Hang this poster beside the gas outlets, so the checklist is in front of whoever is about to light a burner.
What is on the poster
Before you light
- Long hair fully tied back; loose clothing and jewelry secured; indirectly vented chemical splash goggles on.
- Combustibles off the bench. Burner matches the gas supply: propane to propane, natural gas to natural gas.
- Approved burner tubing, never latex. No cracks, no leaks at the connections. You know where the master gas shut-off is.
Lighting it
- Striker or approved safety lighter, never matches or a hooded lighter. Flame to the barrel, then gas on slowly.
- Lights at the base of the burner? Shut the gas off at once.
- Adjust to a medium blue flame: not too large, not unstable. Ceramic-centered wire gauze under glassware.
While it burns
- Heat only water, salt solutions and other nonflammables. Never an alcohol or any flammable liquid over a flame.
- Never leave it. Never reach over it. Gas off the moment you are done.
- The burner stays hot after use: do not touch it until it has cooled.
Methanol and other alcohols never go near an open flame. Documented school accidents with methanol and burners have caused life-altering burns.
Built to the Science Safety Teaching Standard
This poster carries the SSTS mark. Like every Science Safety course, it is built to the Science Safety Teaching Standard (SSTS): every rule on it is taken from the body that governs it, at its current edition, and the source is printed on the poster, so you can check it yourself.
Stay current
When you get this poster, it is saved to your Science Safety account. If we revise the poster, or the Heat Sources module it comes from changes, we will email you, and the latest version will be waiting under Downloads in your account. Every revision carries its revision number and date at the bottom of the poster, so you can tell at a glance whether the copy on your wall is current.
Printing and hanging
- One-page PDF, US letter (8.5 by 11 inches).
- White background, so it prints clearly on any office or classroom printer without using much ink.
- Hang it on the wall beside the gas outlets, at eye level.
- The QR code in the blue title band opens this page, so anyone can get their own copy.
- The QR code at the bottom opens the Heat Sources module.
Learn more
The Heat Sources module teaches the full topic this poster comes from.
Sources:
- Heat Source Safety – National Science Teaching Association (reviewed September 30, 2026)
- Heat Sources module – Science Safety (reviewed September 30, 2026)
Poster SSP-0018, Rev. 1, September 2026.
