High School Safety Practices

Personal Conduct and Preparedness

• Follow all teacher instructions before, during, and after the lab activity.

• Do not begin any experiment until told to do so.

• Read procedures in advance and ask questions if unsure.

• Stay at your assigned station unless directed otherwise.

• Report any injury, spill, or equipment issue immediately.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Wear safety goggles when working with heat, chemicals, glassware, or projectiles.

• Tie back long hair and secure loose clothing or jewelry.

• Wear closed-toe shoes—no sandals or bare feet.

• Lab coats are recommended, especially for Chemistry labs.

• Wear gloves when handling chemicals, preserved specimens, or microorganisms, as instructed.

General Hygiene and Safety Rules

• Wash your hands after each lab, especially before eating or touching your face.

• Never eat or drink in the lab, and never use lab glassware as food or drink containers.

• Minimize, when possible, personal items such as backpacks and coats in lab work areas—store them safely away.

Electrical and Equipment Safety

• Keep water away from electrical equipment.

• Use only dry hands when operating electrical devices.

• Inspect for frayed wires or damaged plugs—report issues immediately.

• Turn off equipment when not in use.

Heat and Flame Safety

• Never leave open flames unattended.

• Use caution with hot plates, burners, or heated glassware.

• Treat all objects as potentially hot unless confirmed otherwise.

• Keep combustibles and flammables away from ignition sources.

Handling Substances and Equipment

• Waft to smell—never directly inhale chemicals.

• Never taste any substance in the lab.

• Only use materials and equipment as instructed by your teacher.

• Dispose of materials properly—never pour chemicals back into stock bottles or down the sink without approval.

Emergency Awareness

Know the location of:

• Eyewash station

• Safety shower

• Fire extinguisher

• Fire blanket

• Emergency exits and evacuation routes

• Participate seriously in safety drills and emergency walkthroughs.

Permitted:

• Dissection of organs purchased from certified scientific suppliers

• Safe use of bacteria (non-pathogenic), fungi, and protists

• Observation of plant cells, invertebrates, and aquatic organisms

Prohibited:

• Mammalian blood or tissues (except federally inspected specimens)

• Cheek cell scrapings, urine, feces, or human tissue

• Culturing swabs from human sources or soil (to avoid pathogens)

Safety Measures:

• Always use disposable gloves, disinfect surfaces, and wash hands thoroughly.

• Petri dishes must be taped shut and sterilized after use.

• Never allow food in labs that involve biological samples.

Permitted (with safeguards):

• Acids and bases, including HCl and NaOH

• Common salts, indicators (phenolphthalein, bromothymol blue), and solvents (ethanol, acetone)

• Safe oxidizers and reducers in small, diluted quantities

• Hydrogen gas, ammonia, carbon dioxide – with fume hood use

Restricted Use:

• Use of nitric acid is permitted only with proper storage, fume hoods, and teacher expertise.

Prohibited:

• All substances listed in the Prohibited Chemical List

• Mercury and any of its compounds

• Explosives, peroxides, and most cyanides

Chemical Storage and Lab Design

High school labs must have:

• Separate locked cabinets for acids, flammables, and poisons

• Vented storage for volatile chemicals

• Wooden shelves firmly secured to the wall (no metal clips)

• Colour-coded labels and MSDS access for all substances

• No alphabetical storage (to prevent incompatible pairings)

• Chemical quantities should be kept to a minimum, and an updated inventory should be available for the fire department.

Emergency Equipment and Procedures

Senior labs must be equipped with:

• ABC fire extinguisher

• Clearly labelled gas shut-off valve

• Fire blanket, eyewash station, and first-aid kit

• Emergency shower (within 15 m of all stations)

• Fume hood with airflow ≥ 0.5 m/s, not used for storage

• Spill kits for acids, bases, and organic solvents

• Regular equipment inspections and fire drills are required.

Electrical Safety

Electricity is a core focus in physics and carries serious risk if misused.

Core Guidelines:

• Use equipment at rated capacity only

• Always turn off equipment when not in use

• Insulate all live parts of circuits

• Clearly label high vs. low voltage connections (e.g., induction cells)

Risk Reduction Measures:

• Use fuses or circuit breakers to limit amperage

• Dry hands only when working with circuits

• Avoid working near water or wet benches

• Stand on rubber mats or dry carpet

• Use only CSA-approved equipment; check regularly for frayed wires or leakage

Specific Hazards:

• Never bridge a live circuit with both hands (risk of electric shock)

• Secure cords, and don’t run them across walkways

Mechanical Hazards

Rotating or vibrating devices used in physics (e.g., motors, gyroscopes) pose entanglement and pinch hazards.

• Ensure all moving parts are guarded

• Tie back long hair and avoid loose clothing

• Always wear eye protection when working with rotating equipment

• Periodically inspect devices for wear and tear

Radiation and Light Hazards

Physics labs may include lasers, light sources, and radioactive samples.

Visible Light:

• Never look directly at bright light sources (e.g., burning magnesium)

• Strobe lights may cause seizures in susceptible students

Lasers:

• Students may not use laser pointers or pens

• Use only lasers ≤ 5 mW

• Do not allow direct or reflective eye exposure

• Maintain bright ambient light to keep pupils constricted

Ionizing Radiation:

• Only low-intensity sources (uranium, thorium, potassium, rubidium) are permitted

• Keep sealed and avoid skin contact

• Do not use powdered radioactive materials

• A note on radiation sources: While the use of low-intensity radioactive sources remains permitted under current guidelines, teachers and schools are encouraged to limit their use and storage in favour of simulations or alternative activities whenever possible.

Static Electricity and Specialized Apparatus

Van de Graaff Generators:

• Keep face and eyes away from discharge sphere

• Students should wear glasses to reduce eye risk

Solvent and Spark Hazards:

• No flammable solvents (e.g., ether, alcohol) near spark sources like spectral tubes or static discharge setups

• Always check surroundings before activating spark-related devices