Safety is Not an Accident

• Safety is something you plan for. Carefully.
• Experiments are supposed to be fun and educational. However, accidents are not fun when they happen. You might learn something from them, but you or a friend could also get hurt. So put safety and common sense on the top of your “must have” list of ingredients for your experiment.
• After you decide what kind of experiment to try, read about it and insist that any of your helpers read about it, too. You don’t want them – or you – to be surprised in a bad or scary way when you’re halfway through the experiment! Even the person using the video camera needs to know what you expect to do and the order in which you will do it.
• You will need a space to do your experiment. If it’s includes a table, it needs to be stable and it may need a protective cover. If the experiment involves water or electricity, make sure they are nearby – but not next to each other. They’re a deadly mix! There are also experiments that include items or elements that, when combined, cause "exciting" reactions. Sometimes that’s the goal of your experiment, but make sure your work space is a place that can handle these reactions.
• Ask an adult if you’re not sure about a process or its safety. In fact, inform an adult even if you think you are sure. It makes them feel good to be asked and they may even have some additional ideas (or advice) that you haven’t thought of yet.
• Do not let young children or pets near your experiment.
• Try to finish your experiment in one day. If you can’t, or want to redo it, make sure it is safely put away from the reach of others unless an adult says you may leave it out. If you used kitchen items, wash them in hot water with soap. A lab, even if it is your kitchen, backyard or a classroom, must stay clean and organized. Others may need to use the space.
• TestToob wants YOU to be safe as you explore science and develop experiments. We need you to be part of our team!