S CIENCE S AFETY “Common sense is not so common” 1

8 S AFETY C ONVERSATIONS FOR THE Y EAR PPE Safety Lessons occur all year long, not just the first few weeks of school Organisms in the classroom Chemicals: Use and Storage Beware of the Internet Freebies, “guest scientists”, and other gifts Allergies Science Fair, Science Olympiad & other science competitions 2

PPE=P ERSONAL P ROTECTIVE E QUIPMENT Eye Protection Aprons Gloves Closed toe shoes Hair pulled back vs. Protects for impact, not chemical splashes Indirectly vented chemical splash goggles; should meet ANSI standard. 3

S AFETY LESSONS Beginning of year: safety lessons, “contracts” It is vital to document reminders of science lesson safety for each lesson. Teach safety in context to the activity. 4

O RGANISMS IN THE CLASSROOM AnimalsPlants Insects & other invertebrates 5

O RGANISMS IN THE C LASSROOM Bacteria, Mold, Fungi: Purposeful growth or cultivation Blood borne pathogens 6

C HEMICALS : U SE AND S TORAGE SDS; Safety Data Sheets; Globally Harmonized System (formerly called MSDS) Store securely Don’t stockpile Flammables should be stored securely Go Green & Grocery Be cautious of kits & demos off the internet Fire & Open flames 7

B EWARE OF THE I NTERNET Surf Wisely Choose demonstration video clips wisely; don’t reinforce poor safety & don’t encourage unsafe behavior Always review, “Is it a wise idea for my students to do this activity” Demos shared may not have your facility limitations But the sample video shows students doing the activity safely 8

F REEBIES, “ GUEST SCIENTISTS ” AND OTHER GIFTS Review any science materials thoroughly before accepting a “donation” Guest Scientists are not under the same legal liability as teachers/admin are. They may not account for the facility limitations. Always be skeptical of “free” science resources. Review before accepting. 9

A LLERGIES 10

S CIENCE F AIR, S CIENCE O LYMPIAD & O THERS Science Fair When in doubt, Read the high school rules. If high school students aren’t allowed to do the projects, elementary shouldn’t do it either. Science Olympiad Read rules, rule clarifications, ask a Sci Oly leader or tournament director Other competitions Read the Rules! 11

I N S CHOOL S CIENCE P ROGRAMS Must be pre-approved for safety-Check current list Requirements: a. Proof of company liability insurance with minimum coverage of 1 million dollars. b. Written description of the activities presented to the students with the GPS correlations. (If you have a basic outline of what is being covered, I can look up the GPS correlations) c. A Risk or safety assessment of any activities in the program including how safety will be addressed. If personal protection equipment is necessary for any of the learning activities, who is responsible for providing the PPE. We have Safety goggles at school that can be used but not sure if it is necessary for your program. 12

R ESOURCES NSTA Safety Portal: NSTA Learning Center: Council of State Science Supervisors : Flinn Scientific Middle School Safety online training e=MS\ Flinn Scientific High School Safety online training e=HS Georgia Science and Engineering Fair: programs/georgia-science-and-engineering-fair programs/georgia-science-and-engineering-fair 13

D ON ’ T BE AFRAID TO ASK Dr. Kelly Price , x