Safety FAQ
Safety Resources from the Council of State Science Supervisors
This site has an excellent collection of safety resources for both elementary and secondary. Here's a description of the resource from the site: Lab safety is of paramount importance. Whether students are making sense of phenomena or designing solutions in a...
COVID-19 Precautions for the Science Classroom – compiled by STAO/APSO
Hands-on activities are integral to science education. Continuing to provide these valuable learning experiences in these uncertain times poses several unique challenges and obstacles that the safety-minded science teacher must overcome. The following documents,...
Christmas Tree Safety
Real trees can pose a serious fire hazard if the tree dries out. There's nothing like the fresh smell of a real tree, but real trees can also pose a serious fire hazard if the tree accidentally dries out. Steve Spangler teamed up with Captain Brian Ribble from the...
Safety Recommendations for Opening the New School Year – NSTA
This is an excellent summary of best safety practices in the science classroom prepared by the safety experts at NSTA in the United States. Link to Article
Safety for Hands-On Science Home Instruction – from the NSTA
This resource provides practical safety advice and considerations for home-based, hands-on activities, as written by NSTA Chief Safety Blogger Dr. Ken Roy. Introduction With the advance of the COVID-19 pandemic during the latter part of the 2019-2020 academic year,...
Responding to Chemical Spills – by Flinn Scientific Canada
Introduction No matter what precautions are taken, sooner or later an accidental chemical spill is likely to occur in your laboratory. A responsible science teacher will take steps to prevent spills, make sure proper safety equipment is available to contain and...
Playing with Fire: Chemical Safety Expertise Required – submitted by Milan Sanader
This recent article from the Journal of Chemical Education is an excellent overview of accidents that have happened involving flammable liquids. The authors report 164 children and educators have been injured over a 20 year period. The article also provides useful...
Choosing the Right Safety Goggle – submitted by Dave Gervais
Wearing safety goggles is a requirement for many science activities, especially those involving chemicals. Providing students with clean, comfortable, well-fitting safety goggles that are appropriate for the activity is essential to maintaining student safety. This...
Five-Minute Safety Inspection – submitted by Flinn Scientific Canada
Our “Five-Minute Safety Equipment Inspection” can be used to quickly and easily evaluate the readiness of laboratory safety equipment. According to the OSHA Laboratory Standard, safety equipment should be checked on a regular basis. It is a good policy to document all...
Use of PTC Paper – submitted by Dave Gervais, Chair STAO Safety Committee
Introduction: Since its discovery in 1932, PTC paper has been a popular activity for students studying genetics. It is used to determine the genotypes of individuals, and is bitter tasting. It has been tied to the evolutionary advantage allowing some primates to...
Battery fires: The potential danger hiding in your kitchen junk drawer at Christmas and year-round
Health Canada says it received more than 100 consumer reports over the last year involving batteries — everything from overheating to starting fires. Source: Battery fires: The potential danger hiding in your kitchen junk drawer at Christmas and year-round
Live Animals in the Classroom Safety Notes – submitted by Flinn Scientific Canada
Studying living organisms in biology and life science is a “natural” way to engage students and nurture their interest in biology. Keeping live animals requires thoughtful consideration of learning goals, school policies, and potential dangers. Click here to go to the...