Hang this poster by the laboratory door, as the walk-through to do before a class comes in.
What is on the poster
Walk the room before the class comes in. Each hazard has a control.
| Look for | The control |
|---|---|
| 1. More people than the room holds | Floor area ÷ 50 sq ft per person; NSTA: no more than 24 students |
| 2. A cord across a walkway | Enough outlets that no cord crosses a floor or aisle |
| 3. A 3-D printer with no ventilation | Ventilation that controls particles and aerosols |
| 4. Bags and books on the floor | Clear floors and aisles |
| 5. A glue gun laid on its side | A stand for every glue gun |
| 6. Machine work in everyday glasses | Safety glasses with side shields, or the eye protection the job needs |
| 7. No zone marked around a machine | A safety zone marked with tape or paint |
| 8. Chemicals out or a cabinet unlocked | Chemicals locked away from unsupervised students |
| 9. An eyewash blocked or untested | Reachable, and flushed weekly for 1 to 3 minutes |
| 10. A plain outlet near a sink | Ground fault circuit interrupter on every outlet |
Most injuries land on the hands: 86 percent of teachers in a national survey named fingers and hands.
The poster draws a 900 square foot lab plan with the ten hazards marked by number.
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 Lab Safety Awareness 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 by the laboratory door.
- 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 Lab Safety Awareness module.
Learn more
The Lab Safety Awareness module teaches the full topic this poster comes from.
Sources:
- Safer Engineering and CTE Instruction: A National STEM Education Imperative, What the Data Tells Us (2022) – NSTA (reviewed October 2, 2026)
- Safer Engineering Instruction in K-12 Labs and Makerspaces (2021) – National Science Teaching Association (reviewed October 2, 2026)
- ANSI/ISEA Z358.1, Emergency Eyewash and Shower Equipment – International Safety Equipment Association (reviewed October 2, 2026)
Poster SSP-0063, Rev. 1, October 2026.
