Lab Incident Analysis: Personal Safety Practices

Learn to prevent lab incidents by following personal safety practices in this helpful worksheet! Middle-grade scientists will read three scenarios about splashes, burns, and broken equipment that occurred because students were not wearing correct personal protective equipment (PPE). Learners will respond to each scenario by explaining how the scenario could have been prevented and what should happen after the incident.

Reflecting on these scenarios can demonstrate the importance of personal safety practices and prevent future lab incidents. Washing your hands, wearing gloves and goggles, and dressing in closed–toed shoes and long pants can all help keep students safe in the lab. Following these practices can keep minor incidents from turning into more serious emergencies.

For additional lab safety resources, check out Lab Incident Analysis: Chemical Safety and Lab Incident Analysis: Accidents. Students can also review our Laboratory Safety Contract to help keep the lab safe.