Hang this poster at the glue gun station, so the Do and Never lists are in front of whoever picks one up.
What is on the poster
Do
- Inspect the casing, stand, trigger, nozzle, cord and plug. Damaged? Tell the teacher.
- Set it upright on its stand, on a heat-resistant mat, with combustibles cleared.
- Eye protection that meets ANSI Z87.1; hair and loose clothing secured.
- Let it heat for the maker's time, then trigger slowly with the nozzle pointed down at the work.
- Use a small amount of glue, and press parts together with a craft stick.
- Put it back on the stand between every use.
- Unplug by the plug, leave the stick in, let it cool completely, coil the cord loosely.
- Stop and tell the teacher if it smokes, smells, leaks or clogs.
Never
- Touch the nozzle or fresh glue: it can reach 380 °F, hotter than boiling water.
- Lay a hot glue gun on its side.
- Force the trigger.
- Pull a partly melted stick out through the back.
- Put anything but an approved glue stick into the gun.
- Test whether glue has cooled with a finger.
- Put ice on a burn, or pull hardened glue off the skin.
A burn: cool it under cool running water at once and tell the teacher.
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 Hot Glue Guns 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 at the glue gun station, 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 Hot Glue Guns module.
Learn more
The Hot Glue Guns module teaches the full topic this poster comes from.
Sources:
- General Safety Guide for Career and Technical Education, April 2022 – Utah State Board of Education (reviewed September 30, 2026)
- Hot Glue Guns module – Science Safety (reviewed September 30, 2026)
Poster SSP-0019, Rev. 1, September 2026.
