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A1.4 · Plan investigations using safe laboratory practices and WHMIS

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

Ontario Grade 12 Physics

Scientific Investigation Skills and Career Exploration

SPH4U A1.4: safe laboratory practices and WHMIS

A physics investigation is a planned way to answer a question using observations or measurements. A safe plan does more than list equipment and steps. It considers what could cause harm, how that harm can be prevented or reduced, and what to do if something goes wrong. WHMIS—the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System—communicates information about hazardous products through labels and Safety Data Sheets. This lesson focuses on using that information and safe laboratory practices while planning an investigation. It does not report results from an experiment.

What you will learn

Plan an investigation by identifying hazards before beginning and choosing suitable ways to reduce risk.
Use WHMIS labels and Safety Data Sheets to find relevant hazard and safety information.
Include safe procedures, emergency responses, and cleanup in an investigation plan.

1. Start with the investigation and its hazards

An investigation plan states the question, the equipment and materials, the procedure, and the observations or measurements to record. Before writing detailed steps, identify the physical setup. For example, the system might be a cart, track, and hanging mass. The reference frame is what measurements are compared with, such as the track or laboratory bench. If direction matters, state the positive direction. These choices help make the planned measurements clear; they do not replace safety planning.

A hazard is something that could cause harm. Risk describes the chance that harm will occur and how serious it could be. A swinging mass, a hot lamp, a sharp edge, a chemical, or a trip hazard can each present a hazard. Consider who could be affected, including nearby classmates, and at what point in the procedure the hazard might arise.

Do not begin by assuming that familiar equipment is automatically safe. Check the equipment and materials, the room rules, and the teacher’s instructions. Ask the teacher before using unfamiliar equipment, changing the setup, or proceeding when a hazard or instruction is unclear.

Identify hazards before deciding on a procedure.
Consider the people exposed, how exposure could happen, and how serious the harm could be.
A plan is not permission to use equipment or materials without the teacher’s approval.

2. Use WHMIS information to plan controls

WHMIS is Canada’s system for communicating information about hazardous products used at work and in educational settings. A hazardous product is a product that can present a health or physical hazard. A WHMIS pictogram is a standardized image that signals a type of hazard. Read the label rather than guessing from the product’s appearance or name.

A supplier label is provided by the supplier of a hazardous product. It includes information such as the product identifier, hazard pictograms, signal word, hazard statements, and precautionary statements. The signal word is “Danger” or “Warning”; it indicates the relative level of hazard within the applicable hazard class. A workplace label is used when a product is transferred or made for use in the workplace and the required supplier label is not available. Follow your school’s procedures and teacher directions for any workplace label.

A Safety Data Sheet, or SDS, gives more detailed information about a hazardous product. The SDS is organized into 16 sections. For planning, sections about hazard identification, first aid, accidental release, handling and storage, exposure controls and personal protection, and disposal may be especially useful. Read the relevant information before the activity. If a label is missing, unreadable, or does not match the product, stop and tell the teacher.

Risk controls are steps that prevent exposure or reduce the chance or severity of harm. Choose controls that fit the hazard. Examples include using a smaller amount when directed, keeping a work area clear, securing equipment, and following instructions for ventilation. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is equipment worn to protect the user, such as safety goggles. PPE is not a substitute for following safe procedures or other required controls. Use only PPE specified by the teacher and applicable instructions.

Include a response plan. State how to alert the teacher and what to do if there is a spill, breakage, injury, unexpected heating, or equipment failure. Do not improvise a cleanup or first-aid response. Follow the school’s emergency procedures and the product’s SDS information as directed by the teacher.

Use the product label and SDS; do not identify a hazard by guessing.
Match controls and PPE to the identified hazard and teacher instructions.
Plan how to respond to an unexpected event before starting.

3. Turn the safety review into a complete plan

A useful plan connects each hazard to a control and a safe action. Write the procedure so that a student can identify what to do, what to observe, and when to stop and ask for help. Include checks before, during, and after the investigation. Before starting, check the workspace, equipment condition, labels, and required PPE. During the activity, follow the approved steps, keep the area orderly, and report changes or problems promptly. At the end, switch off or return equipment as instructed, handle materials as directed, and leave the workspace clean.

Safe planning also improves the quality of evidence. Evidence means observations or measurements collected during an investigation. A proposed procedure is a plan, not evidence that the procedure was carried out. A simulation is a model run on a computer, not a physical laboratory measurement. In either case, state clearly what is planned or modelled and what, if anything, was actually observed.

Before submitting a plan, check that it answers the investigation question, lists the required equipment and materials, identifies hazards, gives suitable controls, includes relevant WHMIS information, and follows the teacher’s safety instructions. A plan that does not address an important hazard is not ready to use. Ask the teacher to review it before beginning.

Write safety steps into the procedure, not only in a separate warning.
Separate planned actions from observations actually collected.
A teacher reviews and approves the plan before students begin.

A planning check before, during, and after an investigation

When	Planning question
Before	What hazards are present? Are labels, SDS information, equipment, controls, and required PPE checked?
During	Are approved steps being followed? What should students do if conditions change or a problem occurs?
After	How should equipment and materials be handled, stored, or disposed of? How will the work area be left?

Worked example

Planning a motion investigation

A class proposes to investigate how a cart moves along a track. No measurements have been collected. Identify planning details that should be included to support both safe work and clear observations.

Define the setup
Describe the system as the cart and track. Use the track as the reference frame for describing the cart’s position. If the plan records direction, define which direction along the track is positive. These choices make the proposed observations understandable.
Identify hazards
Check for hazards such as a cart leaving the track, loose equipment, or bags and cords in the walking area. These are possible hazards to assess during planning, not reports of events that occurred.
Add controls and checks
Plan to secure the track and keep the surrounding area clear, if the teacher approves those steps. Include an equipment check before use and a direction to stop and tell the teacher if the setup becomes unstable. Follow classroom instructions for handling and storing the equipment.
Separate plan from evidence
State that the class has proposed a procedure but has not collected measurements. Do not present expected motion or predicted observations as measured results.

Answer: The plan should define the setup and direction, identify possible hazards, specify teacher-approved controls and checks, and clearly state that no measurements have yet been collected.

Check: The plan is reasonable because it addresses the physical setup, people’s safety, and the status of the evidence without inventing results.

Worked example

Using an SDS before a materials-based activity

A proposed investigation uses a hazardous product supplied for a classroom activity. Explain what a student should check before the activity and how the information affects the plan.

Confirm the product
Compare the product identifier on the container with the activity instructions. Check that the label is present and readable. If information is missing or does not match, do not use the product; tell the teacher.
Read relevant safety information
With the teacher’s direction, consult the SDS for hazard identification, first aid, accidental release, handling and storage, exposure controls and PPE, and disposal information as relevant. Use the actual product information rather than assuming that all products with a similar appearance have the same hazards.
Connect hazards to actions
Include the controls and PPE specified by the teacher and product information. State what to do if there is a spill, exposure, or other unexpected event: stop, alert the teacher, and follow the school’s response procedure. Do not propose an unapproved cleanup method.

Answer: The plan should identify the product, use its label and SDS to guide controls and PPE, and include the teacher-directed response and disposal procedures.

Check: The plan uses product-specific information and leaves emergency decisions to the school procedure and teacher rather than guesswork.

Worked example

Reviewing an incomplete investigation plan

A draft plan lists equipment and measurement steps but says only, “Be careful.” It also gives a predicted result in a table headed “Measurements.” What should be revised before the activity?

Replace the vague warning
Identify hazards associated with the actual equipment and procedure. Add specific, suitable controls and checks, including required PPE or WHMIS review when hazardous products are involved. Follow teacher instructions rather than relying on a general reminder.
Clarify the evidence
A prediction is not a measurement. Move it to a section labelled as a prediction, and leave the measurement table for observations collected during the investigation. Do not fill it with invented data.
Request review
Have the teacher review the revised safety steps and approve the plan before anyone begins. If a hazard remains unclear, ask rather than proceeding.

Answer: Replace “Be careful” with hazard-specific controls, distinguish predicted results from collected measurements, and obtain teacher approval before starting.

Check: The revision makes the plan actionable and prevents a prediction from being mistaken for measured evidence.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Treating “be careful” as a complete safety plan.

Correction: Name the hazards and state specific, appropriate controls and actions.

Assuming the product is safe because it looks familiar or has been used before.

Correction: Check the correct label and relevant SDS information, and follow teacher directions.

Treating PPE as the only safety measure.

Correction: Use the required PPE along with safe procedures and other controls specified for the activity.

Recording a predicted result as though it were measured evidence.

Correction: Label predictions, simulations, and actual observations accurately.

Trying to handle a spill or injury without help.

Correction: Stop, alert the teacher, and follow school emergency procedures and applicable SDS guidance.

Lesson summary

A safe investigation plan identifies hazards before work begins.
WHMIS labels and SDSs provide product-specific hazard and safety information.
Controls, PPE, emergency actions, and cleanup should be included where relevant.
Follow teacher instructions, ask when uncertain, and obtain approval before starting.
Clearly distinguish planned or predicted results from evidence actually collected.

Check your understanding

Question 1

A container’s label is unreadable. What is the safest planning action?

Use a small amount to see what happens.
Ask a classmate to identify the product by its appearance.
Do not use it; tell the teacher and follow their direction.
Continue if the investigation does not involve heating.

Show answer and explanation

Do not use it; tell the teacher and follow their direction.

An unreadable label prevents reliable identification and hazard review. Do not use the product or guess; inform the teacher.

Question 2

Which statement correctly describes a predicted result?

It is measured evidence if it is written in a data table.
It is a prediction until observations or measurements are actually collected.
It can replace the SDS when a hazardous product is used.
It proves that the proposed procedure has been completed.

Show answer and explanation

It is a prediction until observations or measurements are actually collected.

A prediction is not an observation. A table heading cannot turn a predicted value into measured evidence.

Question 3

A student notices that a setup has become unstable. What should the plan direct the student to do?

Hold the equipment in place and finish quickly.
Change the setup without telling anyone.
Stop and alert the teacher, then follow their instructions.
Record the instability as a measurement and continue.

Show answer and explanation

Stop and alert the teacher, then follow their instructions.

An unexpected unsafe condition calls for stopping and notifying the teacher, not continuing or making an unapproved change.

Key terms

Hazard: Something that could cause harm.
Risk: The chance that harm will occur and how serious it could be.
WHMIS: Canada’s Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System for communicating information about hazardous products.
WHMIS pictogram: A standardized image on a label that signals a type of hazard.
Safety Data Sheet (SDS): A document that provides detailed information about a hazardous product and safe handling.
Risk control: A step used to prevent exposure or reduce the chance or severity of harm.
Personal protective equipment (PPE): Equipment worn to protect a person from a hazard, such as safety goggles.
Evidence: Observations or measurements collected during an investigation.

Continue through SPH4U

View the complete SPH4U Ontario Grade 12 Physics curriculum and lessons

About this lesson and its review

Published by DoAssignment. This AI-assisted lesson follows Ontario Grade 12 Physics (SPH4U), expectation A1.4. It is a study resource, not an official curriculum publication.

Before publication, the draft is checked for structure, mathematical or chemical notation, calculations, course boundaries, and readability, and then requires administrator approval. Errors can still occur, so corrections are welcomed.

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