A college term paper I wrote a few semesters ago on science lab safety. Many kids make fun of lab safety and the signs posted in science labs like the one that says “Carol didn’t wear her safety goggles, now she doesn’t need them,” with a picture of a blind girl on it. Many don’t take lab safety very seriously either, but it is really important too. If something does go wrong in a lab it is important to be prepared and to protect yourself, because it could be a very dangerous and harmful situation.
Science classes are a major part of school curriculums. Science is taught starting in elementary school and throughout high school; it is also taught in colleges. Once students hit high school and college level science, their classes involve laboratory experiments. Many experiments, especially in chemistry courses, involve chemicals and equipment that can be dangerous to students and teachers. Professional laboratories also use similar chemicals and equipment when they do experiments too. Accidents can occur in any laboratory setting, but the accident rate in professional laboratories is at least one hundred times less than the accident rate in school laboratories (“The Laboratory Safety Institute”). Laboratory accidents can range from small things such as breaking a glass beaker to big things such as an explosion. When glassware is broken, little or no injury may occur, but an instructor should be notified. Other accidents such as fires or spills can cause serious injuries like burns and skin damage; these accidents can be deadly. Since accidents in schools happen more often than in professional laboratories, there needs to be improvement in lab safety in schools. In order to reduce the risks of laboratory related accidents in schools, laboratory safety education needs to be strictly enforced.
To enforce laboratory safety in schools, instructors are responsible for teaching students about the proper and safe practices in a laboratory. Before students are taught about lab safety, instructors must first know the proper procedures, preventive measures, and safety for labs. Many labs have safety codes and standards; instructors need to be informed about these codes and standards and enforce them in the laboratory (Ray 8). Along with knowing safety codes, standards, and proper procedures, instructors must know how to use the master controls in a laboratory. Instructors also need to know about safety equipment and risks before they teach a lab experiment to students (8). When instructors know the proper procedure, possible hazards, master controls, safety equipment, codes, and standards, they will be well prepared to teach lab experiments. If instructors do not know about the hazards or equipment in a laboratory, there is a greater risk of accidents or endangering everyone involved. Therefore, if a laboratory is to be safe for instructors and students, instructors must learn and know about the lab, procedures, safety codes, and equipment in a lab, so the instructors are able to teach the students how to be safe in the lab.
Once instructors understand lab safety, then the instructors need to teach students how to be safe in the lab. In many science laboratory classes, lab safety is taught during the first few days of a class; to improve safety in school labs, lab safety should be taught throughout the course (Barrier 31). Students do not always take lab safety very seriously; teaching and reviewing safety throughout the course will help students remember and use laboratory safety every time they enter the lab. To make sure students learn the importance of lab safety, there are many different ways instructors can educate students about it. One way to help instructors enforce lab safety in a laboratory is by using a safety contract. A safety contract is a paper for students to sign saying they’ve learned about lab safety, understand the rules of the lab, know how to properly use equipment and procedures, and what to do in the event of an emergency (30). The contract allows teachers to know that the students understand how to be safe in the laboratory (30). Other ways instructors can teach students about lab safety is by different activities in the lab. One activity that will help instructors educate students about safety is having students read short stories about the consequences of doing labs unsafely.After students read the short stories, instructors should have students identify the unsafe conditions and procedures in the stories, then have students rewrite the story with the proper safety procedures. Another activity to help students learn about lab safety is having students prepare skits demonstrating improper lab procedures and then have the students redo the skit but with safety procedures in place (32).An additional way instructors can help students learn about lab safety is have students research the proper safety procedures before each experiment done in class (32). Having students do activities on lab safety will help them retain this information better than if the students were only lectured on lab safety.The more students are exposed to lab safety, the more they will remember, practice, and use it. If students do not learn and use proper procedures in lab, there is a greater chance that accidents could happen. Instructors need to expose students to lab safety more than during the first few days of class to help make labs safer for students and instructors.
An important part of making and keeping laboratories safe for all in the lab is to wear the proper protective gear (National Research Council 22). Everyone in a lab needs to wear the proper equipment, not only when he or she is doing experiments, but also when the instructor is doing sample experiments in class. Proper eye wear is very important in lab safety. Goggles are the most commonly used form of protective eye wear in laboratories (156). Goggles protect the eyes from chemical splashes or spills, broken glass, and fumes (156). Goggles should be worn as soon as students and instructors enter a lab, not just when an experiment is in progress (154). Another type of eye protection is a face shield. A face shield doesn’t only protect the eyes; it also protects the entire face and neck (156). Gloves are another important piece of protective wear. Gloves protect the skin from coming in contact with harmful chemicals or substances (157). Gloves don’t need to be worn all of the time; gloves only need to be worn when harmful chemicals or substances are being handled or used (157). Other important safety wear for a laboratory are lab coats or aprons. Lab coats and aprons protect the clothes one is wearing while he or she is in the laboratory. Besides wearing the proper protective gear, students in a lab should not wear overly loose clothing. Students should tie their hair back, cover up skin, and wear shoes that cover the entire foot (158). Proper protective wear is very important in a lab. Proper protective wear can help protect those in the lab from harmful chemicals and substances. If students and instructors do not wear the proper protective wear, there is a greater chance of injury in the lab. Chemicals could splash into ones’ eye or burn ones’ hand if he or she is not wearing the proper protective wear while in the laboratory. Protective wear will not prevent all accidents from occurring in a laboratory, but proper protective wear can protect eyes from chemical splashes, hands from harmful substances, and clothing from chemical splashes.
The design of laboratory classrooms is an important factor in lab safety. One of the main focuses when a laboratory is being built is safety (Motz 10). Some of the safety considerations when a lab is being built are proper storage for chemicals, glassware, and other equipment used in a lab, and arrangement of furniture in the laboratory so exits are easily accessible (10). In addition, while designing and building a laboratory, there are safety requirements that need to be fulfilled. The main requirement is limited occupancy in a laboratory (10). If the room is a classroom and lab, then each student should have at least sixty square feet of room in the classroom/laboratory. If the room is only a lab, then the required area for each student has to be at least forty-five square feet in the laboratory (10). Safety equipment is another important consideration in the design of a laboratory. Safety equipment in a lab should include a fire extinguisher, blanket, safety shower, eyewash, sinks, and fume hoods. The safety equipment should all be easily accessible in the event of an accident or emergency (National Research Council 162). In designing a laboratory, following safety requirements and having easy access to safety equipment and exits is important to make sure a lab is safe for those who use it. Poor lab design could lead to a higher risk of injury in the event of an accident. If a lab is built safely, there will be less of a chance of students and instructors being harmed if an accident does occur.
Laboratory safety is very important in school laboratories to keep students and instructors safe. Students and instructors should practice proper safety every time they are in a laboratory. If an accident does occur, instructors and students will be prepared because they will know proper safety for the lab (National Research Council 21). All dangers in labs cannot be prevented. Since not all accidents and dangers can be prevented, lab safety needs to be enforced and practiced regularly to keep students and instructors safe and prepared if an accident would happen. Instructors need to know the importance of safety and the proper procedures, as well as how to use the safety equipment and controls to keep the laboratory safe (Ray 8). They also need to educate students about safety and the proper procedures to help students stay safe in the laboratory (Barrier 30). Another important thing to keep laboratories safe for those in a lab is for students and instructors to wear the proper safety and protective wear (30). Design is another way to keep laboratories safe, by making sure there is easy access to exits, and that equipment is in accessible areas (Motz 10). Accidents can happen in all laboratories, not just school laboratories. Since accidents can happen in all laboratories, it is important for those who use them to always use the proper safety methods and procedures while in the lab (National Research 21). Even though accidents happen in all labs, the rate of accidents in school laboratories is at least one hundred times greater than in professional laboratories (“The Laboratory Safety Institute”). Laboratory safety is important and should be emphasized and enforced in school laboratories to help reduce the risks of lab-related accidents and keep labs safe for students and instructors.
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