Safety in Science
PSED 446/546
Teaching of Science
The current state of science
safety
Seventy percent of all high school science
accidents occur at the ninth grade level.
According to teachers, the number one
reason for accidents occurring in the science
lab was "students' failure to carefully read
and understand laboratory activity
instructions." (from Flinn Scientific
website)
Main Sources of Info
There are two main sources of information:
1.
CSSS Science & Safety
2.
The Safety Book (not available online)
Flinn Scientific
Flinn Scientific is also a good resource (especiall for
chemistry and biology), as they have numerous
resources on Science Safety:

Steps You Can Take to Prove You're a
"Responsible" Science Teacher

General Safety Rules for Science Teachers
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Safety Pages

Student Teacher's Survival Kit (which contains
safety contracts and posters)
Other Sources of Information
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Safe Science Series from NSELA
The NSTA provided middle schooland high schoolsafety
information in a past edition of Science Class (distributed
through e-mail; to sign up for delivery, click here).
The Laboratory Safety Institute has a bunch of resources
and information; click on "Free" for safety contracts,
checklists, etc.
An NBC News report on chemicals in the classroom.
NYC Science Safety Manual (K-12) (requires free
registration)
OSHA
MSDS
Three Aspects
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Student Safety Guidelines (for students)
– Activities
– Guidelines
Teacher Safety Guidelines (for teachers)
 School Safety Guidelines (for schools)
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Student Safety Activities
See Flinn Scientific's Safety Page, with links to high school
and middle school safety contracts and exams (English and
Spanish). I am ordering Flinn's Student Teacher's Survival
Kit (which contains safety contracts and posters).
Activities may include the following:
 learn rules
 equipment identification
 practice procedures
 safety quiz
 safety contract
 safety posters
Student Safety Guidelines
The "rules" will vary from class to class. Here
are some subject-specific safety concerns,
organized by subject.
General Science
Glassware
 Heat/fires
 Sharp instruments
 Animals
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– Gerbils and giardia, salmonella, E. coli
– Guinea pigs, rabbits and dander
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Allergies
– carpets, mold, latex, peanuts, etc.
Physics
Electrical (avoid wet hands and metal
objects)
 Radiation
 Lasers and Light
 Mechanical Dangers
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Earth Science
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Handling rocks
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wear goggles when crushing rocks
wrap rocks in cloth before crushing
Wear gloves
Take care when lifting heavy rocks
Earth Science (continued)
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Field trips
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no open-ended shoes or sandals
long pants
gloves
watch for polluted soil
Dust
 Tasting
 Use only appropriate tools
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Biology
Be careful with
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live animals
dissections (scalpels; gloves)
syringes
body fluids
Biology (continued)
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Field trips
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prohibited areas
clothing
plants to avoid
touching animals (dead or alive)
eating plants
Microscopes
Chemistry
Clean spills immediately
 Avoid loose or long-sleeve clothing
 Wash hands
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Chemistry (continued)
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Burners
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use Bunsen or hot plates (rather than alcohol)
light match and then slowly turn on gas
always use open vessels
point tube away when heating
remove from flame only with proper utensils
Chemistry (continued)
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Test tubes
– inserting stoppers into glass tubes (lubricate
with glycerin)
– clean used test tubes
– Dilute acids by adding acid to water (pour acid
along stirring rod)
Teacher Safety Guidelines
There are three duties of a teacher (known as
“foreseeability”)
 Instruct
 Supervise
 Maintain equipment (and records)
See CSSS publication “Science & Safety”
(What are my legal responsibilities as a
science teacher relating to negligence?)
Exercise common sense
It is important to exercise "common sense": See page
2 of Science & Safety
One is not ‘negligent’ unless they fail to exercise that degree
would be exercised by a person of ordinary prudence under
all the existing circumstances in view of probable danger
of injury.’ The law basically requires teachers to be
reasonable and use good common sense. Teachers are
required to exercise the skill and training which would
ordinarily be expected from someone in their profession.
Criteria to judge negligence
Was the teacher involved expected to
supervise?
 Was the teacher derelict in this duty?
 Did a personal injury accident occur?
 Was the failure to exercise reasonable care
the direct cause of the injury?
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NSTA Position Statements
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Read the NSTA Position Statements on
Safety and School Science Instruction,
which lists guidelines for teachers and
school districts, and Liability (biology
teachers can also read NABT's statement on
the Role of Laboratory and Field Instruction
in Biology Education)
Animals
If you plan on using animals in your
classroom,
• For guidelines on the proper use of animals
in the classroom, check out guidelines put
out by the NABT and the NSTA.
• Read the Ten Principles for the Use of
Animals for Insturctional Purposes (Institute
of Laboratory Animal Resources)
Other
Check out Steps You Can Take to Prove
You're a "Responsible" Science Teacher and
General Safety Rules for Science Teachers.
Subject-specific Areas of
Concern
Electrical issues
 Biological material
 Chemicals
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Electrical Issues
know the voltage and current (and mark it)
 shortest extension cords, insulated
 do not permit students to service equipment
 periodically check outlets
 watch that the equipment doesn’t hot
 use low-voltage/current sources where
possible
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Biological material
No:
– no cell or tissue labs
– no blood labs
– no mold or bacteria cultures (unless the
students are very skilled and the culture vessels
are securely sealed)
(from NSTA Web Institute)
Chemicals
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Consider microchemistry whenever possible to
minimize risk, need for supplies, and cost of
cleanup/disposal
No explosions
Never bring stock bottles into classroom
store by chemical type (not alphabetically)
store large bottles near the floor
inspect annually
use ladders or stools to get to chemicals above eye
level
Chemicals (continued)
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chemicals must be secured
store metallic sodium and potassium in kerosene or heavy
mineral oil
use red phosphorus instead of white whenever permissible
No poisonous chemicals
– benzene, arsenic, asbestos
– formaldehyde, carbon tetrachloride, phenol, xylene, lead
compounds
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Disposing of chemicals
– do not dump strong acids or flammable liquids down a drain
(dilute first) or those that produce odors
– if in doubt, ask supplier or NSTA
School Safety Guidelines
General equipment requirements are listed at the
Flinn website ("5-minute equipment guide“) and
page 10 of Science & Safety.
Examples of equipment are as follows:
 First-aid kits
 ABC Fire extinguishers (special types if
necessary)
 Fire blankets
 Safety showers/eye wash
 Sand buckets
School Equipment (cont)
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gas and electrical master controls
– electrical outlets
– gas leaks
Congestion/evacuation concerns
 Storage Area
 Smoke/heat detectors
 Mercury clean-up kits
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Goggles
See pages 119-124 of Safety Book
 “Splash” type
 Seal comfortably to the face
 Ventilated (to prevent fogging)
 No scratches deeper than a fingernail
 Cleaned regularly
 Individual goggles best
Contact lenses
Additional regulation regarding use of
contact lenses is unnecessary (OSHA)
 Wear non-vented, specially marked safety
goggles
 Teacher should know who is wearing
contact lenses as neutralizing solutions
should not be used to flush eyes
 Avoid activities that generate fumes
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NSTA Guidelines
See page 12 of Science & Safety
 max class size 24 students
 60 ft2 per student (combination)
 45 ft2 per student (lab only)
 6 ft per student (work space)
NSTA Guidelines (cont)
GFCI
 1 pair approved safety goggles per student
 2 outward-opening exits (accom.
wheelchairs)
 locked doors on storerooms
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Summary
Know your responsibilities
 Be aware of safety issues
 Teach safety precautions
 Keep up-to-date
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– NSTA Conventions
– Courses (Jason Academy
http://www.jason.org/jason_academy/courses/c
ourse_descriptions.htm#safety )