8 Fun science lab safety worksheets and activities

Teaching middle school and high school students about lab safety is a necessary evil. 

Students find it boring and teachers hate teaching it.

But… with the right lab safety resources and activities, you can engage students and have fun with ensuring they understand best practices in the science laboratory.

From lab safety rules posters, to lab safety contracts, digital escape rooms and scavenger hunts, these fun science lab safety worksheets and activities will ensure that your students don’t get bored while learning the essential concepts. 

Disclaimer: This blog post, ‘Fun science lab safety worksheets and activities’, contains links to resources that I have created for classroom use. Read full disclaimer here. 

What lab safety features should students know about?

When I was a new teacher I was so overwhelmed when trying to figure out the different lab safety features students needed to know to ensure a safe learning environment.

Here is a list I refer to each year to make sure I don’t forget anything:

1. Location of safety equipment such as the fire extinguisher & fire blanket

2. Location of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as safety goggles, lab coats and gloves. 

3. Emergency gas cutoff switch

4. Emergency exits and evacuation procedure

5. Location of the sand bucket for a chemical spills

6. Chemical shower

7. Eye wash stations

8. Hazardous materials signs and symbols

9. Fume hoods 

8 fun science lab safety worksheets and activities

Fun science lab safety worksheets and activities

These science lab safety worksheets and activities will make your lesson plans so much more interesting without adding extra prep to your workload. 

1. Lab Safety Posters:  These are a great reminder and reference to have up in your classroom. Plus they double as classroom decorations! 

2. Lab safety contract: this is a great way to have students take ownership over their own behaviour in the chemistry lab by having them sign an agreement to adhere to the general rules of the science classroom.

3. Lab safety lesson: including lab safety worksheet and cute lab safety posters. This full lesson covers key lab safety practices and basic rules such as 

tieing up long hair, and what to do if there is an accident.

4. Lab safety digital escape room – science students LOVE this as it is an engaging way to review key science lab safety ideas while being collaborative and fun. Students can complete with a lab partner or individually. You may also like this lab equipment digital escape room.

5. Bunsen burner licence: A Bunsen burner licence is an excellent way to keep students accountable for the safe use of a Bunsen burner. The Bunsen burner checklist is a clear and easy way to assess whether students can use a Bunsen burner safely, as well as being a great checklist for students to look back on in case they forget anything.

6. Science equipment scavenger hunt: this activity is a great way to introduce students to various pieces of science equipment while also getting them familiar with where things are stored in a lab.

7. Following instructions lab: this is a fun introduction for middle school students to the scientific method and importance of following instructions carefully. This is great to use in any general science subject to enforce careful attention to detail. 

8. Boiling water experiment: This is a simple experiment that is great for a class’ first experiment as it is simple to set up, yet needs proper lab safety protocol to be followed including use of PPE, lighting the Bunsen burner etc. It is also a good way to introduce recording data as students measure temperature and record it in a table. 

8 fun science lab safety worksheets and activities

*Each resource contains a teacher answer key (where relevant).

Conclusion

In a science lab setting, there are many safety features and protocols to be aware of. This is even more important when you are responsible for up to 30 students working in the lab. 

Having a bank of fun science lab safety worksheets and resources is key to engaging students in learning about the fundamentals.

 Always consult your school’s specific safety guidelines and policies, and seek guidance from experienced colleagues or administrators when in doubt about safety protocols.

8 fun science lab safety worksheets and activities

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