Keeping a home science project safe

Safe science is better science

Most school projects are low risk. They use cardboard, cells, straws, plants and household items. Still, children get small cuts, burns and shocks every year when a project is hurried, a tool is wrong for the job or an adult is not nearby. A few simple rules, decided before the work starts, prevent nearly all of it.

This article gives general safety guidance for parents. It is not a substitute for the instructions that come with a tool or a kit, or for the school's own rules. If a project calls for something you are not sure is safe, choose a different project.

Set up the workspace

• Choose a table with good light, away from the kitchen stove and from younger siblings.
• Cover it with newspaper or a plastic sheet, and keep a damp cloth and a dustbin close.
• Keep long hair tied back and avoid loose, dangling sleeves and dupattas near tools or heat.
• Wear closed footwear. Wash hands with soap after working, and before eating.
• Keep a basic first aid box nearby with bandages and antiseptic, and know where the nearest clinic is.

Cutting and sharp tools

Use the right tool: scissors for paper and thin card, and a craft knife only with an adult. Cut away from your body and your fingers, on a cutting mat or a thick board, never on the dining table. Hold the material firmly and make several light cuts rather than one hard push. Replace blunt blades, because blunt blades slip. Cut thick plastic, tin and glass only as an adult. Broken glass and the cut edges of tin cans must never be handled by a child; sand or tape sharp edges.

Heat, glue guns and soldering

A hot glue gun is a common cause of burns. Younger children should not use one; older children may use it with an adult present, on a stand, with a damp cloth ready. Never touch the nozzle or the wet glue. Soldering irons reach very high temperatures and produce fumes, so soldering is an adult task or must be closely supervised for older students, in a ventilated room with the iron on a stand. Never leave heat on and walk away. Keep a bowl of water for cooling small items.

Avoid flames in projects for younger children. If a school project needs a candle or a spirit lamp, an adult should light and handle it, and the child should keep a safe distance.

Electricity

Use only low-voltage sources such as torch cells, button cells or a small battery pack. Never use the wall socket in a project. Do not connect wires directly across the two ends of a cell or battery, because this can make wires hot, and do not put cells in a pocket with coins or keys. Do not mix old and new cells, and dispose of used cells at a proper collection point rather than in the household bin where possible. If a model needs mains electricity, ask the teacher whether it is truly required, and then let an adult or a trained person handle it. Water and electricity never go together: keep wet experiments away from sockets.

Chemicals and household substances

Many chemistry projects use vinegar, baking soda, lemon, salt, sugar and turmeric, which are generally mild, but even mild substances can irritate the eyes. Use small quantities, wear safety glasses if you have them, and wash hands and surfaces afterwards. Never mix household cleaners or bleaches, and never taste or sniff projects. Label every container, and never store experiment liquids in cold drink or water bottles that a child or a visitor might drink from. Keep all chemicals, including those from the kitchen shelf and bathroom, away from young children and pets. If a substance gets in the eye or is swallowed, follow the instructions on the product label and get medical help promptly.

Plants, soil, water and animals

Wash hands after handling soil, compost or water from ponds. Be careful with plants that can irritate skin or are poisonous; choose common, harmless plants such as beans, gram, mustard or fenugreek for growth projects. Avoid stagnant water, which breeds mosquitoes. Do not collect insects, birds or animals for display, and do not take wild plants from forests and parks. For water filtration projects, remember that a homemade filter does not make water safe to drink. Never drink the filtered water.

Outdoors and for a school exhibition

If a project involves a wind vane, a rain gauge or a solar cooker, use a safe, open place under adult supervision. A solar cooker can get very hot and bright, so keep it away from children and use oven gloves. Do not look at the sun directly or through any lens or pinhole device pointed at it; use projection methods as shown in the guide. When carrying a project to school, pack sharp edges with card and pack loose parts in a bag.

When an adult must take over

If something goes wrong, stop work, deal with the injury or the spill first and ask for help. For a serious injury, call a doctor or go to the nearest hospital. Children can also call Childline 1098 if they feel unsafe at home or need help.

1. Any cutting of metal, glass or thick plastic.
2. Soldering, hot glue and any open flame.
3. Anything that uses mains electricity or a charger.
4. Mixing or heating chemicals other than the mildest household items.
5. Climbing, drilling walls or using heavy tools.