Learning Teaching Resources on

							Learning & Teaching
Resources on
Safety in Science Laboratories
          June 2004
Exemplars of Activities

   Laboratory Safety Rules
   Eye Protection
   Safety Information on Chemicals
   Risk Assessment
   What if a Laboratory Accident Happens?
Laboratory Safety Rules
   “The biggest danger in the lab is YOU
    (student)! You are a danger whenever
    you are either ignorant or careless or
    both. Remember this because the
    person most likely to suffer from your
    mistakes is YOU!”

       ASE (1996) Safeguard in the School
                         Laboratory, ASE
Laboratory Safety Rules
   Introduction
   Group Discussion
     – Ask students to discuss and write the
        rules they should observe in the lab
   Review the results of discussion
   Summary
   Signing a “Safety Contract” and distribute copies of lab
    safety rules
   Select safety rules applicable to your class
   Posters, slogans, websites, quizzes
   Reference
     – Flinn Scientific's "Ideal" Student Safety Contract
        http://www.flinnsci.com/Documents/miscPDFs/Safety_
        Contract.pdf
     – “Contracting for Safety”
        http://www.statweb.org/ACT2/parents.pdf
“Safety Contract”




           Kei Heep Secondary School
Illustrated Safety Rules

   http://www.mindspring.com/~mfallonsp/
    safety_rules/
Eye Protection
   Importance of eye protection
   Illustrated by a student
    experiment or teacher
    demonstration on irreversible
    denaturing of eye-white by acid
   Discuss on when eye protection
    should be worn
   Demonstration/video on the use
    of eye wash unit
Safety Information on
Chemicals
   Know how to locate
    and understand
    safety information
    of chemicals
   Chemical formula,
    hazards, safety
    precautions,
    emergency,
    disposal, etc
Online MSDS
   http://www.ilpi.com/msds/index.html
   http://hazard.com/msds
   http://www.freyscientific.com
   http://www.sargentwelch.com
   http://www.flinnsci.com
   http://www.fisheredu.com
   http://www.msdsprovider.net
   http://www.camd.lsu.edu/msds_search.html
   http://ptcl.chem.ox.ac.uk/MSDS
Risk Assessment
   An analysis of a practical activity to identify
    hazards and to take precautions to
    minimise the risk
   Involve students in thinking about and
    discussing safety in real context, rather
    than just being told what to do
   Novel experiments in science publications,
    open-ended investigations and project
    learning, etc.
   Have to be checked by teachers
Risk Assessment
   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
     –  Review
   Examples #1, #2, #3
   References: Safety Handbook, Hazcards, Student
    Safety Sheets, ICSCs, MSDSs, CLIP (Chem Lab
    Information Profile), etc.
Risk Assessment –
Think thrice before you act
   Hazards
    Reducing the Risks

   Using safer alternatives
   Modifying experimental procedures
   Reducing the scale of experiments
   Reducing the concentrations of solutions
   Using protective measures
   Wearing appropriate PPE

    Alasdair Thorpe, Chemistry Review, Sept 2000
Risk Assessment
   Forms
   Annotate daily used documents (point-of-use
    texts) e.g. schemes of work, lesson plans,
    worksheets, textbooks, lab request forms and
    apparatus
    – A better chance that they will be read and followed
    – Less demanding to accomplish and more likely to be
      carried out
    – Assessment more likely to be modified when the
      activities have be be modified

     Managing Risk Assessment in Science, L196, CLEAPSS
What if a Laboratory
Accident Happens?
   Know the proper actions to be taken in
    case of laboratory accidents
   Be aware of the nature and causes of
    laboratory accidents, and the basic safety
    precautions for prevention
   12 adapted cases for discussion
   Eye accidents (3), fire, heat burn, cut,
    explosion (2), animal bite, corrosive
    chemicals (2), toxic gas
       Microscale Version


Pins




                        Shampoo
                         solution
           0.4 M NaOH
What if a Laboratory
Accident Happens?




                              Iron/sulphur Reaction

 Conc. Sulphuric Acid




                        Methyl 4-hydroxybenzoate
http://cd.emb.gov.hk/sci
Safety in Exploring Science

   Interactive learning package
   On-line and CD-ROM versions
   http://resources.emb.gov.hk/~ses
    Safety Quiz

   Questions with feedbacks to both correct
    and incorrect answers
   Enable students to evaluate and improve
    their understanding on laboratory safety
   Written Safety Test in “Safety Handbook
    for California Public Schools”
    http://csmp.ucop.edu/csp/downloads/safety.pdf
   Wordsearch
On-line Safety Quiz
   Interactive and Interesting MC Questions
    “Millionnaire Game” http://jasonhk.uhome.net/
   Chemistry Safety Quiz
    http://daphne.palomar.edu/safetyquiz
   Safety in Hargrave's Laboratories
    http://www.hargrave.edu/academics/science/safety
    Certificate of Completion
   Fire Safety Quiz
    http://www.survivealive.org/quiz.html
   “Hot Potatoes” create interactive MC, short-answer,
    jumbled-sentence, crossword, matching/ordering and
    gap-fill web-based exercises
    http://web.uvic.ca/hrd/hotpot
Other Strategies
   PowerPoint on Safety facilities and PPE
    http://www.umd.umich.edu/casl/natsci/slc/
    modulist.html
   Self-learning e.g. 自然練習
    http://www.naturalking.net/exercise.htm
   Role play
   Certificates
   Project work e.g Fire Escape Route
    Indicator
Health, Safety & Risk

   Student worksheets e.g.
    – Risk assessment in science
      experiments
    – Safety symbols
   Can be downloaded in
    Word format from
    http://www.chemsoc.org/
    networks/learnnet/hsr.htm
More Learning Activities

   http://csmp.ucop.edu/csp/resources/
    curriculum.html
Inquiring Safely

   Terry Kwan & Juliana
    Texley (2003)
    Inquiring Safely: A
    Guidebook for Middle
    School Teachers, NSTA
   Entire book at
    http://www.nsta.org/main/
    pdfs/store/PB166X2np.pdf
Acknowledgement
Dr Albert C Cheung    (City University of Hong Kong)
Ms Chu Suk Ching      (True Light Middle Sch of HK)
Dr Joseph K Kwan      (HKUST)
Mr Lee Charn Kau      (HKTA Ching Chung Sec Sch)
Mr Leung Kar Yau      (retired)
Mr Lo Kam Cheong      (CCC Kei Heep Sec Sch)
Mr Mok Ming Wai       (United Christian College)
Mr Pun Kwong Cheung   (SKH Tsang Shiu Tim Sec Sch)
Thank you !
 Mr W C HO
 cdosc21@emb.gov.hk
 Tel 2712 8476