SCIENCE SAFETY RULES AND PROCEDURES

AGREEMENT
In order to ensure that science experiments are safe and positive learning experiences, students
and their parents should read, discuss, and sign the science safety rules and procedures
agreement. No student will be permitted to participate in laboratory work until the agreement is
signed by a parent and student and returned to the teacher.

1. Act in a responsible manner at all times. Misconduct that endangers any student will
not be tolerated.

2. Never work without adult supervision. Do not handle materials until instructed by the
teacher to do so.

3. Perform the laboratory activities as directed. Do not do anything that is not part of an
approved procedure. Follow all instructions given by the teacher. Read the written
procedures. If you do not understand a procedure or material within a laboratory
activity, ask the teacher.

4. Eating, or drinking in the lab area is forbidden.

5. Wear appropriate protective equipment. A lab coat or apron and ANSI approved eye
protection should be worn when necessary. Keep hands away from face, eyes, and
mouth while using chemicals or preserved specimens.

6. Learn the locations of emergency equipment including eyewash fountains, safety

showers, etc. Report all accidents, injuries, close calls, or unsafe conditions to your
teacher.

7. Closed-toed shoes must be worn at all times; never go barefoot in the lab. Special care
should be taken with floppy clothing. Tie back long hair to keep it away from preserved
specimens.

8. Never taste any materials used in the lab.

9. Check odors only if instructed to do so by gently wafting some of the vapor toward
your nose with your hand.

10. Carry sharp objects with tip or sharp edge pointing downward. Do not try to catch any
falling objects.
 11. Use caution when moving materials in the lab. Keep hands and face away from your
mouth. Always safely and securely put away all lab specimens before leaving. Do not
leave any specimens open and unattended.

12. Do not enter science prep rooms or storage areas unless under teacher supervision.

13. Never take chemicals, supplies, or equipment out of the laboratory without the
knowledge and consent of the science teacher.

14. Clean your lab area; put away all equipment and specimens. Wash your hands
thoroughly at the end of each work session. Report any damaged equipment to your
teacher.

15. All personal items, backpacks, bags, etc. should remain in a secure and isolated location
throughout the laboratory activity.

Failure to abide by the above safety instructions at any time prior to or during a
laboratory activity will result in removal from the laboratory activity.

Your Science Teacher may add additional safety instructions to the back of this form.

I, ______________________________________, have read, understand and agree to follow

these science safety rules and procedures. I agree to abide by any additional instructions
written or verbal, provided by my science teacher or adult supervisor.

_______________________________________________________________________

Student Signature Date

_______________________________________________________________________

Parent Signature Date

List any specific conditions, allergies, or illnesses the teacher should be made aware of –
 LAB SAFETY SCRAMBLE WORKSHEET

Name: _________________________________________ Date: ____________

Read through each scenario. Determine which rule or procedure from our Lab Safety Contract
is being broken. Only one rule or procedure will be broken in each scenario.

1. During the lab in class, Carlos realizes his group needs more chemicals for the specimen. Without
asking the teacher, he leaves the room and enters the science prep room and storage areas to
retrieve more materials for his lab.

2. Jane is participating in a dissection lab in anatomy class. After dissecting her specimen, some of
the preserving fluids squirt into her eye. Her lab partners tell her to use the eye wash fountains to
rinse her eye out; however, she does not know where the eyewash fountains are located.

3. Mark is in the middle of dissecting a cow heart. It is 2nd Block and he is dying of hunger! He decides
to cut off a piece of the specimen and chew on that until lunch starts.

4. It’s the first lab in anatomy class and Harry just cannot control his excitement. Without waiting for
instructions, Harry begins to gather his materials, grabs his scalpel and works without supervision.
Harry messes up the specimen before the lab begins and his group fails their lab guide because
they do not know what they are looking at. Harry is no longer allowed to participate in the lab and
is sent across the hall to do book work.

5. Joel is using his scalpel to dissect a frog in anatomy class. His friend across the room asks if they
can borrow his scalpel for a second. Joel walks over to his friends group carrying his scalpel with
the sharp edge pointing upward. As he is walking Joel accidentally hits a chair leg and falls. The
sharp edge from the scalpel cuts him as he is falling.

6. After dissecting a cat, Laurie sits waiting for the bell to ring to lunch. She does not put away her
equipment or specimens as instructed. In fact, she does not even wash her hands after the lab. For
lunch she has a sandwich which tastes somewhat like a dissected cat.

7. Joel is again dissecting a frog in anatomy class. He has his dissecting tray all set up and is ready to
get started. As he is carrying his track back to his group’s work area he begins talking to a friend
and carelessly walking around the room. He hits another desk and his specimen and dissecting
tray fly everywhere. Joel and his group spend the rest of the lab cleaning up the mess.

8. Jalen and Jacob and in a group together dissecting a frog in the teacher’s class. Jalen and Jacob
goof off all the time in class and today is no exception. Jalen taunts Jacob, and Jacob playfully
shoves Jalen. Jalen loses his balance and falls backwards onto the neighboring group’s specimen.
The specimen flies into their air, Jalen gets covered in dissecting chemicals and the neighboring
 group accidentally cuts themselves with their scalpel. Jalen and Jacob are no longer allowed to
participate in labs again in the class.
9. Brent is in 1st Block and he skipped breakfast today. He decides to have a bagel in his backpack and
he will eat it during class when the teacher is not looking. Today in class he is dissecting a pig.
After one bite of his bagel, all he can taste is the chemical preserves from the dissecting tray.

10. Sophie decides that she is going to be a doctor one day – in fact, a surgeon – in fact, a brain
surgeon (or neurosurgeon). She does not need to be following the teacher’s directions or the lab
procedures because she knows she is smarter and more advanced than this entire class. Despite
her group asking her not too, Sophie begins to dissect the cow heart without following
instructions. She accidentally slices right through the main artery in the heart and ruins the lab for
her group.

11. Claire comes to her lab dissection dressed in a skirt, a really baggy shirt, and flip-flops and with her
long hair let down. While she is working in her group, Joel bumps on the table and knocks her
scalpel off the table. The scalpel falls on Claire’s foot and cuts her. When Claire bends down to
make sure her foot is okay, her hair and baggy shirt get caught in the specimen tray. For the rest
of the day, Claire smells like preserving fluids.

12. In order to make sure the correct chemical is being used, Ben smells the specimen tray. Instead of
using his hand to waft the vapors toward his nose, he sticks his face as close as he can to the tray
and takes a big whiff of the tray. He feels dizzy and his nose burns for the rest of the day.

13. Liz comes to class with her cheerleading bag, her backpack, and a purse. On the day of dissection,
her group moves around their desks and she can no longer fit all of her bags neatly and
comfortably under her desk. So she decides to leave one of the bags next to her desk and not
under her desk. Five minutes into class, Joel bumps into her bag and falls.

14. Rachel wants to look as pretty as possible all the time and so there is no way she will be caught
wearing these nerdy protective eye goggles or this hideous apron. So, Rachel decides to not put
on her safety equipment. She continues through her lab without any problems until Joel
accidentally knocks into her table. The specimen tray goes flying. Luckily Rachel dodges the scalpel
but the preserving fluid gets in her eyes and all over her clothes. No one thinks she looks pretty
now.

15. Harry decides he wants to continue doing his dissection lab at home. When it is time to clean up,
he stuffs the frog and scalpel into his backpack. The next day the teacher gets a call from Harry’s
parents asking why their son had a frog and knife at home. The teacher has to report the incident
and Harry faces severe consequences from the administration at the school.

16. What is the consequence of not following the lab rules and procedures?

17. Why is it dangerous to not follow the lab rules and procedures?