Model Health & Safety
Codes of Practice in
Science for
Local Authorities
L222
Model H & S Codes of Practice in Science.
L222
July 2007
July 2007
Guide L222
Model Health & Safety Codes of Practice in Science
for Local Authorities
Page
Part A:
About this guide
1
Part B:
A model code of practice for science in primary schools
4
Part C:
A model code of practice for science in secondary schools
8
This guide replaces L222, Model health and safety codes of practice in science for
education authorities (July 1998).
It should be read in conjunction with guides L196, Managing Risk Assessment in Science
(August 2005) and L249, The role of science advisory staff in health and safety (June 2006).
Detailed guidance on the implications of particular legislation will be found in section
20.14 of the CLEAPSS Laboratory Handbook (updated annually on the CLEAPSS Science
Publications CD-ROM).
Strictly Confidential.
Circulate to Members and Associates only.
As with all CLEAPSS materials, members are free to copy all or part of this guide for
use within their own establishments. Parts B and C of this guide are also available
electronically, for easy customisation by local authorities. The customisable version is
DL222, and can be downloaded from the Local Authority Officers’ section of the
CLEAPSS web site, www.cleapss.org.uk. If you are unsure of your user name and
password, please e-mail password@cleapss.org.uk.
© CLEAPSS® 2007
CLEAPSS®
The Gardiner Building
Brunel Science Park
Kingston Lane, Uxbridge
UB8 3PQ
Tel: 01895 251496
Fax: 01895 814372
E-mail: science@cleapss.org.uk
Web site: www.cleapss.org.uk
Part A:
1
About this Guide
The need for health & safety policies and codes of practice
The Health and Safety at Work etc Act requires employers to have a health & safety policy
document. Thus a local authority, as the employer for teachers, teaching assistants and
technicians in its schools, will need to have such a policy. Because of the division of
responsibility between local authorities and governing bodies, most local authorities
will also require each school to have its own health & safety policy, or to append
details of ‘local arrangements’ to the authority’s policy. These policies, whether at local
authority level or at school level, tend to be fairly general and do not give detailed
guidance on how that policy is to be interpreted in any curriculum area. A local Code of
Practice for Science is the employer’s way of giving more detailed guidance to its
employees in the specific context of science teaching. It can be updated more easily
than the policy as a whole, in response to events and changing situations. Because of
the different circumstances in primary and secondary schools, separate Codes of Practice
are likely to be necessary in the two phases, and perhaps also for middle schools.
2
Reviewing existing codes of practice
Many local authorities will already have Codes of Practice for Science (even if they are not
always called ‘codes of practice’). The move from local education authorities to
children’s services authorities and the changing roles of local authority officers can
result in codes that are outdated. In any case, such codes should be reviewed from time
to time and this guide is intended to help that process. The systematic application of
risk assessment to science curriculum activities may mean in some cases that former
blanket bans on some chemicals or procedures can be rescinded, provided appropriate
methods of controlling the risks are in place.
3
Science health & safety policies in schools
Although not specifically required by legislation, many local authorities expect science
departments in secondary schools to have a departmental health & safety policy,
stating the department’s approach to health and safety, including risk assessment, outlining emergency procedures and indicating to whom various health & safety functions
have been delegated. For many years, CLEAPSS has published the guide L223, Model
Health and Safety Policy for Science Departments, the most recent version in July 2007. An
electronic version, DL223, is available for easy customisation. Copies are available on
the members’ part of the CLEAPSS web site1, www.cleapss.org.uk and will be on the
CLEAPSS Science Publications CD-ROM (2008 and subsequent years). An equivalent
document for primary schools is L224, Model Health & Safety Policy in Science for Primary
Schools (revised December 2006), available on the CLEAPSS web site2 (also customisable as DL224).
The purpose of this guide, on Codes of Practice, is to suggest what local authorities
might expect their schools to put into their science health & safety policies. The details for secondary schools are given in Part C of this guide. However, some local
authorities may simply prefer to issue schools with L223, possibly already partly
customised to the needs of the authority.
1
If local authority officers are unsure of their user name and password, please e-mail password@cleapss.org.uk or phone 01895 251496.
2
The guide will also be available on the CLEAPSS Primary Publications CD-ROM which is currently under development.
1
Experience shows that science in primary schools is very safe. Control measures should
be commensurate with the risk. Therefore, there is much briefer guidance on health
and safety, including risk assessment, for science in primary schools. This is given in
Part B of this guide.
Detailed guidance on the implications of particular legislation is in section 20.14 of the
CLEAPSS Laboratory Handbook, updated annually on the CLEAPSS Science Publications
CD-ROM.
4
The importance of local modification of these models
Whatever guidance is issued to schools via a Code of Practice etc must, of course, be
compatible with the local authority’s corporate health & safety policy. Therefore,
science advisers and inspectors, health & safety advisers and others involved must be
prepared to modify our suggestions in the Model Code of Practice and in the Model Health
& Safety Policy for Science Departments to match local conditions.
In the Model Codes of Practice which follow in parts B and C of this guide, we have
suggested a suitable form of words. In places where there are obvious alternatives we
have put these in square brackets, separated by a solidus […] / […] and elsewhere we
have left unfinished sentences .... . Of course, some local authorities may wish to delete
whole sections and add new ones.
It may well be that a particular local authority has its own approach, which bears little
resemblance to what appears here. At the very least, we hope that these Model Codes of
Practice will serve as checklists to help review the appropriateness of existing documentation.
5
Discussion with CLEAPSS
We realise that health & safety legislation is complex and we are very happy to discuss
with local authority officers how best to interpret it in the context of science education
and any local requirements. It is important that an over-legalistic approach to health
and safety should not inhibit good practical science. We also realise that some of the
suggestions in the Model Codes of Practice may be controversial (eg, paragraph 10 in Part
C on qualified science teachers). Nevertheless, we believe that local authorities, as
employers, cannot ignore these issues even if, in the end, they have to compromise
with less-clear-cut wording.
6
Issuing codes of practice
Once they have used these Model Codes of Practice in order to draft Codes of Practice for
their own schools, science advisers/inspectors/consultants, health & safety advisers
etc will need to consider whether these Codes can be issued directly to schools or
whether they need, for example, to go through a consultative process with unions on a
health & safety committee or need to be approved by Education Committee.
In addition, it will be necessary to consider whether some training should be organised
around the Code, ie, concerned with its specific details, or more general management of
health & safety training. CLEAPSS is able to provide a 1-day course on the Management
of Safety for Heads of Science, etc and can provide shorter training for primary science
coordinators.
2
Part B:
A Model Code of Practice for Science [and Technology] in
Primary Schools
Code of Practice for Health and Safety in Science [and
Technology] in Primary Schools in .................
1
Intended audience for this code of practice
This Code of Practice, dated ............ , is concerned with health and safety when teaching
science [and technology] in primary schools, including nursery, infant and junior
schools, some middle schools and special schools with primary-age pupils (or with
secondary-age pupils where the type of work is more comparable to that carried out in
primary schools). A characteristic of the schools covered by this Code is that science is
generally taught in ordinary classrooms, largely by non-specialist staff.
[This Code replaces the previous document …, dated … .]
2
Scope of this code of practice
This Code of Practice should be read in conjunction with the .... local authority Health &
Safety Policy (issued …… ), the school’s own Health & Safety Policy and any other
relevant Codes of Practice that the authority may issue from time to time, specifically
[the Code of Practice for Field Trips and School Visits] / [...].
This Code is not concerned with the teaching of health and safety, although that is a
requirement of the National Curriculum.
3
Advice on health and safety matters
The [Chief Education Officer’s] / [Director of Children’s Services’] designated representative for giving advice on health and safety in teaching science in primary schools is
the [Science Adviser / Inspector] / [Primary Advisory Teacher] / [Health & Safety
Adviser], who can be contacted at ……... .
In addition, the local authority maintains a subscription to CLEAPSS, The Gardiner
Building, Brunel Science Park, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PQ, (Tel: 01895 251496;
Fax: 01895 814372; E-mail: science@cleapss.org.uk; Web site: www.cleapss.org.uk), for
the purpose of obtaining model (general) and special risk assessments under the
COSHH Regulations and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations, and
general advice on health & safety matters in science [and technology] and, indeed,
advice on practical science generally.
In an emergency, advice can be obtained by contacting [ ... ] / [CLEAPSS.]
About three or four weeks after the start of each term, the CLEAPSS Primary Science and
Technology Newsletter is despatched to primary (and relevant middle/special) schools
from the authority’s [mail room] / [communications centre]. If you are not receiving
the Newsletter regularly, contact .…… . Head teachers should ensure that copies are
passed on to their science co-ordinators, who should in turn circulate them amongst
staff, after highlighting sections of particular relevance.
3
4
Be safe! booklet
This local authority’s health & safety policy for teaching science in primary schools is
largely contained within Be safe! Health and safety in primary school science and technology
[3rd edition, 2001, Association for Science Education (ISBN 0 86357 324 X)].
All primary schools should have at least one copy of Be safe! (and larger schools will
need several copies) and all teachers must be made aware of its existence and reminded of it from time to time. It should be kept in a readily-accessible place so that teachers
may easily use it in planning their science activities. Where relevant guidance cannot
be found in Be safe!, staff should consult [CLEAPSS (see section 3)] / the [Science
Adviser] / [Primary Advisory Teacher] / [Health & Safety Adviser].
5
Risk assessment
This local authority acknowledges that good science teaching involves a significant
amount of practical work. It recognises the excellent health & safety record of school
science and is determined that spurious concerns about health and safety should not be
allowed to inhibit good teaching.
Under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations, the employer
must carry out a risk assessment before microorganisms (eg, moulds) or hazardous
chemicals (including some ‘kitchen’ chemicals) are used. Under the Management of
Health and Safety at Work Regulations the employer must carry out a risk assessment
before hazardous activities are undertaken. Following guidance in the Management
Regulations Approved Code of Practice, this local authority has adopted Be safe! as containing model risk assessments for the activities normally undertaken in teaching science in
primary schools. A school which follows guidance in Be safe! will be complying with
both sets of Regulations.
[For the purposes of model risk assessments, this local authority also recognises a
range of CLEAPSS guides which give information on a more-extensive range of activities than is covered in Be safe!. Examples include L5p, The Safe Use of Household and
Other Chemicals, L86p, Electrical Safety, and L190, Studying Microorganisms in Primary
Schools. In specialist areas, other guides may also be useful.]
If the proposed activities, chemicals or equipment are not covered by Be safe! [or
relevant CLEAPSS guides] so far as risk assessment is concerned, then a Special Risk
Assessment must be obtained by contacting [CLEAPSS (see paragraph 3)] / the
[Science Adviser/Inspector] / [Primary Advisory Teacher] / [Health & Safety
Adviser].
When drawing up schemes of work and lesson plans, any relevant and important
health & safety information extracted from Be safe! or elsewhere should be noted down.
This can be a very brief comment and will only be necessary for a few topics but will
satisfy the legal requirement that the “significant findings of risk assessment should be
recorded” and demonstrate that individuals acknowledge the risk involved.
6
Close supervision
On some occasions, Be safe! states that an activity should be carried out “under close
adult supervision”. This means that a small group of children (up to about 6) should
have the undivided attention of a supervising adult. Such adults need not be teachers,
but if they are parents, teaching assistants, etc, they must have been well briefed by the
teacher in charge on the nature of the risk before the activity and be aware of guidance
in Be safe! etc.
4
7
Purchasing and storing resources
When purchasing equipment or materials, and especially mains-powered electrical
equipment, schools must ensure that it is safe and appropriate for use by children of
the relevant age. CLEAPSS (see section 3) produces a number of guides to particular
types of equipment. The guides in print change frequently, but a list of those currently
available appears on the back page of the termly Primary Science & Technology Newsletter and on the primary school section of the CLEAPSS web site, www.cleapss.org.uk.
CLEAPSS staff members are very willing to discuss other equipment, not currently
covered by guides. Copies of relevant guides can be obtained, free of charge, by contacting CLEAPSS or, for some, downloaded from the members’ part of the CLEAPSS
web site. (The user name and password is printed in the latest Newsletter. [A complete
reference set of guides is also kept in the authority by …...... ]. Schools should always
consult the relevant guide (or CLEAPSS itself) if they are considering purchasing
mains-operated, electrical equipment for use in science, and are advised to do so before
purchasing any expensive item.
Similar considerations apply when equipment is given to schools, eg, by parents, local
companies, etc or brought in from home. It may not be sufficiently safe for school use.
Schools must check before accepting such donations and are generally advised to
refuse them. Any mains electrical equipment donated or borrowed from home must
undergo a portable-appliance test before being used.
Equipment and materials must be stored safely. Chemicals and any other hazardous
items must be locked away from children.
8
Living organisms
Schools will often wish to keep animals, plants and microorganisms in the classroom.
They may sometimes consider having animals as visitors, either through personal
contacts or through more formal ‘Visiting Animal Schemes’. All uses of living
organisms in classrooms raise issues about the health and safety of pupils and teachers
(which are dealt with in Be safe! and other model risk assessments) and, in the case of
animals, about their welfare. Schools should seek advice from CLEAPSS or consult any
relevant guides.
9
Health and safety policies
This local authority does not require primary schools to have a science health & safety
policy. However the key features of this Code of Practice (and especially the pivotal roles
of Be safe! and CLEAPSS) should be incorporated either into the school’s overall health
& safety policy or into the school’s science policy.
10
Training
From time to time, staff will need reminding of this Code, of the school’s own health &
safety policy and about good, healthy and safe practice in primary science. The head
teacher and/or science coordinator should ensure such training takes place. Use of the
Be Safe! INSET Pack (2nd edition, ASE, 2002) is recommended.
11
Monitoring
The head teacher and/or science coordinator is expected to monitor that this Code of
Practice is being followed. This may involve checking documentation, observing
lessons and joining in planning meetings. Suitable records should be kept, eg, in the
5
minutes of staff meetings, in notes of lesson plans and schemes of work or of lesson
observations.
The local authority, as the employer, has a responsibility to monitor that its health &
safety policies are being implemented. In this authority, this monitoring will be carried
out by the [science adviser/inspector] / [general/link adviser/inspector] / [health &
safety adviser] during routine visits to schools. From time to time, there may also be a
more-formal safety audit carried out by [local authority officers] / [independent
consultants] / [...].
6
Part C
A Model Code of Practice for Science in Secondary Schools
Code of Practice for Health and Safety in Science in
Secondary Schools in .................
1
Intended audience for this Code of Practice
This Code of Practice dated ...... replaces earlier guidance issued in ...... .
The Code is concerned with health and safety in science departments in secondary
schools (with and without sixth forms), relevant middle schools and special schools
with secondary-age pupils unless the type of work is more comparable to that carried
out in primary schools (in which case the Code of Practice for Primary Schools should be
observed). A characteristic of the schools covered by this Code is that science is taught
by specialist staff in specialist laboratory accommodation. However, the Code still
applies even if, exceptionally, science is taught in ordinary classrooms and/or by nonspecialist staff, including in Pupil Referral Units or Home & Hospital Teaching
Schemes. The Code applies not only to science teachers but also to others who work
within the science department, including technicians, teaching assistants and other
support staff and trainees.
2
Scope of this Code of Practice
This Code of Practice should be read in conjunction with .... local authority Health and
Safety Policy (issued … ), the school’s own Health and Safety Policy and any other
relevant Codes of Practice that the authority may issue from time to time, specifically
[the Code of Practice for Field Trips and School Visits] / [...] .
This Code is not concerned with the teaching of health and safety, although that is a
requirement of the National Curriculum.
3
Advice on health & safety matters
The [Chief Education Officer’s] / [Director of Children’s Services’] designated representative for giving advice on health and safety in teaching science in secondary schools
is the [Science [Adviser] /[Inspector]/[Consultant]] / [Secondary Advisory Teacher] /
[Health & Safety Adviser], who can be contacted at ….. .
In addition, the local authority maintains a subscription to CLEAPSS, The Gardiner
Building, Brunel Science Park, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PQ, (Tel: 01895 251496;
Fax: 01895 814372; E-mail: science@cleapss.org.uk; Web site: www.cleapss.org.uk), for
the purpose of obtaining model (general) and special risk assessments under the
COSHH Regulations and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations, and
general advice on health & safety matters in science and, indeed, practical science
generally.
In an emergency, advice can be obtained by contacting [....] / [CLEAPSS.]
About a week after the start of each term the CLEAPSS Bulletin is despatched to
secondary (and relevant middle and special) schools from the authority’s [mail room] /
[communications centre]. In addition, the CLEAPSS Science Publications CD-ROM is updated annually and despatched to schools in December. If you are not receiving the
Bulletin regularly or have not received the CD-ROM by early January contact ….. .
7
4
Suitable national health & safety publications
This local authority’s health & safety policy for teaching science in secondary schools is
largely contained within several nationally-published documents. These are listed
below.
• CLEAPSS publications generally;
• CLEAPSS Science Publications CD-ROM (latest edition);
• Hazcards, CLEAPSS (latest edition);
• Laboratory Handbook, CLEAPSS (latest edition);
• Recipe Cards, CLEAPSS (latest edition);
• L93 Managing Ionising Radiations and Radioactive Substances, CLEAPSS (latest
edition);
• Safety in Science Education, DfEE, 1996;
• Safeguards in the School Laboratory, ASE, 11th edition, 2006;
• Topics in Safety, ASE, 3rd edition, 2001;
• Safety Reprints, ASE, 2005 edition.
We have previously also used the following publication and much of the guidance is
still sound but, as it is no longer in print, schools are no longer required to have copies.
• Microbiology: an HMI Guide for Schools and Further Education, HMSO, 1990.
The CLEAPSS Science Publications CD-ROM should be copied onto all computers in the
science department, including teachers’ laptops and home computers, and/or onto the
secure part of the school network so that all science teachers and technicians have easy
access to the information.
All schools should have at least one copy of the non-CLEAPSS publications listed
above (and paper copies of CLEAPSS publications if ICT facilities are limited). Split-site
schools, or those with several prep rooms, will need several copies of some of them.
They should be kept in a readily-accessible place so that teachers may easily use them
in planning their science activities and technicians can consult them.
All teachers and technicians must be made aware of the existence of the CLEAPSS CDROM and/or paper publications and reminded of them from time to time.
Where relevant guidance cannot be found in these publications, staff should consult
[CLEAPSS (see section 3)] / the [Science Adviser / Inspector] / [Secondary Advisory
Teacher] / [Advisory Technician] / [Health & Safety Adviser].
5
Science department health & safety policy
This authority regards a Head of Science (or equivalent) as the local manager for health
and safety within the science department and hereby delegates a range of health &
safety functions to that person. The authority [requires] / [recommends] that every
science department should have its own Science Department Health & Safety Policy. This
should spell out the organisation of, and procedures for, health and safety within the
department (including emergencies) and define the roles of various post-holders. It
should state where health & safety documents are located and how the department
deals with risk assessment (see below). There should be laboratory rules for students
and guidance for staff. The policy should outline procedures for the induction of new
staff (teaching and technical). Certain regular health & safety checks are required (see
below) and the timetable and procedures for these should be stated. [This local
authority [has issued] / [is issuing alongside this Code of Practice] a Model Science
Department Health & Safety Policy [(which is an adaptation of advice given by
CLEAPSS)]] / [Schools in this local authority may use L223, Model Health & Safety
8
Policy for Science Departments from CLEAPSS.] Science departments should consider
this model policy and further adapt it to the details of their particular situation. To
assist in this, an electronic version of the [local authority Model Policy can be obtained
from .... ] / [the CLEAPSS L223 Model Policy (July 2007) can be obtained on its web site
and/or the 2008 (or later) Science Publications CD-ROM.]
6
Risk assessment
This local authority acknowledges that good science teaching involves a significant
amount of practical work. It recognises the excellent health & safety record of school
science and is determined that spurious concerns about health and safety should not be
allowed to inhibit good teaching.
Under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations, the employer
must carry out a risk assessment before harmful microorganisms are used or hazardous chemicals are used or made. Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work
Regulations, the employer must carry out a risk assessment before any hazardous
activities are undertaken. Following guidance in the Management Regulations Approved
Code of Practice, this local authority has adopted the publications listed in section 4 as
containing model risk assessments for the activities normally undertaken in teaching
science in secondary schools. If the proposed activities, chemicals, living organisms,
equipment, etc are not covered by any of these publications, a Special Risk Assessment
must be obtained by contacting [CLEAPSS (see section 3)] / the [Science Adviser /
Inspector] / [Secondary Advisory Teacher] / [Advisory Technician] / [Health & Safety
Adviser].
When drawing up schemes of work and/or planning lessons, science departments
should review the advice given in the above model risk assessments and consider
whether it needs to be modified to meet the needs of their situation, either for the
department as a whole or for a particular class or room. Warnings about any hazards
and guidance on control measures to reduce the risks from them, together with any
other relevant health & safety information, should then be included in the scheme of
work and/or written into teachers’/technicians’ guides, lesson plans, pupil worksheets, etc, following the detailed guidance in the CLEAPSS guide L196, Managing Risk
Assessment in Science (August 2005) available on the CLEAPSS Science Publications CDROM.
[There are no specifically-banned chemicals or procedures in this authority, other than
the very few which it would be illegal to use nationally (eg, benzene). However,
schools must follow the guidance in the publications listed in section 4, including the
use of any control measures.] / [Irrespective of guidance in the publications listed in
section 4, this authority has banned the following chemicals and/or procedures … ].
Risk assessment must also cover the activities carried out, for example, by technicians,
such as lifting and carrying, handling chemicals and living organisms, clearing up, etc.
Departments should base such risk assessments on guidance in the CLEAPSS leaflet,
PS25, Model Risk Assessments for Laboratory Technician Activities, suitably customised. These
should then be formally adopted as part of the Science Department Health & Safety Policy.
7
Emergency procedures
If an accident happens in a laboratory, particularly if chemicals are involved, it may be
necessary to take Immediate Remedial Measures to prevent injury while waiting for
the arrival of a qualified first aider. Guidance on suitable measures is given in the
CLEAPSS Laboratory Handbook section 5 (on the CLEAPSS Science Publications CD-ROM)
9
and in other publications listed above. This should be copied to individual teachers and
technicians and/or posted in prominent places in laboratories and prep rooms. Inhouse training in these measures should be provided through discussion at departmental meetings. Similarly, procedures should be in place for dealing with fires and
chemical spills, including the provision and use of chemical spill kits (see the CLEAPSS
Laboratory Handbook section 7). Guidance should be given in the Science Department
Health & Safety Policy.
8
Security of, and access to, laboratories, prep rooms, etc
This local authority considers that, under the Management of Health and Safety at Work
Regulations, science laboratories, prep rooms, etc must be regarded as ‘danger areas’ to
which access must be restricted to those with appropriate training. This means that
pupils must not be permitted in a laboratory or prep room without proper supervision (see section 9) and that laboratories and prep rooms must be kept locked when
not occupied. If circumstances in a particular school do not permit this (eg, because a
fire-exit route is through a laboratory), then the Science Department Health and Safety
Policy should state what steps are taken to reduce the risk arising from this situation
(eg, by giving priority to technicians in clearing away chemicals from this laboratory
first). Pupils, however senior, should not be allowed to work unsupervised in
laboratories, although in the case of students carrying out project work as part of Alevel GCE or equivalent courses, it may be sufficient to have a teacher or, if appropriate, a technician, within earshot in an adjoining room. Before permitting this, a risk
assessment should be carried out.
9
Supervision of pupils/students in laboratories and prep rooms
Normally, only qualified science teachers should teach (practical) science and only
qualified science teachers and technicians should work in science laboratories. For the
purpose of this Code of Practice, a qualified science teacher is a person with Qualified
Teacher Status and a teacher’s certificate, degree or equivalent qualification in which a
science or sciences formed an appreciable part of the course, normally as a main
subject.
If a non-science subject has to be taught or a form has to be based in a laboratory, or if a
non-specialist has to cover a science class in a laboratory, then
•
•
•
•
•
•
the staff concerned must be given brief in-house training about laboratory rules;
the head of department must be aware of what is going on and accept a general
supervisory role;
a qualified science teacher [must] / [should] be within earshot, eg, in an adjacent
laboratory;
standards of behaviour must be no less than those expected in a science lesson
and science laboratory rules must apply;
no practical work should be allowed to take place [unless special training has
been given, see below]; and
where possible, hazardous chemicals/equipment should be inaccessible and
mains services switched off.
In the case of students on initial teacher training, the graduate training programme,
‘Teach First’ or similar initiatives, health and safety must form an integral part of the
training provided by the school and trainees must work under the direct supervision of
a qualified science teacher. In the case of trainees on teaching practice, if the teacher
judges that s/he need not be in the laboratory at the same time as the trainee, taking
10
into account the nature of the class, the activity to be undertaken and the skills of the
trainee, then the trainee may work on his/her own but the teacher must still be nearby,
available to take over the class at any time, should the need arise.
In the case of instructors, or non-science staff who may be teaching some science, then
the school must arrange adequate health and safety training. This can be provided inhouse but will usually require regularly-timetabled opportunities for discussion of
potential problems, trying out practical activities, etc. Notes of the training should be
recorded and made available on request, eg, to the officers of the local authority,
inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive, etc.
Pupils/students should not normally be allowed into prep rooms. If, however, there
are good reasons to permit access, pupils/students must be closely supervised all the
time that they are in the prep room.
10
Training for staff
The Management Regulations require that adequate health & safety training must be
given to staff when first taken on by an employer and when their jobs change (eg,
when new work practices or new equipment are introduced). Such training must be
repeated periodically. [From time to time, this local authority will organise training
courses for heads of science and for technicians [mostly CLEAPSS courses]]. Heads of
science (or their representatives) are expected to attend such courses or similar ones
and to pass on relevant parts of their training to colleagues through departmental
meetings, etc. A Science Department Health and Safety Policy [must/should] outline what
procedures are in place for the induction of new staff (teachers and technicians) and
any particularly-hazardous procedures for which school-based training is given before
a member of staff can carry them out. Brief training or a set of rules [must/should] be
given to non-science staff and/or supply teachers who have to teach or supervise in
laboratories. Technicians [must/should] be fully involved in training. Suitable training
[must/should] be provided for any other ancillary staff who work in the science
department, eg, teaching assistants, bilingual support staff, etc.
Science departments [must/should] use CLEAPSS guides L234, Induction and Training
of Science Technicians and L238, Health & Safety Induction and Training of Science Teachers
to develop induction and training programmes for new staff.
11
Purchasing, storing and disposing of resources
When purchasing equipment or materials, and especially mains-powered electrical
equipment, schools must ensure that it is safe and appropriate for use by children of
the relevant age. Equipment purchased from recognised educational suppliers should be
safe for school use, but that from other sources might not be. CLEAPSS (see section 3)
produces a number of guides to particular types of equipment. Guides that are in print
change frequently, but those currently available appear on the annually up-dated
Science Publications CD-ROM or, if new, on the members’ part of the CLEAPSS web site,
www.cleapss.org.uk. The user name and password required for access to this are on
the web-site link page of the CD-ROM. CLEAPSS staff members are very willing to
discuss other equipment, not at present covered by guides. Schools should always
consult the relevant guide if they are considering the purchase of hazardous equipment, and especially mains-operated electrical equipment, from suppliers that do not
normally deal with the educational market.
Similar considerations apply when equipment is given to schools, eg, by parents, local
companies, etc or brought in from home. It may not be sufficiently safe for school use.
11
Schools must check before accepting such donations and are generally advised to
refuse them. Any mains-powered electrical equipment donated or borrowed from
home must undergo a portable-appliance test before being used.
Equipment and materials must be stored safely. Hazardous chemicals and any other
hazardous items must be locked away from children. Toxic, corrosive and other
chemicals liable to be stolen must not be stored on open shelves in the prep room, in
fume cupboards, etc. Schools should follow guidance in the CLEAPSS Laboratory
Handbook, section 7 (on the CLEAPSS Science Publications CD-ROM).
Disposal of chemicals, other materials and equipment may not only raise health &
safety issues but also those of environmental protection. Legislation has changed in
recent years. Science departments should follow the guidance given in [the publications listed in section 4] / [the 2007 edition of CLEAPSS Hazcards].
12
Living organisms
Schools will often need to keep animals, plants and microorganisms in the department.
All uses of living organisms in classrooms raise issues about the health and safety of
pupils and teachers (which are dealt with in the model risk assessments listed above)
and, in the case of animals, about their welfare. Schools should seek advice from
CLEAPSS publications, including relevant guides. The science department [must/
should] have a policy on its use of living organisms.
13
Safety checks
All equipment, including personal protective equipment must be properly maintained.
Regular checks are required in a number of situations (see below), some of which may
be carried out by school staff, others by outside contractors. The outcomes of such
checks should always be recorded and the records kept in a departmental Safety Check
File or equivalent, which should be kept available for inspection by officers of the local
authority and inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive.
14
Radioactive materials
Schools wishing to use radioactive materials must comply with [CLEAPSS guide L93
Managing Ionising Radiations and Radioactive Substances (under revision 2007)] / [AM1/92
The Use of Ionising Radiations in Educational Establishments in England and Wales from the
DfEE]. The Radiation Protection Adviser (RPA) for this local authority is ...... . [Schools
will not normally need to contact the RPA. This local authority has appointed a
Radiation Protection Officer (RPO) who will normally liaise with the RPA. The RPO is
…… who can be contacted …… . However, in the first instance, technical queries about
radioactive sources and the teaching of radioactivity should go to CLEAPSS (see
section 3).]
Each school using radioactive materials must appoint a Teacher in Charge of Radioactive Sources (Radiation Protection Supervisor, RPS), usually the most-senior physicist. The RPO must be kept informed of the name of this teacher. The Teacher in Charge
must check that:
• one copy of the record of radioactive sources is held in the school office or with
the school health & safety officer and another copy is held in the science
department;
• there is a set of Standard Operating Procedures (Local Rules) for the use of radioactive materials, a copy of which has been agreed with the RPO (these may be
12
•
•
•
•
based on the model rules in CLEAPSS guide L93, Ionising Radiations and Radioactive Substances, but may need modification to meet local circumstances);
the Standard Operating Procedures (Local Rules) are observed by all users;
a record is kept every time a source is removed from, and returned to, the store;
all sources are inspected after use;
radium sources are tested for leakage at approximately annual intervals in
accordance with the procedures given in CLEAPSS guide L93 and the outcomes
are recorded in the Safety Check File (see section 13, above).
This local authority will [provide]/[organise] training [through CLEAPSS courses] for
teachers in charge of radioactive sources and expects them to provide appropriate inschool training for those handling sources.
15
Pressure vessels
Under the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations, regular checks must be made on all
pressure vessels, including autoclaves, pressure cookers and model steam engines,
using a written scheme of examination (WSE). It is the policy of this local authority [to
follow advice in CLEAPSS Guides L214a, b, c, d (available on the Science Publications CDROM); to use the WSEs provided in those Guides, to accept that Heads of Science are
competent persons to certify the WSEs and that technicians are competent persons to
carry out the examination using the guidance provided] / [to have the examination
carried out by [the Advisory Technician] / [ …], using WSEs provided by [CLEAPSS] /
[…]] / [to have the examination carried out by inspectors from our insurance company,
…, using WSEs provided by [CLEAPSS] / [the … insurance company]]. A record of the
examinations must be kept in the Safety Check File (see section 13, above).
16
Fume cupboards
Under the COSHH Regulations, there must be a check on the efficiency of every fume
cupboard at least every 14 months. It is the policy of this local authority that these
checks are carried out by [technicians on the school staff, using the air-flow meter
borrowed from ...., and following guidance from CLEAPSS on its Fume Cupboard
Monitoring Training Course. Any failure of a fume cupboard to meet the requirements of
the test should be reported to ...] / [the local authority [advisory technician] / [health &
safety adviser]] / [an outside contractor, the current contract being with …]. The record
of the check on each fume cupboard must be kept in the departmental Safety Check File
(see section 13 above).
17
Portable electrical appliances
Under the Electricity at Work Regulations, the employer is responsible for the safety of all
electrical appliances. It is the policy of this local authority that appliances powered by
the mains are checked regularly and that these checks are carried out by [technicians
on the school staff, using the portable-appliance test set borrowed from ...., and
following guidance from CLEAPSS on its Electrical Testing Course. Any appliance which
fails to meet the requirements of the test should immediately be taken out of service
and reported to ...] / [the local authority [advisory technician] / [health & safety
adviser]] / [an outside contractor, the current contract being with …]. The record of the
check on each appliance must be kept in the departmental Safety Check File (see section
13 above).
13
18
Monitoring implementation
Heads of [science/departments] are expected to monitor that this Code of Practice is
being implemented in their departments, see for example the CLEAPSS leaflet PS30,
Monitoring the Implementation of Science Safety Policies (on the CLEAPSS Science
Publications CD-ROM). Suitable records of any monitoring should be kept (eg, in the
minutes of departmental meetings or in the records of any lesson observations or the
use of check lists). In the event of any problems, heads of [science/departments] should
discuss them with their line managers and/or the [Science Adviser/ Inspector] / [Link
Adviser].
The local authority, as the employer, has a responsibility to monitor that its health &
safety policies are being implemented. In this authority, this monitoring will be carried
out by the [science adviser/inspector] / [health & safety adviser] during routine visits
to schools. From time to time, there may also be a more formal health & safety audit
carried out by [local authority officers] / [independent consultants] / [...].
19
Previous policies rescinded
In the light of guidance in Safety in Science Education (see section 4), the previous policy
of this local authority that [cheek-cell sampling should not be permitted is now
rescinded. Cheek-cell sampling [and blood sampling] may take place provided that
• guidance in the CLEAPSS Laboratory Handbook section 14.4 (on the CLEAPSS
Science Publications CD-ROM) is followed, and
• the risk assessment shows that staff and pupils can be relied upon to follow the
guidance.]
14