I think learning about lab safety is important for many different reasons.  For example, say a class went into the lab for an experiment dealing with dangerous chemicals. They ran into the lab, excited about the opportunity, and knocked over a glass beaker filled with water. They immediately start picking up the glass on the floor, and they end up cutting his/herself on the jagged glass. Now, there were many things wrong with that scenario. First, they didn’t listen to the safety rules. Second, they ran into the lab, not thinking about the consequences of that. Third, they knocked over a glass beaker because they ran. Fourth, they started to pick up the glass instead of telling a teacher, which caused him/her to get cut.

Another example is after settling down into their stations, instead of listening to the teacher’s instructions, they start piddling with the objects on the table. On the table, along with a graduated cylinder and dropper, was a harmful chemical that if contacted with the skin or eye, can burn severely, but since they didn’t listen, they had no clue as to what it was/did. Unconsciously, one of the students knocked over the container containing the chemical, and spilled it all over himself, and his lab partner. Thinking it wasn’t harmful, they went and got paper towels, and cleaned up the mess, but didn’t wash the places where the chemicals got on them. Later, their skin started to burn, and they finally told the teacher about it. The teacher washed their skin off thoroughly, and they were okay. They did many things wrong. First, instead of listening to the teacher, they ignored her instructions and started to mess with the things on the table. Second, the student who knocked the container over with the chemical inside should’ve read the label, and moved the bottle up so he wouldn’t knock it over. Third, instead of telling the teacher what they did, they thought they were okay, and cleaned up the mess. Fourth, if they learned about lab safety, they would’ve known to immediately tell the teacher and wash off the chemical on their bodies and clothes.

-Allison Goll