Abstract: A valve safety handle having a handle slidably attached to a valve stem. The handle incorporates a handle female spline sized to engage a valve stem male spline. The handle female spline is urged out of engagement with the valve stem male spline by means of a spring trapped between the handle and valve stem. The valve stem also has a valve stem key sized to slide into a handle lower recess keyway. Thus the handle may engage with the valve stem only after the handle has been rotated relative to the valve stem until the valve stem key aligns with the handle lower recess keyway, and the handle has then been translated relative to the valve stem against the spring until the handle female spline is engaged with the valve stem male spline. An alternate embodiment incorporates an adapter having an adapter female spline sized to engage a standard plumbing valve stem male spline.