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What Are the Teacher’s Responsibilities?
Teachers and teacher-aides should lead by example and wear personal protective
equipment; follow and enforce safety rules, procedures, and practices; and demonstrate safety behavior and promote a culture of safety. They should be proactive in every aspect of laboratory safety, making safety a priority. The following
is a checklist for teachers highlighting essential information for working in the high school laboratory. This is a general safety checklist and should be periodically re-evaluated for updates.
Upkeep of Laboratory and Equipment
- Conduct regular inspections of safety and first aid equipment as often as requested by the administration. Record the inspection date and the inspector’s initials on the attached equipment inspection tag.
- Notify the administration in writing if a hazardous or possibly hazardous condition (e.g., malfunctioning safety equipment or chemical hazard) is identified in the laboratory and follow through on the status.
- Never use defective equipment.
Recordkeeping
- Keep organized records on safety training of staff for as long as required by the school system.
- Keep records of all laboratory incidents for as long as required by the school system.
Safety and Emergency Procedures
- Educate students on the location and use of all safety and emergency equipment prior to laboratory activity.
- Identify safety procedures to follow in the event of an emergency/accident.
Provide students with verbal and written safety procedures to follow in the event of an emergency/accident.
- Know the location of and how to use the cut-off switches and valves for the water, gas, and electricity in the laboratory.
- Know the location of and how to use all safety and emergency equipment (i.e., safety shower, eyewash, first-aid kit, fire blanket, fire extinguishers and mercury spill kits).
- Keep a list of emergency phone numbers near the phone.
- Conduct appropriate safety and evacuation drills on a regular basis.
- Explain in detail to students the consequences of violating safety rules and procedures.
Maintenance of Chemicals
- Perform regular inventory inspections of chemicals.
- Update the chemical inventory at least annually, or as requested by the administration.
Provide a copy of the chemical inventory to the local emergency responders
(i.e., fire department).
- Do not store food and drink with any chemicals.
- If possible, keep all chemicals in their original containers.
- Make sure all chemicals and reagents are labeled.
- Do not store chemicals on the lab bench, on the floor, or in the laboratory chemical hood.
- Ensure chemicals not in use are stored in a locked facility with limited access.
- Know the storage, handling, and disposal requirements for each chemical used.
- Make certain chemicals are disposed of properly. Consult the label and the Material Safety Data Sheet for disposal information and always follow appropriate chemical disposal regulations.
Preparing for Laboratory Activities
- Before each activity in the laboratory, weigh the potential risk factors against the educational value.
- Have an understanding of all the potential hazards of the materials, the process, and the equipment involved in every laboratory activity.
- Inspect all equipment/apparatus in the laboratory before use.
- Before entering the laboratory, instruct students on all laboratory procedures
that will be conducted.
- Discuss all safety concerns and potential hazards related to the laboratory work that students will be performing before starting the work. Document
in lesson plan book.
Ensuring Appropriate Laboratory Conduct
- Be a model for good safety conduct for students to follow.
- Make sure students are wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment (i.e., chemical splash goggles, laboratory aprons or coats, and gloves).
- Enforce all safety rules and procedures at all times.
- Never leave students unsupervised in the laboratory.
- Never allow unauthorized visitors to enter the laboratory.
- Never allow students to take chemicals out of the laboratory.
- Never permit smoking, food, beverages, or gum in the laboratory.
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