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Oak National Academy
Oak National Academy
Teachers
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New
New
Year 10
Edexcel
Foundation

Hazard symbols and equipment

I can identify and explain the meaning of hazard symbols, choose appropriate lab equipment and appreciate the need for practical risk assessments.

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Share activities with pupils
New
New
Year 10
Edexcel
Foundation

Hazard symbols and equipment

I can identify and explain the meaning of hazard symbols, choose appropriate lab equipment and appreciate the need for practical risk assessments.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Hazard symbols provide vital safety information about chemical substances.
  2. Correct identification of hazard symbols is crucial for laboratory safety.
  3. Correctly choosing and using appropriate lab equipment is essential for conducting experiments safely and accurately.
  4. Risk assessments identify potential hazards & outline how to minimise risk; these can be general & specific precautions.
  5. Safety protocols, like wearing eye protection and ensuring good ventilation, are essential when working with hazards.

Common misconception

Pupils do not always appreciate that safety in the laboratory is a shared responsibility.

Ensure pupils understand the hazards related to both common chemicals and regularly used equipment.

Keywords

  • Apparatus - A piece of equipment that is designed for a particular use.

  • Hazard - A danger associated with a substance or piece of apparatus.

  • Risk assessment - The identification of both the hazards of doing a particular experiment and ways of reducing the risk of harm from those hazards.

  • Risk - The chance of a hazard causing harm.

  • Precaution - An action taken to prevent or reduce the risk of danger or harm.

Consider a 'What would you do?' activity that challenges pupils to consider how they might react in a variety of hazardous situations in the lab (i.e. burned hand on hot tripod, chemical spilled on lab bench, etc). Challenge pupils to justify their responses.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these is an example of common laboratory equipment?
Correct answer: beaker
computer
television
cooker
Q2.
Why is it important to wear eye protection in the lab?
Correct answer: To protect eyes from harmful substances.
To see better.
To avoid distractions.
Q3.
What should a risk assessment identify?
Correct answer: Any potential hazards.
The budget for the experiment.
The number of students.
Correct answer: Ways to reduce risk.
Q4.
What is a precaution in a laboratory setting?
Correct answer: An action taken to prevent or reduce risk.
An optional step.
A way to speed up the experiment.
A method to increase the budget.
Q5.
What is the purpose of hazard symbols?
To identify the manufacturer.
Correct answer: To provide safety information about chemical substances.
To measure chemical quantities.
Q6.
Which substances should have hazard symbols?
Only highly toxic substances.
All chemical substances used in the lab.
Correct answer: Substances that pose a risk of fire, explosion, or health hazard.
Substances that are commonly found in household products.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Why is it important to use the correct lab equipment?
Correct answer: To conduct experiments safely.
To save time.
To avoid using expensive equipment in case it breaks.
Correct answer: To obtain accurate results.
Q2.
How should a Bunsen burner be used safely?
Hold it with bare hands.
Correct answer: Keep hair and loose clothing away from the flame.
Use it to measure liquids.
Place it on the edge of the workbench.
Q3.
What is the purpose of a risk assessment?
To calculate the cost of materials.
To document the number of pupils.
Correct answer: To identify potential hazards and outline precautions.
To plan the experiment's timeline
Q4.
What should be included in a risk assessment?
Budget, materials, and timeline.
Correct answer: Hazards, risks, and precautions.
Pupil names and attendance.
Equipment list and procedures.
Q5.
Which symbol indicates a flammable substance?
Correct answer: A flame
A skull and crossbones
A test tube
A gas cylinder
Q6.
What does the toxic symbol indicate?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: Risk of death or serious injury if inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed by the skin.
Catches fire easily.
Causes severe skin burns and eye damage.
Causes allergic reactions.