FC

Safety Notes for Science Classroom

Working with sharp objects

  • Always cut away from yourself and others when using a knife or scissors.
  • Always keep the pointed end of scissors or any pointed object facing away from yourself and others if you have to walk with such objects.
  • If you notice sharp or jagged edges on any equipment, take special care with it and report it to your teacher.
  • Dispose of broken glass according to your teacher's instructions.

Working with electrical equipment

  • Make sure your hands are dry when touching electrical cords, plugs, or sockets.
  • Pull the plug, not the cord, when unplugging electrical equipment.
  • Report damaged equipment, broken ground pins, or frayed cords to your teacher.
  • Place electrical cords where people will not trip over them.

Working with heat

  • Always use heatproof containers.
  • Point the open end of a container that is being heated away from yourself and others.
  • Do not allow a container to boil dry.
  • Handle hot objects carefully. Be especially careful with a hot plate, even if you think it has cooled down.
  • If you use a laboratory burner, make sure you understand fully how to light and use it safely.
  • If you do receive a burn, inform your teacher, and apply cold water to the burned area immediately.

Working with chemicals

  • If any part of your body comes in contact with a substance, wash the area immediately and thoroughly with water. Inform your teacher.
  • If you get anything in your eyes, do not touch them. Wash them in the nearest eyewash station immediately and continuously for 15 minutes, and inform your teacher.
  • If you are asked to smell a substance, never smell it directly. Hold the container slightly in front of and beneath your nose, and waft the fumes towards you.
  • Hold containers away from your face when pouring liquids.

Designing and building

  • Use tools safely to cut, join, and shape objects.
  • Handle modelling clay correctly. Wash your hands after using modelling clay.
  • Follow proper procedures when using mechanical systems and studying their operations.
  • Use special care when observing and working with objects in motion.

General safety information (itemized items from the transcript)

  • 200 ml, 45%, 50, 150, 100, 100, 150, 50 (numbers appearing in a figure; context not provided in the transcript).

Safety Rules and Procedures

General rules

  • Listen carefully to your teacher's instructions.
  • Inform your teacher if you have any allergies, medical conditions, or other physical problems that could affect your work in the science classroom. Tell your teacher if you wear contact lenses or a hearing aid.
  • Obtain your teacher's approval before beginning any activity you have designed.
  • Know the location and proper use of the nearest eyewash station, deluge shower, fire extinguisher, fire blanket, first-aid kit, and fire alarm.
  • Before starting an activity or investigation, read all of it. If you do not understand how to do a step, ask your teacher for help.
  • Be sure you have checked the safety symbols and have read and understood the safety precautions.
  • Begin an activity or investigation only after your teacher tells you to start.

Acting responsibly

  • When you are told to do so, wear protective clothing, such as a lab apron and safety goggles. Always wear protective clothing when you are using materials or equipment that may be a safety problem.
  • Tie back long hair, and avoid wearing scarves, ties, or long necklaces.
  • Never chew gum, eat, or drink in your science classroom. Do not taste any substance.
  • Handle equipment and materials carefully. Carry only one object or container at a time.
  • Inform your teacher of any spills so they can be cleaned up properly.
  • Wash your hands thoroughly after doing an activity or an investigation.
  • Dispose of materials as directed by your teacher.
  • If other students are doing something that you consider dangerous, report it to your teacher.

WHMIS 2015 Symbols

  • Look carefully at the WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System) safety symbols shown here. These WHMIS symbols are used throughout Canada to identify dangerous materials. WHMIS symbols were updated in 2015; older textbooks or chemical containers may show previous symbols.
  • Descriptors and meanings:
    • Compressed gas: For gases under pressure
    • Flammable: For fire hazards
    • Oxidizer: For oxidizing hazards
    • Acute toxicity: Can cause death or toxicity with short exposure to small amounts
    • Health hazard: May cause or be suspected of causing serious health effects
    • Exclamation mark: Can cause irritation to skin and eyes
    • Corrosive: For corrosive damage to metals, as well as skin and eyes
    • Explosive: For explosion or reactivity hazards
    • Biohazardous infectious materials: For organisms or toxins that can cause diseases in people or animals
    • Environmental hazard: May cause damage to the environment
  • Note: Environmental hazards are not regulated under WHMIS, but are regulated by the Globally Harmonized System. This symbol may appear on products from other countries.

Safety Symbols (BC Science Connections 9)

  • The following safety symbols alert you to possible danger. Understand each symbol used in an activity before you begin.
  • Disposal Alert: Care must be taken to dispose of materials properly.
  • Thermal Safety: Be careful when handling hot objects.
  • Sharp Object Safety: Danger of cuts or punctures caused by sharp objects.
  • Electrical Safety: Be careful when using electrical equipment.
  • Skin Protection Safety: Use when caustic chemicals might irritate the skin or when contact with microorganisms might transmit infection.
  • Clothing Protection Safety: A lab apron should be worn when this symbol appears.
  • Fire Safety: Be careful around open flames.
  • Eye Safety: Danger to the eyes; safety glasses should be worn.
  • Fume Safety: Chemicals or chemical reactions could cause dangerous fumes.
  • Chemical Safety: Chemicals could cause burns or are poisonous if absorbed through the skin.