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Teaching Science Safely
Terry KwanJuliana TexleyJohn Summers
A Seminar to Encourage Exciting,Inquiry-based Science In an Environment of safety
What is your area of responsibility?
• Classroom teacher
• Science supervisor
• Building administrator
• Other/support
Teaching Science Is Always Unpredictable!
• Here’s what happened when a curious student decided to “experiment” by putting a battery in a microwave!
Then there was the construction project…
And those little “lapses in judgment”
You don’t have a crystal ball but you can do much to create a safer
classroom environment.Active science IS safe science BUT• Think about your students’ developmental level• Be very conscious of your facilities• Be conscious of the differences in your room• Build accountability into the safety lesson• Go for skill, not excitement.
A New Approach to Safety• The most important measure of safety is
good judgment
• The classroom environment is key
• Activities must be appropriate to the students’ developmental level.
• We must keep up with the times
Critical Factors!• Space• Security• Storage• Housekeeping• Facility design• Safety Training• Content Preparation
Research shows: The
biggest hazard in your
classroom is a well-placed
elbow!Translation:
Space counts.
Estimate the “space per student” in your classroom.
<30 square feet
30-45 square feet
45-60 square feet
Poll Question:
You’ve been assigned 30 students in a classroom with space for only 24. (You
know that NSTA’s guideline is 60 square feet per student.) What will you
do?
Bush v Oscoda Area Schools '81 MI (250 N.W. 2nd 268, 1979)
• 14 yr. old severely burned when a 1 gal. plastic jug of alcohol exploded in non-science room• Principal liable • Facility not properly designed or
equipped for science teaching• Improperly scheduling a science class
into a classroom not designed for that purpose
Level flooring86 cm aisles70 cm of kneespacePaddle handlesAll entrances wider than 86 cmBraille and/or bilingual labels
Safety for All includes:
IDEA vs ADAIDEA gives every student who is not achieving to
potential due to a handicap the right to the same education in the least restrictive environment—to every class, and every part of that class.
ADA covers accessibility to facilities for persons who are handicapped (including parents).
Both rules apply to all schools.
You may have some leeway in renovations under ADA but there are no grandfathering provisions in IDEA. If a course is in a student’s plan, the student must have immediate and full access to that course.
Check Your Facilities
• 40% of school facilities are totally inadequate (GAO)
• Hot water and soap are the highest priority in every classroom
• Fire equipment must not just be there but be working.
• Test eyewashes and showers regularly• Air circulation must be independent of HVAC• Storerooms must be dedicated and secure.• No clutter!
Which of these do you have?
• Shower• Fire extinguisher• Eyewash• Fume hood• Fire blanket• Lab aprons• Safety goggles• Safety goggle disinfector
All of these are in your room. But
you haven’t used them in years.
What’s the risk?
It’s not enough to just have them there, what else?
Many activities in high schoolScience classes require (working)fume hoods.All science rooms need good Ventilation separate from the HVAC.
When and activityGenerates fumes,Consider reducingQuantities and/orChanging the activity.
Which of these fires might happen in your classroom?
What part of “no eating” don’t they understand?
Safety shields often put the instructor in harm’s way
But research indicates that although students remember the explosion, they may not remember the concept as well!
Have you “inherited” or saved chemicals that you have not
used in TWO YEARS or more?
Yes No
Poll Question:
Where are your chemicals stored?
A place for everything…and everything…
Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
• Name of product, product ID
• Composition/Ingredients
• Hazards/First Aid Measures
• Fire Fighting Measures/Accidental Release Measures
• Handling and Storage
• Exposure Controls/Personal Protection
• Physical and Chemical Properties
• Stability and Reactivity
• Toxicological Info/Ecological Info
• Disposal Considerations/Transport, Regulatory Info
You’ve just been hired. Here’s your room. What do you do first?
Poll Question:
What is your first action?
Which is the best bargain?
Safety Eyewear
• Splash protection• Impact protection (ANSI Z87.1 standard)• Disinfection• ANSI Z87.1-2003 is officially called the American
National Standards Practice for Occupational and Educational Personal Eye Protective Devices voluntary standard for impact resistant safety eyewear. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has made the standard a requirement.
Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts!-Neither a borrower nor a lender be!-In an accident, the chain of possessionAnd the liability may return to you.
Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts
• The chain of possession always goes back to whoever has the deepest pockets
• Liability is like head lice—sharing it doesn’t get rid of it
Live Long and Prosper• Document your precautions• You are responsible for your assistants• Maintain classroom security• Watch the Internet• Be mindful of health rules.• Come back for the nextseminarBring your principal!
Upcoming NSTA Web Seminars: • Force and Motion: Stop Faking It! II
February 1, 2006
• Doing Good Science II
February 8, 2006
• Watershed Dynamics II
February 16, 2006
6:30 PM Eastern Time
