guardian and is on file with the teacher. Your signature on this contract indicates that you
have read this Science Safety Contract, reviewed it with your child, and are aware of the
measures taken to ensure the safety of your son/daughter in the science classroom.
Parent/GuardianName (please print) : _________________________________________
Parent/GuardianSignature: __________________________________________________
Contact Information: please provide phone and/or e-mail.
Phone:
________________________
e-mail: _________________________________
Date: ______________________________
Important questions:
Does your child wear contact lenses?
Y or N
Is your child color blind?
Y or N
Does your child have any allergies that might impact lab activities?
Y or N
If so, please list: