Lesson planner · classroom toolsLab Safety Plan and Checklist
A starter safety plan for a science lab activity: chemicals, heat, glassware, crowding and safety equipment, with a before-lab checklist. Adapt it to your lab and your district's chemical hygiene plan.
Starting points – Check every row against your district's policy and the venue's rules, and add what is specific to your students.
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This supports, but does not replace, your district's policy. Your principal or administrator must review and approve it.
Lab safety checklist
Before
- Signed lab safety contract on file for each student
- Read the Safety Data Sheets; use the smallest amounts and lowest concentrations
- Check the district's chemical hygiene plan
- Test the eyewash; check the shower, extinguisher and fire blanket
- Check class size against the lab space
- Review student needs (by initials)
Trip day
- Safety briefing; goggles on
- Hair tied back; no loose sleeves; backpacks away
- Stop the lab if something goes wrong
Afterward
- Dispose of waste properly
- Report injuries and near misses
- Restock and note changes
Where the guidance comes from
Science teachers in the US draw on several sources: your district's chemical hygiene plan and safety rules, your state's science safety guidance, and professional organizations. NSTA: safety resources for science teachers include position statements, safety acknowledgment forms for each grade band and guidance on overcrowding. The American Chemical Society: safety in middle and high school chemistry pages cover chemical safety in middle and high school. In states with an OSHA State Plan that covers public schools, OSHA's laboratory standard can apply to staff.
Safety contracts
Many teachers ask students and families to sign a safety contract or acknowledgment form before the first lab. It doesn't replace supervision and good planning, but it makes sure everyone has read the rules.
Keep student information out of it
Write "Student A" or initials and say where the confidential plan is kept ("health plans are with the trip leader"). Names, diagnoses, IEP or 504 details and family phone numbers belong in your district's systems, not on a plan that gets printed and handed to chaperones. What you type here stays in this browser.
Sources and further reading
- NSTA: safety resources for science teachers
- American Chemical Society: safety in middle and high school chemistry
- OSHA: State Plans
- Your district's board policy and administrative rules on field trips, volunteers, medications and student health.
We link to these so you can read the original guidance; we haven't copied it. Your district's policy comes first.
Frequently asked questions
What should a lab safety plan include?
The activity, the chemicals and equipment, hazards and precautions, the safety equipment and where it is, emergency procedures (eyewash, spills, fire), contacts and approval.
Do students need to sign a lab safety contract?
Many districts and teachers require one before the first lab. NSTA offers safety acknowledgment forms by grade band you can adapt.
How long should you flush an eye at the eyewash?
Follow the Safety Data Sheet and your district's procedure; 15 minutes is the usual guidance. Then get medical help.