Laboratory Safety and
Management
Sophia Cheng
Science Education Section, EDB
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Who is the one responsible for
laboratory safety in individual
laboratories?
Who is the one responsible for
laboratory safety in science KLA?
Can accidents be prevented?
Accident Statistics (05/06)
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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
0
1 (~0%)
Eye accidents
Phy
Chem
Bio/H Bio
IS
ES/S&T
Chemicals on skin
Survey on school laboratory accidents
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EDBCM151/2009
Collect data for 2008/09 school year
Data input via
http://cd.edb.gov.hk/sc_survey09
Deadline: 30 November 2009
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
Responsibilities in maintaining a safe
learning and working environment
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Who should be responsible?
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Students
Teachers
Laboratory Technicians
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 to use 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
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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
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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
• In what circumstances non-science
lessons may 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
English version: http://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net/cd/science/laboratory/safety/SHB_2002e.pdf
Chinese version: http://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net/cd/science/laboratory/safety/SHB_2002c.pdf
Learning and
Teaching
Resources on
Safety in Science
Laboratories
http://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net/cd/science/laboratory/SAFETY/safety_exemplars_e.pdf
http://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net/cd/science/laboratory/SAFETY/safety_exemplars_c.pdf
http://resources.edb.gov.hk/~ses/
In open-ended investigations
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Value learning experience from scientific
investigations and inquiry based
experiments
Cultivate correct attitude towards lab
safety
Train students to be responsible for their
and others’ safety at lab
• Follow safety regulations
• Conduct and implement risk assessment
• Be alert and attentive of every procedure to be
taken
Risk Assessment
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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
• Finding how to dispose of hazardous
residues
Hierarchy of Controls
Order
Control
Example
1
Eliminate
Removing the hazard, e.g. taking a hazardous piece of
equipment out of service
2
Substitute
Replacing a hazardous substance or process with a less
hazardous one
3
Isolate
Isolating the hazard from the person at risk, e.g. using a
guard or barrier
4
Engineer
Redesign an experiment, piece of equipment or process
to make it less hazardous
5
Administrative
Adopt safe work practices. Provide appropriate training,
instruction or information
6
Personal Protective
Equipment
Use of lab-coat, gloves, safety glasses, safety footwear,
dust masks, face shields, goggles, etc.
Safety information about chemicals
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Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS);
CityU
• http://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net/cd/science/l
aboratory/safety/msds_ss_2000.pdf
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International Chemical Safety Cards;
ILO
• http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protecti
on/safework/cis/products/icsc/dtasht/ind
ex.htm
Maintenance and repairs
for laboratories and
equipments
Minor repairs
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Government schools
• Expanded Subject and Curriculum Block
Grant
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IMC aided schools
• Expanded Operating Expenses Block Grant
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Non-IMC aided schools
• Composite Furniture and Equipment Grant
• Operating Expenses Block Grant (General
domain)
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Consolidated Subject Grant (EDBCM
No.100/2009)
Minor repairs
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Rates for 2009/2010 school year:
• EDBCM110/2009
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For details:
• http://www.edb.gov.hk => school
administration => financial management
Major repairs
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Cost > $8000 (e.g. installation of fume
cupboard, fire service installation,
exhaust fan maintanance)
Apply for non-recurrent grants in Mar/Apr
every year
• EDBCM No.60/2009 (Estimates for 2010-11
Financial Year - Aided Schools Applications
for Non-Recurrent Grants: Major
Repairs/Alterations)
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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 Arch
SD conducts
site
inspection
5. HD or Arch
SD initiates
meetings with
school
3. Classify items
into “essential” ,
“desirable but not
essential” and
“not necessary”
6. Repair
works by
contractor
Emergency Repairs
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Cost < $200,000
Submit Standard Request Form for
emergency repairs to HD or Arch SD
with a copy to REO.
Examples of emergency repairs:
• Blackboard repair, serious water
seepage, re-charging of fire
extinguishers, broken windows, etc.
Conversion with structural alteration
and extension
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Require 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/index.aspx?no
deID=1621&langno=1
(http://www.edb.gov.hk
=> School administration =>
Regulations
=> School administration guide
=> 8.School premises & safety)
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Designing and Planning Laboratories
http://www.ase.org.uk/ldtl/docs/L014.pdf
Group Discussion
Thank you!
Sophia Cheng
sophiaslcheng@edb.gov.hk
3698 3439