Science Safety Handbook
Guidance and resources to help teachers, school districts, and county superintendents of schools ensure adults and students are safe when they are on a school site.The Next Generation Science Standards for California Public Schools, Kindergarten through Grade Twelve (CA NGSS), adopted by the State Board of Education in 2013, marked a significant shift in science instruction. Rather than presenting science content as a set of separate subjects, the CA NGSS organizes science teaching and learning around three dimensions: disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts. The standards are written as performance expectations that describe what students should know and be able to do at each grade level or grade span. Because these performance expectations integrate practices and concepts with disciplinary content, students are expected to participate in hands-on, phenomena-driven learning experiences.
The Science Safety Handbook is organized as below. Click on the appropriate tab in the box for more information.
Overview
No science classroom can be made completely risk-free; however, educators can make classrooms safer through careful planning, training, supervision, documentation, and consistent routines. The resources in this safety handbook are intended to support teachers, administrators, district leaders, and other personnel involved in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) instruction. This handbook provides guidance on legislative compliance, safety practices for a variety of STEM learning environments, and classroom-ready resources that may be adapted for local use.
Planning to Meet the Duties of Care, Instruction, Supervision, and Maintenance
It is the duty of the governing board of every school district and of every county superintendent of schools, in addition to the teaching and administrative staff, to ensure adults and students are safe when they are on a school site.
All staff can support safer laboratory experiences and document evidence of meeting the duty of care by using a three-step planning process: hazard analysis, risk assessment, and safety actions. This process should be completed before science investigations, demonstrations, engineering design challenges, field activities, or other hands-on learning experiences that may involve potential hazards.
Hazard analysis identifies potential sources of harm to people, property, or the environment. An effective hazard analysis considers the relationship among the student, the task, the materials and equipment used, and the instructional environment. Information used to identify hazards may come from Safety Data Sheets, Globally Harmonized System (GHS[SS1.1])-compliant chemical labels, manufacturer instructions, equipment manuals, district procedures, professional organization guidance, and other relevant safety resources.
Risk assessment uses the results of the hazard analysis to evaluate the level of danger associated with an activity. This includes considering the likelihood that harm could occur and the severity of the possible outcome, such as property damage, minor injury, serious injury, or death. Risk assessment helps teachers determine whether an activity is appropriate for the students, space, materials, equipment, and available supervision.
Safety actions are the controls and procedures selected to reduce risk before instruction begins. These may include eliminating or substituting hazardous materials or procedures, using engineering controls, establishing administrative procedures, providing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), modifying the activity, or discontinuing the activity if risks cannot be adequately controlled. Safety actions should be documented in lesson plans and should reflect a balance between the instructional value of the activity and the level of risk that remains after controls are applied.
General Lab Safety
Safety is not an add-on to science instruction. It is part of responsible science teaching and must be planned, taught, modeled documented and supervised.
- Safety is a professional and legal matter
- Educators must understand legal safety standards, such as California’s legislation for laboratory standards, hazard communication requirements, and National Fire Protection Association
life-safety and occupancy rules. - Educators should also follow better professional safety practices from organizations such as National Science Teaching Association, American Chemical Society, American National Standards Institute/International Safety Equipment Association
, and related science/STEM organizations.
- Courts may look not only at whether an educator followed the law, but also whether they followed accepted professional safety practices.
- Courts may consider whether a safety violation reflects negligence or recklessness. Negligence means failing to do something one should have done. Recklessness means knowingly engaging in dangerous behavior despite understanding the risk.
- Educators must understand legal safety standards, such as California’s legislation for laboratory standards, hazard communication requirements, and National Fire Protection Association
- Aim for safer, not necessarily risk free
The goal is not to promise a risk-free classroom. Accidents can still happen even with model preparation. The realistic goal is to reduce risk by identifying and mitigating biological, chemical, and physical hazards before instruction begins. Teachers should ask: What hazards are present? What risks could result? What controls, training, personal protective equipment (PPE), and supervision are needed before students begin?
- Complacency is one of the biggest dangers
Many accidents happen to experienced teachers because they have done a demonstration or lab many times without incident. "We have always done it this way" should be treated as a red flag, not a defense. Unexpected consequences from examples such as the whoosh bottle*, rainbow flame demonstrations*, chemical explosions, and unsafe storage practices show how dramatic or familiar activities can become dangerous. (*See Appendix C for more information on chemistry demonstrations that should not be done in the classroom.)
- Educators must be the safety leaders in the room
The teacher is the professional in charge. If the room is not properly equipped, PPE is unavailable, equipment is not functioning, the class is overcrowded, or the teacher is not trained, the lab or demonstration should not happen. Never forget, no lab or demonstration is so valuable that it justifies ignoring safety warnings. Administrators and other applicable staff may support educators by providing them appropriate training, as necessary, or collaborating on facility and equipment needs.
- Use three layers of safety controls
- Engineering controls include the following:
- Eyewash stations
- Safety showers
- Fume hoods
- Gas shutoff switches
- Fire extinguishers
- Spill kits
- Broken-glass containers
- Running water
- Goggle sanitizers and similar equipment
- Administrative controls include the following:
- Written procedures
- Safety rules
- Chemical hygiene plans
- Training
- Supervision routines
- Signage
- Documentation
- Lesson plans
- Emergency protocols
- PPE includes the following:
- Chemical splash goggles
- Safety glasses for physical hazards
- Non-latex gloves
- Aprons
- Lab coats
- Face shields when appropriate
- Engineering controls include the following:
PPE is not optional, and the school or school district, not the individual teacher, is responsible for providing required PPE.
- Lab or activity organization and housekeeping are safety issues
Cluttered labs, messy storage rooms, unlabeled containers, chemicals stored in fume hoods, blocked safety equipment, and unsecured chemicals or equipment all create safety problems. Fume hoods should be used for experiments, not storage. Prep rooms and chemical storage rooms should be locked and accessed only by trained adults.
- Documentation matters
If it is not written down, it did not happen. Teachers should document safety procedures in lesson plans. Students should receive safety training every year and for every science/STEM class. Signed safety acknowledgement forms should be kept, but a signed form alone is not enough; students must demonstrate success with safety training. Administrators should also document whether safety training and procedures are observed during lab instruction.
- Lab supervision is an active duty
Teachers should never leave students alone in a lab. Hands-on lab activities should not be left for substitute teachers or other adults without sufficient safety training. During labs, teachers should circulate, observe, correct unsafe behavior, and monitor all parts of the room. If some students are at lab stations and others are elsewhere in the classroom, both groups must be supervised.
- Occupancy matters
Crowded rooms raise safety risks and may limit what kinds of demonstrations or hands-on activities are appropriate. Formal labs generally require more space per occupant than ordinary classrooms, about 50 square feet net per occupant for labs and 20 square feet net for ordinary classrooms.
The following materials and practices should not be allowed:
- Activities that put parts of the body in danger, such as placing dry ice in the mouth, dipping hands into liquid nitrogen, exposing the hands and face to microorganisms, walking on broken glass or hot coals with bare feet, or lying on a bed of nails
- Live ammunition, firearms, commercially available fireworks, and blasting caps
- Dangerous explosives, such as benzoyl peroxide, diethyl ether, perchloric acid, picric acid, and sodium azide
- Volatile toxic substances, such as benzene, carbon tetrachloride, and formaldehyde
- Activities that could result in the release of harmful quantities of noxious gases into the local air supply
- Plants with poisonous oils (e.g., poison ivy) or saps (e.g., oleander), and other plants known to be generally toxic to humans
- Use of human or animal blood/body fluids or other potentially infectious materials (opims)
- Demonstrations or experiments using live vertebrate animals*
- And animals that are exploited for advertisement, commercial purposes, or sensationalism*
(* See Animals in the Classroom for more information.)
Safer science instruction comes from preparation, supervision, consistent routines, and the willingness to stop or modify an activity when conditions are not safe.
Safe Science in the Elementary Classroom
Young children are naturally curious, eager to investigate the world around them, and interested in identifying ways to improve it. Early elementary teachers play an important role in nurturing this curiosity and building the foundational skills students will need to engage in the science and engineering practices in later grades. Hands-on learning experiences are essential to early science development; therefore, safety must be intentionally addressed in elementary science instruction.
Elementary teachers should review and apply the General Laboratory Safety section of this guide, including guidance related to training, preparedness, supervision, and first aid. All educators are responsible for understanding and following applicable local safety requirements, school procedures, and emergency response protocols.
Planning for Safe Elementary Science Instruction
Teachers should consider students’ abilities, needs, interests, and developmental levels when planning laboratory investigations, hands-on activities, or engineering design challenges. This planning should include attention to any factors that may affect safe participation in science instruction. Safety expectations and procedures should be taught explicitly, presented in age-appropriate language, and checked for student understanding before activities begin.
Because elementary students are typically novice learners, teachers should assume that students are also developing a beginning understanding of safe science practices. Teachers should use available information from student records, including Individualized Education Programs, 504 plans, behavior plans, input from the school nurse, and information provided by parents or guardians, to plan appropriate supports for safe and meaningful participation in science learning.
Lesson plans for science instruction should include a safety review that identifies potential hazards, assesses risks, and describes the safety actions needed for both classroom-based and outdoor learning environments. Safety instruction should be embedded within each lesson and should include clear expectations for student behavior, proper use of materials and equipment, and procedures for responding to unsafe conditions.
Younger learners, particularly children ages 4–6, may require additional modeling, reminders, and supervision based on their developmental needs. Appropriate behavior during science activities is an essential part of a strong safety culture and should be taught as part of every hands-on experience.
Teachers are strongly encouraged to document hazard analyses, risk assessments, safety procedures, and safety instruction within lesson plans. This documentation supports instructional planning, helps ensure that relevant safety practices are addressed, and may serve as evidence that the teacher has met the professional duty of care. Teachers should review all hands-on activities and corresponding safety needs carefully and, if necessary, consider whether an alternative activity could teach the same concept using a safer procedure, material, or setting.
Life Science Classroom
Life science classrooms require careful attention to biological, chemical, and physical hazards because students may work with living or preserved specimens, microorganisms or cultures, soil or plant materials, dissecting tools, glassware, heat sources, electrical equipment, stains, preservatives, and other laboratory materials. Safety planning should address appropriate supervision; clear procedures for handling organisms and specimens humanely and hygienically; prevention of exposure to allergens, biohazards, chemicals, and sharps; proper use of PPE; handwashing and sanitation; safe storage, labeling, and disposal of materials; and immediate response to spills, injuries, broken glass, or damaged equipment. Teachers should establish and reinforce a culture of safety in which students read and follow directions, use equipment only as intended, report concerns immediately, and understand that safe conduct is an essential part of scientific practice.
All safety guidelines discussed in the General Laboratory Safety section apply to the Life Science classroom. Life Science includes additional requirements due to the possible hazardous nature of specific specimens, materials, and equipment used during instruction.
General Safety in the Life Science Classroom
Preservatives, stains, fixatives, and biological reagents used in life science instruction should be clearly labeled and managed according to chemical compatibility, Safety Data Sheet guidance, and applicable school or district safety procedures. Proper storage, use, and disposal of these materials help reduce exposure risks during specimen preparation, dissection, microscopy, and clean-up activities.
Biological specimens, cultures, prepared slides, glassware, and microscopy equipment should be handled using procedures that minimize exposure, contamination, breakage, and accidental injury. Even when materials are considered non-pathogenic, students should follow established safety expectations, including hand hygiene; appropriate use of PPE; careful handling of tools and specimens; and prompt reporting of spills, broken glass, damaged equipment, or injuries.
Eyewash and safety shower access should be available when students or staff conduct wet labs or work with chemicals, preserved specimens, stains, fixatives, or other materials that may pose an exposure risk. Educators should confirm access to these safety controls before instruction begins and ensure students know how to report exposures or spills immediately.
Physical Science Classroom
Students come from diverse backgrounds and have various levels of awareness of health and safety issues. Most students have no previous experience in handling chemicals, laboratory equipment, or related safety gear. In the lab, students will experience new activities, new materials, and new protocols, so the likelihood of accidents or injuries may be high. It is important to teach students how to prevent accidents and what to do in case of an emergency.
The laboratory can be one of the best places to instill good work practices and teach safety, all while learning important science content. Although the laboratory can provide a positive, safe, and fun learning environment, science programs do have potential dangers. With careful planning, most dangers can be avoided. Safety is the responsibility of the administration, the teachers, and students—each of these groups has an important role in planning and implementing a laboratory learning program.
Before starting any laboratory activity, weigh the potential risks versus the educational value of the exercise through a hazard analysis and risk assessment. If possible, consider replacing chemicals with less hazardous substances, or conduct a safer experiment that can demonstrate the same learning objective.
All safety guidelines discussed in the General Laboratory Safety section apply to the physical science classroom. Physical science (including chemistry, physics, and interdisciplinary earth and space sciences) includes additional safety requirements due to the possible hazardous nature of chemicals and reactions, electricity, power tools, and other projectiles.
Relevant Legislation
The following links provide citations for safety related legislation in the California Education Code (EC) and the California Code of Regulations (CCR). This list is not exhaustive. It is the responsibility of local educational agencies to ensure compliance with all pertinent legislation regarding STEM safety.
Duty of Care
Duty or Standard of Care refers to the legal obligation to act with the level of care that a reasonable person would use under similar circumstances to protect others from foreseeable harm. In school science and STEM settings, this means that educators, administrators, and district leaders are responsible for anticipating potential hazards and taking reasonable steps to prevent injury, exposure, or property damage.
Educators and school leaders should understand that failure to meet this duty may result in a claim of negligence. Negligence generally involves four elements: a recognized duty to protect others from foreseeable harm; a breach of that duty through unsafe action or failure to act; a connection between the breach and the resulting injury; and actual injury or loss. In practical terms, meeting the duty of care in science instruction requires appropriate planning, supervision, hazard analysis, risk assessment, safety instruction, use of required controls and PPE, and prompt response to unsafe conditions.
In the absence of specific laws, regulations, or local policies, the expected standard of care in science and STEM instruction may be informed by accepted professional standards and guidance from organizations such as the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA), the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association, the National Science Education Leadership Association, and similar professional bodies. These sources can help educators and administrators understand reasonable safety expectations related to instructional planning, supervision, laboratory conditions, occupancy, equipment use, and student participation.
Duty of care applies across science, STEM, engineering, technology, and career technical education settings and requires educators and school leaders to take reasonable steps to protect students from foreseeable harm. Because science and STEM instruction often includes hands-on investigations, demonstrations, tools, equipment, chemicals, biological materials, electricity, heat, and field experiences, safety should be addressed collaboratively by teachers, administrators, district leaders, students, and families. The actions needed to meet the duty of care may vary by activity, grade level, student needs, learning environment, and identified hazards.
Educators and administrators should understand applicable state laws, regulations, codes, district policies, and professional safety standards that inform their responsibilities. Failure to act reasonably to prevent foreseeable harm may result in claims of negligence and may also lead to employment or credentialing consequences. In circumstances where an individual knowingly disregards a substantial risk, the conduct may raise more serious concerns, including recklessness. Maintaining safer science and engineering learning environments is a shared responsibility that requires ongoing communication, planning, training, supervision, and corrective action when unsafe conditions are identified.
Duty of Instruction
Duty of care includes the responsibility to provide safety instruction and appropriate supervision during science and STEM activities conducted in classrooms, laboratories, field settings, and other instructional spaces. School districts are also responsible for providing safety training to employees who may be exposed to hazardous materials, equipment, or procedures as part of their assigned duties.
Teachers should establish safety expectations at the beginning of each course and reinforce them throughout the year. Classroom safety rules, laboratory expectations, and student responsibilities should be communicated clearly to students and families and may be documented through a signed safety acknowledgment form kept on file according to local procedures. However, beginning-of-year safety instruction is not sufficient by itself. Safety expectations must be reviewed before each activity that presents potential hazards, including demonstrations, investigations, fieldwork, and engineering design challenges.
Teachers should provide explicit instruction on the hazards associated with each activity and the safety procedures required to reduce risk. This includes identifying specific hazards, such as sharp instruments, hot materials, chemicals, glassware, electricity, biological materials, or moving equipment, and explaining how students are expected to handle those hazards safely. Written safety warnings, verbal directions, posted signage, demonstrations, and activity-specific procedures should be used as appropriate.
Educators must also model safe practices consistently. Students observe adult behavior as well as listen to instructions; therefore, teachers, paraprofessionals, volunteers, and other adults in the instructional space should follow the same safety expectations required of students, including the proper use of PPE. Teachers should demonstrate the safe use of tools, equipment, materials, and procedures before students begin work and should provide corrective feedback when unsafe conditions or novice errors are observed.
Safety actions should be documented as part of lesson planning and treated as an essential component of instruction. Lesson plans should identify relevant hazards, required controls, PPE, supervision needs, emergency procedures, and student safety expectations. This documentation supports consistent instruction, reinforces the importance of safety as part of scientific practice, and helps ensure that students are prepared to participate safely in hands-on learning.
Duty of Supervision
Duty of care includes the responsibility to provide active and appropriate supervision during all science and STEM activities. Teachers must ensure that students follow established safety procedures, use tools and equipment only as directed, and wear required PPE when hazards are present. When students use tools, equipment, chemicals, heat sources, biological materials, or other potentially hazardous materials, the teacher should maintain direct supervision and keep students within view.
Safety expectations must be enforced consistently. Students who engage in unsafe behavior should be redirected immediately and, when necessary, removed from the activity or laboratory setting in accordance with school discipline procedures. Schools should consider including laboratory and STEM safety expectations in student safety acknowledgment forms and in the school’s code of conduct so that students and families understand that safe behavior is required for participation in hands-on activities.
Students should never be left unattended while a laboratory investigation, demonstration, engineering activity, or other hazardous activity is in progress. If another adult is present, such as a paraprofessional, specialist, volunteer, or substitute teacher, that person should not be assigned responsibility for supervising a hazardous laboratory activity unless they have appropriate qualifications, training, and knowledge of the activity’s safety requirements. When adequate supervision is not available, the activity should be modified, postponed, or discontinued.
Science or STEM activities assigned for completion outside of school should be reviewed carefully to determine whether they can be conducted safely in a home or community setting. Teachers should consider the materials, tools, equipment, supervision needs, PPE, and potential hazards before assigning any at-home investigation or project. When home-based activities involve potential risks, families should be informed of the safety expectations and supervision needs, and safer alternatives should be provided when appropriate.
Duty of Maintenance
Duty of care includes the responsibility to maintain science and STEM instructional spaces, equipment, tools, PPE, and engineering controls in safe working condition. Teachers should inspect materials and equipment before, during, and after laboratory investigations, demonstrations, and engineering activities to confirm that they are functioning properly and are appropriate for the intended use. Students should be instructed to report damaged, malfunctioning, or unsafe equipment immediately and without fear of punishment.
Teachers should test demonstrations and laboratory procedures before using them with students to identify potential hazards, verify that equipment functions as expected, and determine required safety precautions. PPE and engineering controls, such as goggles, eyewash stations, safety showers, fume hoods, guards, shields, and ventilation systems, should be maintained according to manufacturer specifications, applicable regulations, and district procedures.
Equipment that is damaged, malfunctioning, expired, or otherwise unsafe should be removed from service immediately. When appropriate, the equipment should be clearly labeled “Out of Service,” secured to prevent use, and repaired or replaced before being returned to instruction. Maintaining safe equipment and promptly correcting unsafe conditions are essential parts of preventing foreseeable harm in science and STEM learning environments.
Appendices
- Appendix A: Sample Safety Contracts/ Safety Acknowledgments
The following Safety Acknowledgment Forms used in various settings show a range of examples for consideration and do not necessarily reflect endorsement. Educators, schools, and local educational agencies should review any form prior to use to ensure it is contextually appropriate, age-appropriate, and complies with any applicable federal, state, and local regulations.
- Appendix B: NSTA Practitioner's Guide | The K–12 Chemical Hygiene Officer
(PDF)
- Appendix C: NSTA Safety Issue Paper “Chemistry Demonstrations That Should Not Be Done in the K–12 Instructional Space”
(PDF)
- Appendix D: Sample Hazard Analysis and Risk Assessment Checklist (PDF)
- Appendix E: List of Incompatible Chemicals (PDF)
- Appendix F: California Poison Control Information (PDF)
- Appendix G: Sample Chemical Inventory (PDF)
- Appendix H: Sample Classroom Safety Checklist (PDF)
- Appendix I: Sample Safety Checklist for Science Instruction, Preparation, and Storage Areas (PDF)
- Appendix J: Acronyms