Learning & Teaching
Resources on
Safety in Science Laboratories
June 2004
Exemplars of Activities
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Laboratory Safety Rules
Eye Protection
Safety Information on Chemicals
Risk Assessment
What if a Laboratory Accident Happens?
Laboratory Safety Rules
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“The biggest danger in the lab is YOU
(student)! You are a danger whenever
you are either ignorant or careless or
both. Remember this because the
person most likely to suffer from your
mistakes is YOU!”
ASE (1996) Safeguard in the School
Laboratory, ASE
Laboratory Safety Rules
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Introduction
Group Discussion
– Ask students to discuss and write the
rules they should observe in the lab
Review the results of discussion
Summary
Signing a “Safety Contract” and distribute copies of lab
safety rules
Select safety rules applicable to your class
Posters, slogans, websites, quizzes
Reference
– Flinn Scientific's "Ideal" Student Safety Contract
http://www.flinnsci.com/Documents/miscPDFs/Safety_
Contract.pdf
– “Contracting for Safety”
http://www.statweb.org/ACT2/parents.pdf
“Safety Contract”
Kei Heep Secondary School
Illustrated Safety Rules
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http://www.mindspring.com/~mfallonsp/
safety_rules/
Eye Protection
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Importance of eye protection
Illustrated by a student
experiment or teacher
demonstration on irreversible
denaturing of eye-white by acid
Discuss on when eye protection
should be worn
Demonstration/video on the use
of eye wash unit
Safety Information on
Chemicals
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Know how to locate
and understand
safety information
of chemicals
Chemical formula,
hazards, safety
precautions,
emergency, disposal,
etc
Online MSDS
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http://www.ilpi.com/msds/index.html
http://hazard.com/msds
http://www.freyscientific.com
http://www.sargentwelch.com
http://www.flinnsci.com
http://www.fisheredu.com
http://www.msdsprovider.net
http://www.camd.lsu.edu/msds_search.html
http://ptcl.chem.ox.ac.uk/MSDS
Risk Assessment
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An analysis of a practical activity to identify
hazards and to take precautions to
minimise the risk
Involve students in thinking about and
discussing safety in real context, rather
than just being told what to do
Novel experiments in science publications,
open-ended investigations and project
learning, etc.
Have to be checked by teachers
Risk Assessment
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Procedures:
– Identifying hazards
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(Materials / Procedures / Equipment)
Assessing how likely the hazard will actually
cause harm (risk)
Deciding what control measures to reduce risk
to acceptable level
Finding how to dispose of hazardous residues
Review
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Examples #1, #2, #3
References: Safety Handbook, Hazcards, Student
Safety Sheets, ICSCs, MSDSs, CLIP (Chem Lab
Information Profile), etc.
Risk Assessment –
Think thrice before you act
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Hazards
Reducing the Risks
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Using safer alternatives
Modifying experimental procedures
Reducing the scale of experiments
Reducing the concentrations of solutions
Using protective measures
Wearing appropriate PPE
Alasdair Thorpe, Chemistry Review, Sept 2000
Risk Assessment
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Forms
Annotate daily used documents (point-of-use
texts) e.g. schemes of work, lesson plans,
worksheets, textbooks, lab request forms and
apparatus
– A better chance that they will be read and followed
– Less demanding to accomplish and more likely to be
carried out
– Assessment more likely to be modified when the
activities have be be modified
Managing Risk Assessment in Science, L196, CLEAPSS
What if a Laboratory
Accident Happens?
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Know the proper actions to be taken in
case of laboratory accidents
Be aware of the nature and causes of
laboratory accidents, and the basic safety
precautions for prevention
12 adapted cases for discussion
Eye accidents (3), fire, heat burn, cut,
explosion (2), animal bite, corrosive
chemicals (2), toxic gas
Microscale Version
Pins
Shampoo
solution
0.4 M NaOH
What if a Laboratory
Accident Happens?
Iron/sulphur Reaction
Conc. Sulphuric Acid
Methyl 4-hydroxybenzoate
http://cd.emb.gov.hk/sci
Safety in Exploring Science
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Interactive learning package
On-line and CD-ROM versions
http://resources.emb.gov.hk/~ses
Safety Quiz
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Questions with feedbacks to both correct
and incorrect answers
Enable students to evaluate and improve
their understanding on laboratory safety
Written Safety Test in “Safety Handbook
for California Public Schools”
http://csmp.ucop.edu/csp/downloads/safety.pdf
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Wordsearch
On-line Safety Quiz
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Interactive and Interesting MC Questions
“Millionnaire Game” http://jasonhk.uhome.net/
Chemistry Safety Quiz
http://daphne.palomar.edu/safetyquiz
Safety in Hargrave's Laboratories
http://www.hargrave.edu/academics/science/safety
Certificate of Completion
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Fire Safety Quiz
http://www.survivealive.org/quiz.html
“Hot Potatoes” create interactive MC, short-answer,
jumbled-sentence, crossword, matching/ordering and
gap-fill web-based exercises
http://web.uvic.ca/hrd/hotpot
Other Strategies
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PowerPoint on Safety facilities and PPE
http://www.umd.umich.edu/casl/natsci/slc/
modulist.html
Self-learning e.g. 自然練習
http://www.naturalking.net/exercise.htm
Role play
Certificates
Project work e.g Fire Escape Route
Indicator
Health, Safety & Risk
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Student worksheets e.g.
– Risk assessment in science
experiments
– Safety symbols
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Can be downloaded in
Word format from
http://www.chemsoc.org/
networks/learnnet/hsr.htm
More Learning Activities
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http://csmp.ucop.edu/csp/resources/
curriculum.html
Inquiring Safely
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Terry Kwan & Juliana Texley
(2003)
Inquiring Safely: A
Guidebook for Middle
School Teachers, NSTA
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Entire book at
http://www.nsta.org/main/
pdfs/store/PB166X2np.pdf
Acknowledgement
Dr Albert C Cheung
Ms Chu Suk Ching
Dr Joseph K Kwan
Mr Lee Charn Kau
Mr Leung Kar Yau
Mr Lo Kam Cheong
Mr Mok Ming Wai
Mr Pun Kwong Cheung
(City University of Hong Kong)
(True Light Middle Sch of HK)
(HKUST)
(HKTA Ching Chung Sec Sch)
(retired)
(CCC Kei Heep Sec Sch)
(United Christian College)
(SKH Tsang Shiu Tim Sec Sch)
Thank you !
Mr W C HO
cdosc21@emb.gov.hk
Tel 2712 8476