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A1.4 · Plan investigations using safe laboratory practices

Learn to plan investigations using safe laboratory practices through clear examples and targeted practice.

Ontario Grade 12 Biology

Scientific Investigation Skills and Career Exploration

A practical approach to safe, responsible laboratory work

In Grade 11 biology, you may have observed organisms, used a microscope, or investigated how environmental conditions affect living things. Those experiences rely on a basic skill: planning the work before you begin. A safe investigation is not simply one in which no accident happens. It is one in which hazards are identified in advance and sensible steps are planned to reduce the chance of harm. In this lesson, a hazard means something that could cause harm. Risk means the chance that harm could happen and how serious it could be. Your teacher’s directions and your school’s safety rules always take priority over a general example in a lesson.

What you will learn

Identify possible hazards before beginning a biology investigation.
Choose safety controls that reduce risks to people, organisms, and the environment.
Plan procedures, equipment, and cleanup before collecting evidence.
Explain how safe planning supports reliable observations.

1. Start with a question, then plan the work

A biology investigation begins with a question that can be studied using observations or measurements. For example, a class might ask whether the amount of light reaching a plant affects the number of new leaves it produces. This question suggests repeated observations over time. It does not justify handling the plant carelessly, placing lamps near water, or leaving equipment where someone could trip.

Before collecting evidence, describe what you intend to do in enough detail that you can notice unsafe steps. List the materials, organisms, equipment, and locations involved. Consider what people will do, how long the activity will last, and what will happen to materials afterward. Ask your teacher about any part of the plan that is unclear. Do not begin an activity until you understand the instructions and have the required approval.

This planning step connects to earlier biology learning. You may already know that living things respond to their surroundings. In an investigation, you observe those responses; safe planning concerns how you set up and carry out those observations. Keep the biological question and the safety plan connected, but do not assume that a familiar organism or material is automatically safe to handle.

State the question and outline the procedure before starting.
List materials, equipment, organisms, and the work area.
Follow teacher directions and school procedures.

2. Find hazards and choose controls

A hazard is a possible source of harm. In a biology room, hazards can include broken glass, hot equipment, spills, sharp tools, electrical cords, or materials that should not touch skin or eyes. Living samples can also need careful handling. For example, an unknown sample should not be touched, tasted, or smelled directly. A hazard is not the same as an accident: the hazard may be present even when nobody has been hurt.

A control is a planned action that reduces risk. Examples include wearing the protective equipment required for the activity, keeping a work area clear, using tools only as instructed, and washing hands after handling materials. Choose controls that match the hazard. A control should be specific enough that a student can act on it. “Be careful” is not a useful procedure by itself.

Consider a class investigating plant growth. Water near an electrical lamp creates a possible electrical hazard. A useful control is to keep water containers away from electrical equipment and to tell the teacher if a spill occurs. This control is more useful than simply writing “watch out,” because it describes what to do and what condition to prevent.

Plan what to do if something goes wrong. Know how to alert the teacher, where the required safety equipment is, and which room procedures apply. Do not try to clean up an unknown spill or broken glass unless your teacher instructs you to do so. Stop work if conditions seem unsafe and report the concern.

Name the hazard, then identify a matching action to reduce risk.
Use only the protective equipment and procedures directed by the teacher.
Stop and report unexpected spills, breakage, or unsafe conditions.

3. Plan safe handling, cleanup, and evidence

Safe planning includes what happens before, during, and after the investigation. Before starting, organize materials so that walkways and work surfaces remain clear. During the activity, follow the procedure, use equipment for its intended purpose, and avoid eating or drinking in the laboratory. Keep hands away from the face and wash them when directed. Wear eye protection, gloves, or other protective equipment when required by the activity or teacher.

After the investigation, use the disposal instructions given by your teacher. Do not assume that all biological materials belong in the same waste container. Some materials may need a particular disposal method; others may be returned, stored, or handled in a different way. Clean the work area as instructed, put equipment away properly, and wash your hands. If a disposal instruction is missing, ask before acting.

Safe work also supports useful evidence. If a spill, mix-up, or broken container changes the procedure, observations may no longer reflect the planned investigation. Record what actually happened and tell your teacher rather than hiding a problem or quietly changing the data. Planning cannot remove every uncertainty, but it can make the work more orderly and help others understand how observations were collected.

A simple planning record can connect each hazard to an action. It is a checklist, not a replacement for your teacher’s instructions.

Plan setup, handling, cleanup, and disposal before beginning.
Ask when disposal or equipment instructions are unclear.
Report changes or incidents honestly; do not conceal them.

4. Review the plan before work begins

Read the full procedure once before handling materials. Check that you know what to do, what protective equipment is required, and how to respond to an unexpected problem. Then check that the planned controls fit the hazards you identified. A plan that lists a hazard but gives no action to reduce its risk is incomplete.

A final review can use three questions: What could cause harm? What will I do to reduce that risk? What will I do if the procedure cannot be followed safely? These questions work for investigations involving plants, prepared slides, microscopes, or other classroom materials. The exact hazards and controls depend on the activity, so do not copy a control from one investigation without checking whether it applies.

The goal is not to make every investigation identical. It is to make safety part of the plan, alongside the question, procedure, materials, and observations. If a new hazard appears, pause and seek guidance. A safe investigation is planned, supervised as required, and adjusted only with appropriate direction.

Check the complete procedure before touching materials.
Match each identified hazard with a practical control.
Seek guidance when conditions change or instructions are uncertain.

A simple safety-planning record

Possible hazard	Planned control
Water close to electrical equipment	Keep containers away from equipment; report spills.
Breakable slides	Carry and store as directed; report breakage.
Unclear disposal instructions	Pause and ask the teacher before disposal.

Worked example

Planning observations of plant growth

A class plans to compare the number of new leaves on plants kept in different light conditions. Identify a possible hazard and write a suitable safety control for the setup and observations.

Inspect the setup
The investigation uses water for the plants and may use lamps. Water near electrical equipment could create a hazard.
Choose a matching control
Place water containers away from lamps and cords. Keep the work area clear, and report spills to the teacher instead of handling an electrical hazard.

Answer: One possible hazard is water near electrical equipment. Keep water containers away from lamps and cords, and report any spill to the teacher.

Check: The control addresses the identified hazard directly and includes a response if a spill occurs.

Worked example

Working with prepared slides

Students will observe prepared slides using a microscope. A student suggests carrying several slides loose in one hand. Improve the plan by identifying the concern and proposing a safer approach.

Identify the hazard
Slides are breakable. Carrying several loose slides could cause them to fall or break and create a cut hazard.
Revise the action
Follow the teacher’s directions for carrying and storing slides. Handle them carefully over the work surface, and tell the teacher if a slide breaks rather than picking up fragments without instruction.

Answer: The concern is breakage and possible cuts. Carry and store slides as directed by the teacher, and report a broken slide so the school procedure can be followed.

Check: The revised plan avoids loose carrying and does not ask students to handle broken glass without direction.

Worked example

Planning disposal after an investigation

After observing a classroom biological sample, a group is unsure whether the material should go into ordinary waste or a designated container. What should the group do?

Pause before disposal
Different materials may have different disposal instructions. Guessing could be unsafe or conflict with the classroom procedure.
Ask for the correct procedure
Keep the material as directed and ask the teacher. Dispose of it only after receiving instructions, then complete the required cleanup and handwashing.

Answer: Do not guess. Ask the teacher which disposal procedure applies, then follow the directions and complete the required cleanup.

Check: The response avoids an unsupported assumption about the material and follows supervised classroom procedures.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Writing “be careful” as the only safety control.

Correction: Name an action that addresses the hazard, such as keeping water away from electrical equipment.

Assuming a familiar classroom material is safe to handle in any way.

Correction: Follow the instructions for that activity and ask before touching or moving unfamiliar materials.

Guessing how to dispose of a sample.

Correction: Check the teacher’s directions and ask if they are unclear.

Hiding a spill, breakage, or change to the procedure.

Correction: Stop as needed and report what happened. Accurate records include problems that may affect observations.

Lesson summary

Plan the procedure, materials, work area, and cleanup before beginning.
Identify hazards and choose specific controls that match them.
Follow teacher directions for protective equipment, handling, incidents, and disposal.
Pause and ask for guidance when an instruction is missing or conditions become unsafe.
Record and report changes honestly so observations are interpreted responsibly.

Check your understanding

Question 1

A group does not know how to dispose of a biological material. What is the safest next step?

Put it in ordinary waste because it was used in class.
Ask the teacher for the correct disposal procedure before acting.
Pour it into a sink to clear the work area.
Take it home and dispose of it later.

Show answer and explanation

Ask the teacher for the correct disposal procedure before acting.

Disposal depends on the material and classroom procedure. Ask for directions instead of guessing.

Question 2

Which statement is the most useful safety control for water used near a lamp?

Be careful around the lamp.
Keep water containers away from the lamp and its cords, and report spills.
Use more water so the plants grow evenly.
Move the lamp only after unplugging it yourself.

Show answer and explanation

Keep water containers away from the lamp and its cords, and report spills.

It names a practical way to reduce the hazard and a clear action if a spill occurs. Follow teacher directions about equipment.

Question 3

A slide breaks during an observation. What should a student do?

Hide the broken pieces so work can continue.
Pick up every fragment immediately, without telling anyone.
Tell the teacher and follow the classroom procedure.
Put the pieces in any nearby container.

Show answer and explanation

Tell the teacher and follow the classroom procedure.

Broken glass may cause injury. Reporting it allows the appropriate supervised procedure to be followed.

Key terms

Hazard: Something that could cause harm.
Risk: The chance that harm could happen and how serious it could be.
Control: A planned action that reduces risk.
Evidence: Observations or measurements used to answer an investigation question.

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About this lesson and its review

Published by DoAssignment. This reviewed lesson follows Ontario Grade 12 Biology (SBI4U), expectation A1.4. It is a study resource, not an official curriculum publication.

Before publication, content is checked for structure, mathematical or chemical notation, calculations, course boundaries, and readability. Errors can still occur, so corrections are welcomed.

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