1.2 Laboratory Safety

• Common hazards and their symbols: flammable, corrosive, toxic, carcinogenic and radioactive substances
• Common laboratory accidents: burns and scalds, cuts, and ingestion of harmful substances
• Causes of common laboratory accidents
• First Aid measures for common laboratory accidents
• Safety measures in the laboratory
• Personal protective equipment
• Fire safety and safe handling of chemicals and glassware

• identify common hazards and their symbols in the laboratory
• explain the causes of common accidents in the laboratory
• describe First Aid measures for common laboratory accidents
• appreciate the importance of safety in the laboratory and access to a healthy working environment

“What causes accidents in the laboratory?”

“What safety measures should be considered while working in the laboratory?”

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1. Why laboratory safety matters
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Accidents have causes. Safety is a right and a duty in a healthy working environment.
2. The Kenyan school laboratory
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Know the layout: benches, water, heat, first aid, fire point, exit, prep room. Shared labs and classroom kits still count.
3. Types of laboratory hazards
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   A hazard can harm. Types: chemical, heat, glass, slip, electrical, biological. Symbols come next.
4. Flammable and corrosive symbols
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   The flame diamond and the corrosive diamond: meaning and the action each demands.
5. Toxic, carcinogenic and radioactive symbols
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Skull for toxic, health-hazard for carcinogenic, trefoil for radioactive. Recognise even if Grade 7 does not use the last two as reagents.
6. Personal protective equipment
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Goggles, coat, gloves, closed shoes, tied hair: the last layer after a safe method.
7. Conduct and safety measures
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Behaviour that keeps a lab healthy: movement, bags, labels, waste, authorisation, and stopping when unsure.
8. Fire in the laboratory
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Fire needs fuel, heat and oxygen. Clothing fires, bench fires, and what water must not touch.
9. Handling chemicals safely
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Read the label, cap, tray, acid into water, no tasting, correct waste. School and home chemicals.
10. Handling glassware safely
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Most school cuts come from glass. Carry upright, check cracks, sweep shards, respect hot glass.
11. Burns and scalds: causes and first aid
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Burns from dry heat, scalds from steam and hot liquid. Cool with water. No grease. Role-play the order.
12. Cuts: causes and first aid
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Glass, slides and chipped rims cause cuts. Pressure, clean water, teacher, no dirty cloth from the floor.
13. Ingestion and inhalation of harmful substances
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Tasting, dirty hands, food on the bench, and direct sniffing. First aid: do not force vomiting; take the bottle; fresh air.
14. First aid kit, reporting and a healthy lab
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Know the kit, restock it, report accidents, and treat safety as a right to a healthy working environment.