Laboratory Safety and
Management
Alison Lam
Science Education Section, EDB
Accident Statistics (05/06)
• 464 schools responded (response rate : 93.4% )
• Statistics
• 296 schools without accident (64%)
• 554 cases in 168 schools (36%)
• 1.19 cases per school
• 500 students and 8 staffs injured; most injuries were minor cuts or
scalds
• Cause of accidents: Carelessness
(students: 91.7%;teachers: 0.5%; LTs: 1.8%)
Types of accidents (05/06)
14
(3%)
32
(6%)
45
(8%)
Chemicals on skin
40
(7%)
Eye accidents
21
(4%)
Chemicals spillage
Heat burns or scalds
218
(39%)
178
(32%)
Discomfort arising from inhalation of
gases
Cuts
Substances catching fire
6
(1%)
Others
Subjects involved (05/06)
Others
350
309 (56%)
Bites by animals
300
Substances catching fire
250
Cuts
200
134 (24%)
Discomfort arising from
inhalation of gases
150
92 (17%)
100
Heat burns or scalds
18 (3%)
Chemicals spillage
50
1 (~0%)
Eye accidents
0
Phy
Chem
Bio/H Bio
IS
ES/S&T
Chemicals on skin
Why accidents happen?
Careless
Unsafe
Experiments
Inadequate Equipment
Misbehavior
Inadequate
Instructions
Inadequate
Safety Training
Overcrowding
Inadequate Facilities
Inadequate
Preparation
Ignorance
Poor
Laboratory
Management
Teaching
Experiences
Education Regulation 279A (21)
• The responsible person shall ensure that all necessary
safety precautions are adopted in school workshops and
science laboratories and shall modify or extend those
precautions as the Permanent Secretary may require.
• 負責人須確保學校工場及科學實驗室內採取一切所需的安
全措施，並且須按照常任秘書長的規定修改或擴展該等措
施。
Responsibilities in maintaining a safe learning and working
environment
• Who should be responsible?
• Students
• Teachers
• Laboratory Technicians
• Laboratory Attendants
• Panel Chairpersons
• School Authority
• …
• Safety is Everyone’s Responsibility
• Have you performed your duties? (有否盡一己之本分)
Students
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Know and follow all safety rules
Be alert in the laboratory
Do not attempt unauthorised activities
Exercise proper experimental techniques
Consider the safety of oneself and the others
Read and study lab manual before coming to class
Report lab accidents to teacher immediately
Keep area clean
Proper disposal of biological and chemical waste
Do not enter preparation or store rooms
…
Teachers
•
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Ensure the safety of all practical activities and must be thorough in preparation
Try out experiments in advance
Check that technicians know how to carry out safely the requested hazardous
operations
Issue students with safety rules and explain what they mean and why they are
necessary
Give clear instructions to students and remind them of the potential hazards and
safety precautions
Provide sufficient supervision and guidance to students during experiments
Insist students on using proper personal protective equipment
Never leave students unsupervised in the lab
Familarise with the operation of safety facilities and emergency procedures…
Panel Chairpersons
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Set and model high standards of safety
Raise everyone’s concern on safety
Ensure all panel members provide adequate safety instructions and
equipment to students
Be well informed of laws, rules and regulations concerning safety, assist
school principal in formulating and implementation of safety policy
Co-ordinate the provision of safety resources / facilities
Organise/co-ordinate professional development on safety
Access and disseminate up-to-date safety information to teaching and
technical staff
Keep a record of all accidents and details of treatment given
Develop and implement a regular schedule for safety inspection …
Laboratory Technicians
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Have responsibilities for each other’s safety and should warn each other of
hazardous situations
Co-operate with safety policies of panel, school and EDB, etc.
Prepare, operate and maintain apparatus and equipment
Procurement of stores and equipment
Tryout experiments
Provide assistance in class demonstrations
Assist teachers in supervising students performing experiments
Observe all the normal safeguard in a laboratory
Familarise with the operation of safety facilities and emergency procedures
Check regularly to ensure all safety measures are in place
Supervise the work of other LTs / laboratory attendants …
School Authority
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Ensure school complies with the Education Ordinance
Build up an effective management system
Draw up safety policies, administrative and operational procedures
Set up an accountability mechanism for such policies and procedures
including how to handle emergencies
Provide necessary safety facilities and equipment
Support professional development on safety
…
Safety Management
• Setting up a Standing Committee on Laboratory Safety to:
• convene regularly to discuss issues related to lab safety
• plan and conduct lab safety programmes
• carry out safety inspections regularly
• formulate, implement and revise the emergency plan
• conduct evacuation drills regularly
Safety Policy
• Includes:
• Emergency measures and evacuation procedures
• How new staffs are to be inducted
• How students are to be trained in safety awareness
• How safety equipment should be kept and used
• How safety information and resources are circulated or
disseminated
• How to keep records of lab accidents
• Under what circumstances may non-science lessons be
conducted in laboratories
• How to carry out safety inspections
• What procedures for risk assessment are to be adopted
in open-ended investigations or projects
Resources for Lab Safety
Laboratory Safety and Management
(http://www.edb.gov.hk/cd/sc  References & Resources  Laboratory Safety and
Management)
Handbook on Safety in Science Laboratories
http://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net/cd/science/laboratory/safety/SHB_2002e.pdf
Collection form:
http://resources.edb.gov.hk/cd/science/laboratory/safety/form.pdf
Learning and Teaching
Resources on Safety
in Science
Laboratories
http://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net/cd/science/laboratory/SAFETY/safety_exemplars_e.
pdf
http://resources.edb.gov.hk/~ses/
Safety issue in NSS science curricula
• Value learning experience from scientific investigations and inquirybased experiments
• Cultivate correct attitude towards lab safety
• Train students to be responsible for their and others’ safety at lab
• Follow safety regulations
• Conduct risk assessment
• Be alert and clear on every procedure to be taken
Risk Assessment
• An analysis of a practical activity to identify hazards and to
take precautions to minimise the risk
• Procedures:
• Identifying hazards
(Materials / Procedures / Equipment)
• Assessing how likely the hazard will actually cause harm
(risk)
• Deciding what control measures to reduce risk to
acceptable level
• Emergency procedures in case of accidents
• Finding out how to dispose of hazardous residues
Safety information about chemicals
• Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS); CityU
• http://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net/cd/science/laboratory/safet
y/msds_ss_2000.pdf
• International Chemical Safety Cards; ILO
– http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/cis
/products/icsc/dtasht/index.htm
Maintenance and repairs
for labs
Tendering Requirements
• “Guidelines on Tendering and Purchasing Procedures in
Aided Schools” in
 EDBC015/2007 “Tendering and Purchasing
Procedures in Aided Schools”
(http://www.edb.gov.hk => school administration =>
Regulations => School administration guide =>
6.4.2.Tendering Requirements)
Minor repairs
• OEBG (營辦開支整筆津貼)
• CFEG (綜合家具及設備津貼)
• EOEBG (擴大的營辦開支整筆津貼)
• EDBCM No.119/2008
• For details:
http://www.edb.gov.hk/index.aspx?nodeid=4766&langno=1
(http://www.edb.gov.hk=> school administration => financial
management)
Major repairs
• Cost > $8000 (e.g. installation of fume cupboard, fire service
installation, exhaust fan maintanance)
• Apply for non-recurrent grants in Apr/May every year
 EDBCM No.072/2008 (Estimates for 2009-10 Financial
Year - Aided Schools Applications for Non-Recurrent
Grants: Major Repairs/Alterations)
• Estate schools => Housing Department
• Non-estate schools => Architectural
Services Department
Procedures for Major Repairs
1. Application
for funding
by school
4. EDB estimates
budget
2. HD or ASD
conducts site
inspection
5. HD or ASD
initiates meetings
with school
3. Classify items into
“essential” ,
“desirable but not
essential” and “not
necessary”
6. Repair works
by contractor
Emergency Repairs
• Cost < $200,000
• Submit Standard Request Form for emergency repairs to
HD or ASD with a copy to REO.
• Examples of emergency repairs:
• Blackboard repair, serious water seepage, recharging of fire extinguishers, broken windows, etc.
Conversion with structural alteration and
extension
• Requires approval from EDB
• Seek advice from
• Regional Education Office
• Housing Department / Architectural Services
Department
• Department of Health
• Fire Services Department
• For details on Maintenance of Premises:
http://www.edb.gov.hk/FileManager/EN/Content_693/sag200809-e-2008.11.17.pdf
(http://www.edb.gov.hk => school administration =>
Regulations => School administration guide => 8.School
premises & safety)
Designing and Planning Laboratories
http://www.ase.org.uk/ldtl/docs/L014.pdf
(http://edb.gov.hk/cd/sc  References & Resources  Laboratory Safety and Management)
Science Laboratories
Fixtures and Furniture
http://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net/cd/science
/laboratory/layout/fixfur95.pdf
Group Discussion
Thank you!
Alison Lam
cmlam@edb.gov.hk
3698 3438