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Lab Safety Quiz PDF and Answers

Here is a quick 10-question multiple choice lab safety quiz that tests how well you understand safe procedures in the science lab. Download and print the PDF quiz or just take the quiz right here and check your answers. The answers and explanations are below the quiz.

Lab Safety Quiz

Select the best answer to each question:

(1) Eyeglasses and sunglasses are as protective as:

A. safety glasses B. fume hood shield C. chemical goggles D. none of the above

(2) If a fire starts in the laboratory:

A. open all the windows B. notify the instructor C. throw water on it D. run to the fire extinguisher

(3) Before using glassware:

A. inspect it for damage B. wash and dry it C. know how to use it D. all of the above

(4) If acid splashes onto your skin, immediately apply:

A. oil or lotion B. soap C. a strong base D. lots of water

(5) If you break a test tube and spill a chemical:

A. Use a paper towel to mop of the spill and collect the glass and throw the mess away. B. Use a paper towel for clean-up, but be sure to throw away the glass in the sharps bin. C. Collect the glass and throw it in the sharps bin and let the spill air-dry. D. Warn others of the spill and go tell the instructor.

(6) When heating substances:

A. never heat sealed containers B. use tongs and insulated gloves C. point the opening away from people D. all of the above

(7) If you get injured in lab:

A. apply first aid to yourself B. notify the instructor at once C. get treated after class

(8) If you wear contact lenses:

A. keep it to yourself B. inform your instructor C. you don’t need to wear safety goggles D. take them out before lab

(9) To pick up hot glassware:

A. first cool it with cold water B. use a paper towel for insulation C. use tongs D. pick it up by the part that looks cool

(10) To insert fire polished glass tubing into a stopper:

A. Lubricate the glass with glycerin or water. B. Protect your hands with gloves or a towel. C. Carefully twist the tubing and stopper. D. All of the above.

Review the Lab Safety Rules

Before you set foot into the laboratory, make sure you know the important lab safety rules.

Safety Quiz Answers and Explanations

Regular glasses generally don’t protect the sides of your eyes and aren’t necessarily resistant to chemicals. Also, they aren’t usually impact-resistant. That being said, they offer more protection than wearing no eyewear at all.

Opening all the windows is a bad plan because it feeds the fire with oxygen . Similarly, adding water (H2O) feeds certain types of fires. Alternatively, water may cause a chemical reaction or spread chemicals. While using the correct type of fire extinguisher is a plan, definitely don’t run to get it. The best option is notifying the instructor.

Glassware that has cracks or chips often breaks during an experiment. Using items that aren’t clean contaminates the experiment, sometimes with dire consequences. Similarly, make sure glassware is dry because some chemicals don’t play nicely with water. Finally, if you don’t know how to use a piece of glassware, you increase the risk of an accident or ruined experiment.

Applying oil or lotion just traps the acid onto the skin. Soap and other bases do neutralize acids. However, the reaction between an acid and a base is exothermic . In other words, applying a base immediately increases the risk of adding a thermal burn to your chemical burn. First, rinse the acid with plenty of water. Then, neutralize any remaining acid with soapy water or a bit of baking soda or other weak base. Don’t use a strong base because it causes a chemical burn, just like the acid.

Labs have rules about how you dispose of chemicals and sharp objects. There are also rules about reporting accidents. So, the first action you take is warning your neighbors about the accident. Then, tell your instructor. Paper towels are not always the go-to means of mopping up a spill because some chemicals react with cellulose in paper and start a fire. How the spill gets cleaned up and what happens to the chemicals and the broken glass depends on the situation and your lab’s policies.

Most substances expand upon heating, so heating a sealed container risks an explosive outcome. Don’t handle hot containers using your hands. Never point the open end of a hot container toward yourself or another person because of the risk of releasing hot material. Even if no solid or liquid escapes, the vapor pressure sends fumes in that direction.

Immediately reporting injuries, even if they are minor, is important. Then, get first aid. Yes, injuring yourself in the lab is embarrassing, but don’t make light of it, cover it up, or delay treatment.

Your instructor needs to know whether or not you wear contacts. Contacts are fine in some labs, but they are a bad plan in a chemistry wet lab or a microbiology lab because they trap chemicals or microorganisms. Taking out your contacts before lab is a good option, but only if you have glasses and are used to wearing them. Walking around the lab blindly is not safe.

Never set hot glassware on a cold counter or douse it with cold water because it could shatter. Paper towels are not great insulators and may even catch fire. Touching glass to see if it’s cool isn’t smart, especially since you can use tongs and avoid the risk of a burn.

Pushing glass tubing through your hand leaves a nasty permanent scar. Breaking the tubing and slashing yourself isn’t much better. Work slowly and gently. Don’t force the tubing. If it won’t fit, the hole in the stopper might be too small. This is a surprisingly common accident!

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7 Free Printable Lab Safety Rules Posters

Safety first!

Working in the lab is often one of the most exciting parts of science class. But with great excitement comes great responsibility! To keep things safe, there are some rules every single lab user needs to follow. Of course you’ll attempt to ingrain these lab safety rules into their minds at the beginning of the semester, but you can’t be too careful when it comes to dangerous chemicals and sharp tools.

That’s why we’ve created these free printable posters. Hang them around the lab and review them regularly so students experience hands-on learning in the safest possible way.

1. Dress appropriately, remove dangling jewelry, and tie up long hair.

Professional scientists often wear lab coats, but your students probably don’t have these. This might mean they need to roll up loose or flowing sleeves and take off bracelets, rings, or long necklaces. Make sure they secure long hair, too, so it doesn’t accidentally dip into chemicals or get too near a Bunsen burner.

2. Wear required safety equipment properly at all times.

You’re going to get some pushback on this one, especially from older kids who think the safety goggles make them look goofy. But this generation should already know how (and why) to wear a face mask, and they can follow the same rules for goggles or gloves.

3. No food or drink in the lab area.

This includes water bottles! There are just too many opportunities for cross-contamination. Provide students with cubbies or room at their desks to store items like these, and allow breaks as needed for them to step away from their lab tables for a water break or quick snack.

4. Don’t sniff, taste, or touch chemicals or other supplies.

Most kids probably won’t try to taste random things, but there are always one or two who just have to try. Be sure students know that it’s not only tasting things that can cause serious problems. Even sniffing vapors can be risky, and many chemicals can cause skin reactions or worse. If they don’t believe you, show them a few pictures of people who didn’t follow this important rule.

5. Know where to find and how to use emergency equipment.

Every student should learn where you keep fire extinguishers, eyewash stations, and other safety equipment on their very first visit to the lab. Provide some practice using these when possible, or show video demos instead. Regularly review the locations of safety equipment so kids don’t forget about it over time.

6. Report any spills, accidents, or broken items to your teacher immediately.

Make sure students know they won’t get into trouble for accidental spills or breakages. If they’re worried about consequences, they might keep quiet, and that’s the worst thing they can do. Encourage them to speak up right away if there’s an accident, and thank them publicly when they do.

7. Clean up thoroughly and dispose of waste appropriately.

When their time in the lab is done, show students where to safely store unused supplies and how to completely clean their stations. Ensure they know how to dispose of any hazardous materials and always finish by washing their hands thoroughly.

More Lab Safety Rules

The lab safety posters above cover all of the major rules, but here are a few more general rules you may want to cover with your class.

Work carefully, responsibly, and with respect for yourself and others.

When kids are up and out of their seats, they often tend to fool around and be silly. The lab’s not the place for that though. Students need to take things seriously and remember that they’re responsible not only for their own safety, but that of everyone else around them.

Pay attention to and follow all directions exactly.

In the lab, it’s more important than ever that kids know what they’re doing before they start. Remind them to ask questions any time they’re unsure about something, rather than just guessing. And no playing mad scientist! Going rogue in the lab can be extremely dangerous, so let students know you have zero tolerance for that kind of thing.

Leave all lab supplies and equipment in the lab when you’re done.

It’s going to be very tempting for some students to walk off with lab equipment, chemicals, or even dissected animal parts (so gross, but some kids can’t seem to help themselves). But the lab is kind of like Las Vegas—everything that happens in the science lab needs to stay there. Containing potentially dangerous items in one space is the only way to keep the whole school as safe as possible.

Get Your Classroom Rules Posters Now!

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Science Safety Activities That Your Students Will Love

When it comes to teaching science, our number one concern is always safety! Science labs are traditionally what students enjoy most about science. Of course, that means students need to understand how to be safe and responsible in the science classroom. Every year, our science classes start with a safety lesson. However, you don’t have to give the same old boring lecture. In fact, there are so many engaging ways to teach students about science lab safety in the classroom.

Don’t miss out on the FREE complete science safety comprehension unit at the end of the post!

Science Safety Charades

Your students will love learning about science safety with this fun game. Whether in person or on Zoom, your students will receive one of 12 “UNSAFE” behavior cards. Next, they will plan out their skit on their charades planning sheet and then act out their assigned safety expectation. Finally, the other students will write down their guesses and the group will share the expectation the class should have learned from the skit. When all the expectations are filled in on their expectation sheet, each student will sign their own copy and put it in their interactive notebook.

Science Safety Comics

For the visual learners in your class, comics can really bring the science safety expectations to life. Each student receives an example of a classroom safety expectation. They then illustrate the expectation using a comic template or a blank piece of paper. I love hanging these up in the classroom as a reminder to follow the expectations and see their hard, creative work!

Science Scenario Sorting

One literacy strategy I love to use with students is sorting. This Science Scenario Sorting Activity comes with safe and unsafe behavior cards for your students to sort. By recognizing what makes a behavior safe or unsafe during science labs, students will be able to practice proper safety when it’s time for lab activities to begin!

Digital Science Safety and Tools Game

Whether you’re reviewing in-person or online, using a digital game is a perfect culminating activity to help your students understand science safety expectations. This digital review game provides different scenarios asking what tools to use in specific labs and what to do when something breaks. Best of all, you can play the game on any device with access to the internet!

The review is interactive, so once your students click on an answer, it will tell them whether or not they are correct. This is a great way to practice and review throughout the year as well. You can use this for independent learning, small group, or whole group review. Since it’s “bubble themed”, your students will get a kick out of popping the bubbles to answer questions!

FREE Science Safety Comprehension Unit

After Covid19, it has become apparent that teachers need access to flexible resources that can be used in both virtual and in-person classrooms.

We love this comprehension unit because it has simple text with varying levels of comprehension questions, a fun concept sort and a quick assessment. Best of all, we can use it in the classroom or online!

Sign up HERE to get FREE instant access to your own set.

Hands-on labs are the most important way for students to learn in the science classroom. By experiencing different standards and objectives hands-on, your students are able to understand how science works! However, labs do come with safety concerns. That’s why it’s so vital to teach science safety and tools early and review often.

Want your own copy of the resources used in this blog post?

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Science Safety & Tools: Teaching Science in the Elementary School

Science safety is something that students must learn, and it’s an important part of teaching science in the elementary school. However, science safety and tools can feel like a boring way to start each year.

The good news is – It doesn’t have to be! I’ve outlined these lesson plans for science safety and tools that will keep your students engaged and excited to learn about these core pieces of any science curriculum.

Introducing Science Safety & Tools: Lessons for the Elementary Science Classroom

In our curriculum, we are given about a week to introduce students to science safety and methods. This includes introducing them to lab procedures and discussing the scientific method.

Overall this isn’t an issue for most elementary learners because they aren’t working with many harmful materials, but it could definitely be extended if you’re planning some experiments that warrant a better understanding.

Here’s a general outline of the lesson plans we’ll cover during our week:

As you can see, I also use this time to help us set up our science journal for the year so that we’re all set to go from here. After that, we jump right in. Now that you’ve got an overview. Let’s dive into the day-by-day plan.

Lesson Plan for Day 1: Set Up Student Science Journals

No matter what grade you teach, the first thing I do when teaching science in the elementary school grades is to set up science journals because it sets the stage for the rest of the year. Our entire campus utilizes journals so it doesn’t take a ton of explanation besides the little individualized stylings that I use in my room.

My science journal is divided into three sections:

• lesson notes
• experiments & labs
• science vocabulary

Each section is reserved for specific information so that students can quickly and easily find what they need throughout the year.

Lesson notes are all the notes we take during our instruction. This will include drawing diagrams and labeling them during our matter unit, and we will actually begin using this during our science tools study.

Experiments and labs is the section where students write their lab notes. They record the scientific question we are trying to answer. Their materials, hypothesis, and the details of the scientific method. This is an important part of teaching science in the elementary school because it sets them up to be successful later.

Finally, the vocabulary section is where students record the Tier 3 content vocabulary we learn in science. Since academic vocabulary is such an important part of success in school, I like devoting an entire part of our notebook just to this.

Quick Tips for Teaching Science to Elementary: Pre-print tabs or create an easy way for students to mark the sections of their journal to save time throughout the year.

Lesson Plan for Day 2: We are scientists

I love this lesson ….really, seriously love it! I read it on a chat board years ago, which I cannot seem to locate (if this is your lesson, let me know so I can give you credit!).

It works so perfectly to connect the rest of the week, and it is super simple. All you need are envelopes with a small hand mirror in each, and it really stick with the kids. The day begins with the question, “ What is a scientist ?”

I elaborate by adding what do they look like, what might they wear, where would I find them. I try to really get them to think deeply about their preconceived notions.

After my students brainstorm independently for about 3-5 minutes under their top flap, I put them into small groups to share for another 5 minutes or so.

Finally, I bring them together to share what they wrote.

I create a class list either on a board or on chart paper to track their answers. They can add to their flap if something strikes them. After we do this, I tell them I have the complete full answer sealed in an envelope for each group.

I let them know they will get to see this answer, but they’ll need to keep it a secret from the other groups. Then I hand each group an envelope.

When the kids first open their “answer”, I often get a lot of confused looks. They check the back of the mirror and the sides, and sometimes even need guidance to get to the idea of looking into the mirror.

However, at least one student in each group ends up making the connection and the word quickly spreads. WE ARE SCIENTISTS !

I wrap up the lesson by having students reflect on this new understanding under the after flap.

I provide some guiding questions to help them write this second flap.

They need to tell me how their idea of what a scientist is changed because of this activity and whether the answer surprised them.

I conclude the lesson by giving a few students a chance to share out. Then I let them know as scientists we have certain responsibilities to follow science safety rules, follow the scientific method, and use tools correctly.

This becomes the focus for the rest of our week!

Lesson Plan for Day 3: Science Safety

I begin by connecting with yesterday’s lesson that we are all scientists in our class and reminding them that, as scientists, we are required to follow science safety rules.

Depending on my class, I use one of two videos. However, the second is no longer easily accessible in the US, so here’s the best option.

Then my class cuts and glues this easy foldable into their journal, and we sort and record the science safety rules by sense.

I feel like using the senses is a really approachable way to address safety rules, and my kids seem to really pick up on the point this way. We discuss each one as we go and why it is a rule.

Finally, my students are ready to sign their safety contract, and they glue it to the front cover of their journal. I use this as a reminder when I see students not obeying lab safety rules.

If time allows, I also have a printable that is an illustration of a science lab with lots of safety violations.

Their job is to find and color ONLY the things that are not ok in the lab.

Many years I never get to this though because we are having such a great conversation about the safety rules and why they are in place.

Lesson Plan for Days 4-5: Science Tools

Science tools, especially their formal names, seem to be a challenge for many students. I have created a few stations that the kids will complete to get better acquainted with the main tools and how they work.

I tried to make the centers interactive and provide scaffolds to help my struggling learners. I find that this is one of the most important tips that I can share for teaching science at the elementary level.

The more you can differentiate and offer supports to help your learners be successful, the easier it will be for them as they start to catch up in math or reading because they won’t have as many gaps in these other areas.

Here’s a look at one of the activities in the centers.

This is a science tool matching game where students are challenged to match the name of the tool with its picture. However, many of these are tools younger scientists (like those in upper elementary) may not have used regularly. Therefore, each vocabulary card has a math problem on it and the picture cards have a number. Students can check their work by making sure the picture card contains the correct solution to the problem on the vocab card.

A second activity is a Science Tools Foldable designed to explore how each of the tools are used in the science lab. This time students need to be able to describe the function of each of the lab tools. Students cut and glue these into their lab journal and get to explore the uses of the real tool before completing each flap.

By the time we wrap up the week, the even my struggling learners are typically pretty confident in their understanding of the science safety rules and tools. From there we can move into science careers and then into our study of matter.

Are you teaching science in the elementary school and want to use these materials in your classroom?

I love supporting teachers with tips for teaching science to elementary students. One of the most important things I try to do is keep science fun, hands-on, and engaging for all my learners.

If you enjoyed this unit and would like to save yourself some time, grab the pre-written lesson plans, activities, and printables right now in my shop . You’ll find everything you saw in this blog post and a few extra surprises.

Find more great tips for teaching science to elementary students in these articles:

What’s your favorite lesson plan for science to teach? Let me know in the comments below!

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4 Engaging Lab Safety Activities

The back-to-school year in science class usually involves a unit on lab safety. However, after students have been exposed to the rules of staying safe in the lab, finding new ways to engage students in lab safety activities can be challenging. 

If you are a science teacher looking for new ways to keep students interested in lab safety, check out these ideas below: 

Fun Lab Safety Activities

1. zombie college lab safety video:.

Students are always interested in zombies, so why not integrate them into your lab safety unit? 

This video from Zombie College includes a video about what can happen when lab safety procedures aren’t followed. 

In addition to the10 minute  lab safety video, there is a video game, student materials including: 

• word scramble
• 5 rules of lab safety worksheet

and a music video on the 5 rules of lab safety. 

This website can fulfill all your teaching needs depending on how long you need to spend going over ways to stay safe in your classroom laboratory. 

Note to teacher : While I have shown this video to grade 7 and 8 students, please view it first to decide if it is appropriate for your student audience. 

2. Student Created Video Lab Safety Activity

• Identifying the chosen lab safety rule
• State reasons why it is important to follow this rule in the classroom.

3. Lab Safety Review Game

• Equipment and practice
• Fire, Chemicals, and Goggles, Oh My! 
• Lab Procedures
• Random Science Safety

"Eye" Know Lab Safety Activity

This lab activity will integrate the safety rules into a fun experiment. This activity would engage students on the first days of school or as an introduction to your lab safety unit. 

Many students may not understand the need for goggles in the classroom. This eye protection lab uses: 

• Petri dishes

to teach students the importance of keeping their eyes safe during lab experiences. 

To complete this science experiment,

• use the marker to draw an eyeball at the bottom of the Petri dish. 
• Then, put one egg white in each of the dishes. 
• Pour water into one dish. 
• Pour alcohol into the other dish. 

This activity will excite students while teaching them about the importance of lab safety. 

Are you looking  for more activities to use with your students? This unit includes unique ways to teach students to stay safe in the science laboratory and classroom. It includes classroom decor and activities to introduce, teach, and reinforce concepts related to safety. 

• Read more about: Back to School , lab safety , science

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Science Lab Safety

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Some of the worksheets displayed are Elementary science safety acknowledgment form, Lab safety symbols work, Safe science lab safety awareness, Lesson plan 1, High school safety acknowledgment form, Science safety for middle school lesson plan created by, Scientific method name science safety rules the bikini, Flinn scientifics student safety contract.

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Elementary Science Safety Acknowledgment Form

Lab safety symbols worksheet, safe science: lab safety awareness, lesson plan 1, high school safety acknowledgment form, science safety for middle school lesson plan created by ..., scientific method name science safety rules the bikini ..., flinn scientifics student safety contract.

Safety in the Science Laboratory

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