Copyright 2010, 2006, 2002, 2000,
Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin
This fourth edition of Texas Safety Standards: Kindergarten Through Grade 12 Science is copyright
2010. First edition published 2000; second edition, 2002; third edition 2006.
Unless otherwise indicated, the materials found in this resource are the copyrighted property of
the Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin (the University). No part of
this resource shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means—
electronically, mechanically, or via photocopying, recording, or otherwise, including via methods yet
to be invented—without express written permission from the University.
We use all funds generated through use of our materials to further our nonprofit educational
mission. Please send your permission requests or questions to us at this address:
Charles A. Dana Center
The University of Texas at Austin
1616 Guadalupe Street, Suite 3.206
Austin, TX 78701-1222
Fax: 512-232-1855
dana-txshop@utlists.utexas.edu
www.utdanacenter.org
The Charles A. Dana Center and The University of Texas at Austin, as well as the authors and
editors, assume no liability for any loss or damage resulting from the use of this resource. We have
made extensive efforts to ensure the accuracy of the information in this resource, to provide proper
acknowledgement of original sources, and to otherwise comply with copyright law. If you find an
error or you believe we have failed to provide proper acknowledgment, please contact us at
dana-txshop@utlists.utexas.edu.
About the development of this book
The first and second editions of this book were funded in part by the Texas Education Agency and
were based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation Cooperative Agreement
#ESR-9712001, with additional funding support from the Charles A. Dana Center at The University
of Texas at Austin. The substantial rewrites and updates that led to the third and fourth editions of
this book were funded in full by the Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin.
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the
author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation, the Texas
Education Agency, or the University of Texas at Austin.
Note: A number of images in this book are published with permission from their copyrightholders. The credits for all images are listed at the end of the Acknowledgments section of this
front matter.
July 2010 release.
ISBN: 1-933765-20-8
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Texas Safety Standards
About the Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin
The Dana Center works to raise student achievement in K–16 mathematics and science, especially
for historically underserved populations. We do so by providing direct service to school districts
and institutions of higher education; to local, state, and national education leaders; and to agencies,
nonprofits, and professional organizations concerned with strengthening American mathematics and
science education.
The Center was founded in 1991 in the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at
Austin. Our original purpose—which continues in our work today—was to increase the diversity
of students who successfully pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
(STEM) fields. We carry out our work by supporting high standards and building system capacity;
collaborating with key state and national organizations to address emerging issues; creating and
delivering professional supports for educators and education leaders; and writing and publishing
education resources, including student supports.
Our staff of more than 60 researchers and education professionals has worked intensively with
dozens of school systems in nearly 20 states and with 90 percent of Texas’s more than 1,000
school districts. As one of the College’s largest research units, the Dana Center works to further
the university’s mission of achieving excellence in education, research, and public service. We are
committed to ensuring that the accident of where a child attends school does not limit the academic
opportunities he or she can pursue.
For more information about the Dana Center and our programs and resources, see our
homepage at www.utdanacenter.org. To access our resources (many of them free), please see
our products index at www.utdanacenter.org/products. Our science toolkit is available at
www.sciencetekstoolkit.org, and you can sign up for professional development around this
Texas Safety Standards resource and other topics at www.utdanacenter.org/pd.
The Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin
iii
Acknowledgments
Unless otherwise noted, individuals listed were affiliated with the Dana Center at the time of
their work on this book.
Author and Project Manager
James W. Collins, senior program coordinator, science
Editorial and Production Team
Editors
Amy Dolejs and Steve Engler (lead editors and production editors, 4th edition)
Rachel Jenkins (lead editor, 3rd edition; consulting editor, 4th edition)
Karen Hoffman (lead editor, 1st and 2nd editions)
Contributing Editor (1st edition)
Barbara Foots, science education consultant, Houston, Texas
Proofreaders (1st and 2nd editions)
Brenda Nelson
Kathy Park
Senior Designer
Phil Swann
Safety Advisory and Review Committee (1st edition)
Lawrence Andrews, Public Education & Information, State Fire Marshal’s Office
Sandy Bankston. Instructor, The Rice School, Rice University
Chris Castillo-Comer, Director of Science, Texas Education Agency
David Fillman, Science and Health Coordinator, Galena Park Independent School District
Jerry Garza, Engineer, Kent Consultant Engineers
Steve Hall, Education Director, Texas Parks and Wildlife
Mike Henry, Science Teacher, Kazen Middle School
Kenneth W. Heydrick, Science Teacher, Westlake High School
Byron E. Howell, South Central Regional Microscale Chemistry Center, Tyler Junior College
Renee Krzypkowski, Health Science Technology, Texas A&M University–Commerce
Paula McKinney, Texas Hazards Communication Branch, Texas Department of Health
Kathy Park, Emergency Medical Technology, Lamar State College—Orange
Irene Pickhardt, Assistant Director of Science, Texas Education Agency
Mary Jane Schott, Director of Science, Texas Statewide Systemic Initiative
Sandra S. West, Professor of Biology, Southwest Texas State University
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Texas Safety Standards
Our special thanks to …
We very much appreciate the contributions of the Texas Education Agency and others who
provided resources, reviews, and content for the first two editions of this book. The first
edition was produced by the Dana Center in cooperation with the Texas Education Agency’s
Division of Curriculum and Professional Development.
We substantially revised and updated the content in the third and fourth editions, which benefitted
from review of the legal citations in Chapter 4 and updates to the laws in Appendix A conducted by
Joseph B. Kulhavy, J.D. In addition, Chapter 5 in this fourth edition benefitted from a science medical
review by Robert H. Emmick, Jr., M.D., Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine, Paul L. Foster
School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso, Texas.
In addition, we thank the organizations listed below for continuing to graciously grant us
permission to publish images from their collections.
Isimet (www.isimet.com)
Sargent-Welch (sargentwelch.com)
ScholAR® Chemistry (www.scholarchemistry.com)
VWR Education (www.vwreducation.com)
WARD’s Natural Science (wardsci.com)
Art Credits
These credits name the source for each image in this book. Whenever the source listed is not
Dana Center staff, the image used is either purchased clip art or stock art (e.g., images from
Art Explosion) or used with permission from the copyright-holder (e.g., images from VWR
Education).
Figure 1.1, Dana Center staff; Figure 1.2, Dana Center staff; Figure 1.3, Dana Center staff; Figure
2.1, ScholAR® Chemistry; Figure 2.2, ScholAR® Chemistry; Figure 2.3, Dana Center staff; Figure
2.4, iStockphoto; Figure 3.1, Dana Center staff; Figure 3.2, WARD’s Natural Science; Figure 3.3,
WARD’s Natural Science; Figure 3.4, WARD’s Natural Science; Figure 3.5, Sargent-Welch; Figure
3.6, iStockphoto; Figure 3.7, Sargent-Welch; Figure 3.8, Sargent-Welch; Figure 3.9, Dana Center
staff; Figure 3.10, Sargent-Welch; Figure 3.11, WARD’s Natural Science; Figure 3.12, Dana Center
staff; Figure 3.13, Sargent-Welch; Figure 3.14, Sargent-Welch; Figure 3.15, Sargent-Welch; Figure
3.16, VWR Education; Figure 3.17, Art Explosion; Figure 3.18, Sargent-Welch; Figure 3.19, Dana
Center staff; Figure 3.20, Sargent-Welch; Figure 3.21, Isimet; Figure 3.22, Dana Center staff; Figure
3.23, iStockphoto; Figure 3.24, Sargent-Welch; Figure 3.25, ScholAR® Chemistry; Figure 3.26,
ScholAR® Chemistry; Figure 3.27, Dana Center staff; Figure 3.28, Dana Center staff; Figure 4.1,
Dana Center staff; Figure 5.1, Dana Center staff and iStockphoto; Figure 5.2, Art Explosion; Figure
5.3, iStockphoto; Figure 5.4, Jim Collins; Figure 5.5, Texas Poison Center Network; Figure 5.6,
Oregon Poison Center; Figure 5.7, iStockphoto; Figure 5.8, iStockphoto; Figure 5.9, iStockphoto;
Figure 6.1, Dana Center staff; Figure 6.2, Dana Center staff; Figure 6.3, ScholAR® Chemistry; Figure
6.4, Dana Center staff; Figure 6.5, Dana Center staff; Figure 6.6, WARD’s Natural Science; Figure
6.7, ScholAR® Chemistry; Figure 7.1, Dana Center staff
The Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin
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Texas Safety Standards
What’s New in This Book...................................................................................xv
Chapter 1: Safe Working and Learning Environments......................................... 1
What Research Indicates.......................................................................................... 2
Causes of Laboratory Accidents................................................................................. 3
Inadequate Facilities and Overcrowded Science Rooms...................................................... 3
What’s in This Book................................................................................................ 5
Chapter 2: Laboratory and Field Activities.......................................................... 7
Laboratory and Field Experiences in the State Standards. ............................................... 8
Kindergarten–Grade 1. ......................................................................................... 8
Grade 2. ........................................................................................................... 8
Grade 3. ........................................................................................................... 8
Grades 4–5........................................................................................................ 9
Grades 6–8........................................................................................................ 9
Biology. ............................................................................................................ 9
Chemistry.......................................................................................................... 9
Integrated Physics and Chemistry. ........................................................................... 10
Physics............................................................................................................ 11
The Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin
vii
Laboratory Management Techniques and Practices...................................................... 10
District-Level Administrator Responsibilities............................................................... 11
Department Chair or Lead Teacher Responsibilities....................................................... 11
Teacher Responsibilities........................................................................................ 12
Science Safety Guidelines for Students. ...................................................................... 16
Science Safety Student Responsibility Agreement........................................................... 18
Be Prepared for Accidents. .................................................................................... 19
Responding to an Injury. ...................................................................................... 21
Field Experiences and Activities............................................................................... 23
Planning a Field Experience................................................................................... 24
Preparing Students for a Field Experience................................................................... 27
Chapter 3: Safety Equipment and Supplies...................................................... 29
Personal Protective Equipment................................................................................ 29
Laboratory Aprons and Coats................................................................................ 30
Protective Eyewear.............................................................................................. 30
Protective Gloves................................................................................................ 33
Emergency Safety Equipment.................................................................................. 36
Eye/Face Wash Stations....................................................................................... 37
Safety Showers................................................................................................... 39
Handheld Drench Hoses....................................................................................... 41
First-Aid Kits. .................................................................................................. 42
Fire Blankets..................................................................................................... 43
Fire Extinguishers. ............................................................................................. 44
Emergency Utility Control..................................................................................... 46
Other Safety Equipment......................................................................................... 47
Fume Hoods..................................................................................................... 47
Storage Cabinets for Corrosives and Flammables .......................................................... 49
Safety Symbols and Safety Signage........................................................................... 52
Safety and Equipment Checklist Calendar.................................................................. 54
Facilities and Equipment Checklist........................................................................... 55
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Texas Safety Standards
Chapter 4: Laws, Rules, and Regulations......................................................... 57
Federal Law......................................................................................................... 58
29 United States Code (U.S.C.), Sections 651 et seq....................................................... 58
Regulation of Environmental Hazards in the Classroom.................................................. 60
20 U.S.C., Section 1412(a)(5)................................................................................ 60
State Laws, Rules, and Regulations........................................................................... 61
Texas Statutes...................................................................................................... 61
Texas Education Code—selected laws. ...................................................................... 61
Texas Health and Safety Code................................................................................ 64
Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code.................................................................... 66
Safety and Tort Law. .......................................................................................... 66
Texas Administrative Code..................................................................................... 66
School Facilities Standards..................................................................................... 66
Code of Ethics................................................................................................... 70
Face and Eye Protection Standards........................................................................... 70
Office of the Attorney General, State of Texas............................................................. 71
Opinion No. DM-239......................................................................................... 71
Chapter 5: Hazard Concerns............................................................................. 73
Allergies. ............................................................................................................ 74
Latex Allergy.................................................................................................... 74
Peanut Allergy. ................................................................................................. 75
Biohazards.......................................................................................................... 75
Bacterial Hazards.............................................................................................. 75
Bloodborne Hazards............................................................................................ 76
Glassware Hazards................................................................................................ 77
Burns................................................................................................................. 78
Temperature Burns............................................................................................. 78
Chemical Burns................................................................................................. 81
Poisonous Plants and Fungi..................................................................................... 82
Animals in the Field. ............................................................................................. 86
Snakes............................................................................................................ 86
The Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin
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Insect and Arachnid Bites and Stings. ....................................................................... 87
Bees and Wasps................................................................................................. 87
Fire Ants......................................................................................................... 90
Blister Beetles.................................................................................................... 90
Caterpillars...................................................................................................... 90
Spiders............................................................................................................ 90
Scorpions......................................................................................................... 92
Live Animals in the Classroom................................................................................. 92
Guidelines for the Responsible Study of Animals........................................................... 92
Safety Concerns Related to Working with Animals........................................................ 93
Weather.............................................................................................................. 95
Heat.............................................................................................................. 95
Lightning......................................................................................................... 96
Flash Floods..................................................................................................... 96
Damaging Winds and Tornadoes............................................................................ 97
Chapter 6: Chemical Safety.............................................................................. 99
Developing a Chemical Hygiene Plan........................................................................ 99
Understanding Chemical Hazards.......................................................................... 100
National Fire Protection Association System.............................................................. 100
Hazard Materials Identification System................................................................... 101
Understanding Material Safety Data Sheets. ............................................................ 101
Section I: Product Identification (Name).................................................................. 106
Section II: Ingredients of Mixtures......................................................................... 106
Section III: Physical Data................................................................................... 106
Section IV: Fire and Explosion Hazard Data. ........................................................... 106
Section V: Health Hazard Data............................................................................ 107
Section VI: Reactivity Data................................................................................. 107
Section VII: Spill or Leak Procedures...................................................................... 107
Section VIII: Special Protection Information............................................................. 107
Section IX: Special Precautions............................................................................. 107
Understanding Chemical Labels............................................................................. 108
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Texas Safety Standards
Chemical Storage................................................................................................ 109
Provide Appropriate Storage Space......................................................................... 109
Store Chemicals According to Compatible Groups. ...................................................... 110
Perform Maintenance and Inventory...................................................................... 110
Chemical Disposal.............................................................................................. 111
Limit the Amount of Chemicals Purchased. .............................................................. 111
Avoid Chemical Waste Errors. ............................................................................. 112
Chemical Spills................................................................................................... 112
Spill-Control Materials. ..................................................................................... 112
Transporting Chemicals....................................................................................... 113
Contact Lenses and Chemicals............................................................................... 114
Chapter 7: Safety Training and Professional Development.............................. 115
What Should Be Included and How Often?.............................................................. 116
Federal and State Safety Laws.............................................................................. 116
Science Safety Guidelines and Responsibilities............................................................ 117
Emergency Response System................................................................................. 118
Safety Equipment............................................................................................. 118
Personal Protective Equipment.............................................................................. 118
First Aid. ...................................................................................................... 118
Texas Hazard Communication Act........................................................................ 119
Bibliography.................................................................................................... 121
Appendix A: Laws, Rules, and Regulations
.................................................... 125
National Science Education Standards
Collaborative Inquiry Requires Adequate and Safe Space............................................... 128
Federal Law
Occupational Safety and Health............................................................................ 129
Education of Individuals with Disabilities................................................................. 132
Equal Opportunity for Individuals with Disabilities..................................................... 133
General Safety Standards for Compressed Gas Storage and Use....................................... 134
Personal Protective Equipment.............................................................................. 135
The Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin
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Identification, Storage, Use, and Disposal of Hazardous Materials.................................... 141
Chemical Hygiene and Lab Rules.......................................................................... 143
Conditional Regulatory Exemption for Small Waste Producers........................................ 148
Texas Statutes
Tort Claims ................................................................................................... 151
Equal Educational Services or Opportunities............................................................. 153
Immunity from Liability .................................................................................... 154
Alternative Settings for Behavior Management .......................................................... 156
Protective Eye Devices in Public Schools .................................................................. 160
Elimination of Architectural Barriers . .................................................................... 161
Hazardous Substances ....................................................................................... 171
Hazard Communication Act ............................................................................... 173
Texas Administrative Code, Title 19
Commissioner’s Rules Concerning School Facilities ...................................................... 188
Educators’ Code of Ethics ................................................................................... 201
Texas Administrative Code, Title 25
Guidelines for Selection and Use of Face and Eye Protection in Public Schools ...................... 203
Office of the Attorney General, State of Texas
Opinion No. DM-239....................................................................................... 205
Appendix B: Professional Organization Position Statements .......................... 209
American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
Use of Contact Lenses in an Industrial Environment ................................................... 210
Council of State Science Supervisors
General Science Safety ....................................................................................... 215
National Association of Biology Teachers
Role of Laboratory and Field Instruction in Biology Education ........................................ 218
The Use of Animals in Biology Education ................................................................ 222
National Science Teachers Association
Safety and School Science Instruction . .................................................................... 225
Principles of Professionalism for Science Educators ...................................................... 227
Responsible Use of Live Animals and Dissection in the Science Classroom .......................... 230
Elementary School Science .................................................................................. 233
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Texas Safety Standards
The Integral Role of Laboratory Investigations in Science Instruction . ............................... 235
Students with Disabilities ................................................................................... 239
Liability of Science Educators for Laboratory Safety . ................................................... 241
Science Teachers Association of Texas
Science Class Size and Laboratory Safety.................................................................. 246
Appendix C: Checklists . ................................................................................. 247
A Checklist for Science Field Investigations ............................................................... 248
Science Facility and Safety Equipment Checklist ......................................................... 249
Science Safety and Equipment Checklist (calendar) ..................................................... 253
Appendix D: Hazardous Chemical Lists .......................................................... 267
The Environmental Protection Agency’s Acutely Hazardous Chemicals List ........................ 269
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) List of Highly
Hazardous Chemicals, Toxics, and Reactives............................................................. 272
Appendix E: Material Safety Data Sheet Glossary .......................................... 277
MSDS Example: Silver Nitrate ............................................................................ 278
Section I: Chemical Name .................................................................................. 280
Section II: Ingredients of Mixtures . ....................................................................... 281
Section III: Physical Data . ................................................................................. 282
Section IV: Fire and Explosion Hazard Data ............................................................ 283
Section V: Health Hazard Data ........................................................................... 284
Section VI: Reactivity Data ................................................................................ 285
Section VII: Spill or Leak Procedures ..................................................................... 286
Section VIII: Special Protection Information ............................................................. 287
Section IX: Special Precautions............................................................................. 288
Appendix F: State and Federal Agencies. ....................................................... 289
The Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin
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What’s New in This Book
The Dana Center is pleased to present the fourth edition of Texas Safety Standards: Kindergarten
Through Grade 12 Science. The first three editions are widely used in Texas public schools as well as in
other states as a tool for supporting students, teachers, and school administrators in understanding
safety rules, regulations, and recommendations and establishing good safety procedures for science
rooms.
In this fourth edition, we have rearranged content from the third edition to improve flow and
usability and have added a number of new images to enhance clarity. In addition, we updated the
legal citations and laws in Chapter 4 and Appendix A (both titled Laws, Rules, and Regulations),
and we added a new section on poisonous and nonpoisonous plants in Chapter 5, Hazard Concerns.
In what follows, we provide a brief chapter-by-chapter overview of significant changes in this fourth
edition.
Additional research related to safety and the maximum number of students that should be allowed in
a science class appears in Chapter 1, Safe Working and Learning Environments. New graphs show
the reader the latest research data from a science safety survey the Dana Center conducted in Texas
in 2009–2010.
Chapter 2, Laboratory and Field Activities, has been expanded to include safety requirements
mandated in the science Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills revised in 2009 (these TEKS
are available for purchase or free download here: www.utdanacenter.org/sciencetoolkit/teks). In
particular, student expectation (1)(A) in the 2009 revised elementary and middle school science
TEKS requires not only that students “demonstrate safe practices” during classroom and outdoor
investigations, but that students are to do so as described or outlined “in the Texas Safety Standards,”
including wearing safety goggles, washing hands, and using materials appropriately.
Further, the 2009 science TEKS note that districts are “encouraged to facilitate classroom and
outdoor investigations” for at least 80% of instructional time in Kindergarten and Grade 1, 60% in
Grades 2 and 3, and 50% in Grades 4 and 5. In middle school and high school, Knowledge and Skills
statement (1) notes that the student is to conduct laboratory and field investigations for at least 40%
of instructional time.
Thus, in this edition of Texas Safety Standards, we have defined field experiences more broadly and
have added new Student Science Safety Responsibilities and a Science Safety Student Responsibility
Agreement as alternatives to the standard safety contracts that are used by many schools in Texas.
We have added more images of personal protective equipment and safety equipment to Chapter
3, Safety Equipment and Supplies, so that school personnel can more easily distinguish between
different types of personal protective equipment, such as safety goggles and safety glasses. In this
chapter, we have also included images (taken from Dana Center–ScholAR® Chemistry products) of
safety posters that show the proper use of various types of safety equipment.
Users of the first three editions will find that the laws relating to safety in public schools have been
updated in Chapter 4, Laws, Rules, and Regulations; full text of these laws appears in Appendix A.
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Texas Safety Standards
(Note that the law is constantly changing; the legal overview in Chapter 4 and laws excerpted in
Appendix A are meant to provide a snapshot of the laws as they existed in Spring 2010. To access the
most current laws, please consult with your district’s legal department.)
In Chapter 5, Hazard Concerns, we address proper hand-washing and include references to
new position statements from science professional organizations. A new section in this chapter
highlights poisonous plants and fungi and lists poisonous and nonpoisonous plants that could be
encountered on field excursions or brought into the class environment. The chapter also discusses
animals that could be encountered in the field and includes images of some of the more dangerous
ones. Introducing live animals in the classroom is always a concern; therefore, we provide additional
information to help students remain safe as they come into contact with animals in the classroom
and laboratory environment.
Chapter 6, Chemical Safety, focuses on the Texas Hazard Communication Act and the need
for Texas districts/schools to develop a chemical hygiene plan. In this section, we have expanded
explanations about storing chemicals in compatible families and incorporated additional information
about proper disposal of chemicals. This section also discusses spill-control materials that should
be used in public schools (and includes some images of materials that can be used). Many questions
arise concerning whether students should be allowed to wear contact lenses during laboratory
investigations when chemicals are used. To address that question, we include a position statement by
the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine that may help districts develop
policies about the wearing of contact lenses in science rooms.
Chapter 7, Safety Training and Professional Development, includes a table to help school districts
figure out who should receive professional development and training and on what topics. In this
edition, this chapter provides a more complete list of topics for safety training and professional
development.
Appendix A, Laws, Rules, and Regulations, contains up-to-date text of selected laws that govern
science safety in Texas schools.
Appendix B, Professional Organization Position Statements, reflects changes made by science
professional organizations to their positions on important issues in science education, such as the
maximum number of students that a teacher should have in science classes.
Appendix C, Checklists, includes a checklist and safety calendar forms for teachers and
administrators to use as examples in developing their own. In addition, readers will find the Dana
Center’s Safety and Equipment Checklist Calendar to help them with routine science safety checks at
their schools.
Appendix D, Hazardous Chemical Lists, provides tables of hazardous chemicals that are not
recommended for use in public schools. It is the same version that appeared in the 2006 edition of
Texas Safety Standards.
A glossary of terms commonly found on a Material Safety Data Sheet appears in Appendix E,
Material Safety Data Sheet Glossary. Each page contains a section of an MSDS with the definition
of the terms used in the section appearing below it.
An updated listing of agencies that science teachers may find helpful appears in Appendix F, State
and Federal Agencies. Current contact information is given with each listing.
The Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin
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