Skip to content
Oak National Academy
Oak National Academy
Teachers
Pupils
icon-background-square
New
New
Year 10
AQA
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
arrow-right
Share activities with pupils
arrow-right
icon-background-square
New
New
Year 10
AQA
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
arrow-right
Share activities with pupils
arrow-right
warning

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.
View new resources
arrow-right

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.

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.

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.


To help you plan your year 10 combined science lesson on: Hazard symbols and equipment, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

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.
speech-bubble
Teacher tip
copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Skip lesson video

Loading...

Starter quiz

Download starter quiz

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

Download exit quiz

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.