Lab safety starts before the experiment

A laboratory can feel unfamiliar when you are new to practical work. There is apparatus to arrange, a procedure to follow and an observation to make, sometimes while you are still working out what the experiment is meant to show.

Safe practical work starts with understanding the setup, the procedure and the objective before you begin. Teachers also have a responsibility to explain the risks and supervise the work. ACS school safety guidance and NUS supervised practical teaching guidance place preparation and adult responsibility at the centre of practical teaching.

At Eclat, our trainers do not assume that students will remember a previous explanation. Students may be new to practical work, lose focus or forget an instruction. At the start of every practical, trainers explain the setup, procedure and objective, going through each part of the procedure in detail. During the experiment, they watch closely and gently but firmly correct departures from safety procedures.

Understand what you are about to do

Before starting, ask yourself:

• What is this experiment trying to find out?
• What does each part of the apparatus do?
• Which steps need particular care?
• What should I do if the setup or result is different from what I expected?

You do not need to pretend you understand. If you cannot explain an important step, pause and ask the trainer to go through it with you. Serangoon Garden Secondary School's