Science and STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) laboratories can be hazardous teaching/learning sites that lead to elevated levels of risks and potential accidents. In this way, teachers and their supervisors need to have current safety resources to help raise their levels of awareness and help secure and maintain a safer teaching/learning environment for hands-on activities. Professional organizations such as NSTA, the American Chemical Society (ACS), and the Council of State Science Supervisors (CSSS) have helped to provide these resources over the years.

CSSS, in collaboration with Flinn Scientific, recently developed three new safety modules addressing common safety concerns. These modules address legal safety standards and better professional safety practices that all science and STEM teachers need to know and apply. These resources can also be helpful in developing lab safety protocols used in the required Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Chemical Hygiene Plan under the Laboratory Standard 29 CFR 1910.1450.  

Here is a brief description of each of these new resources to help acquaint teachers and their supervisors with their value. I was fortunate to have been asked to provide professional guidance on and safety review of these CSSS documents for use in K–12 schools across the United States. In this way, I can personally vouch for their value as outstanding safety resources for our schools’ science and STEM teachers.

This module is for secondary schools and addresses safety questions and provides answers involving science laboratory legal safety standards and better professional safety practices. The CSSS notes the following about this resource: “As recognized science supervisors/specialists, the members of the Council of State Science Supervisors (CSSS) are constantly receiving questions from teachers and administrators about safety issues, responsibilities, and liability. This resource document, which addresses some of the most commonly asked questions, is one response to those frequent inquiries. The objective of this document is to provide a handy, concise reference for science teachers, primarily at the secondary (9–12) level. They can refer to it for information and resources on some of the most commonly asked questions that concern science teachers. Resources cited are in paper, electronic, and web accessible forms.”

The document deals with the following topics:

1. Council of State Science Supervisors
2. Duty of Care Responsibilities as an Educator
3. Science Safety Checklist Criteria
4. Globally Harmonized System (GHS)/Safety Data Sheets (SDS)/Chemical Labeling
5. Chemical Storage and Incompatible Chemicals
6. Chemical Waste Management, Chemical Inventory Management, and Ordering Chemicals
7. Chemical Hygiene Plan
8. Pandemic Sanitation/Disinfection Practices
9. Accidental Injury/Personal Safety Protocols
10. Fires in the Laboratory
11. Chemical Spills and Management
12. The Safe Use of Plants and Animals in the Lab
13. Regulatory Compliance for Lab Safety
14. Prep Room Safety During Closures
15. Additional Resources for Science Safety
16. References
Access this safety document at https://www.flinnsci.com/api/library/Download/442c9d99991a49ecaff24f0ae59e1484

This outstanding resource provides guidance on common science lab safety concerns in elementary schools across the United States based on proven legal safety standards and better professional safety practices and trusted safety protocols. The document deals with the following topics:

1. Council of State Science Supervisors
2. Science Safety Checklist Criteria and Concerns
3. Safety Operating Procedures
4. Pandemic Sanitation/Disinfection Practices
5. Accident Prevention and Mitigation
6. Globally Harmonized System (GHS)/Safety Data Sheets (SDS)/Chemical Labeling
7. Chemical Storage and Incompatible Chemicals
8. Chemical Waste Management, Chemical Inventory Management, and Ordering Chemicals
9. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Safety Infrastructure Requirements
10. Common Science Equipment and Safety
11. The Safe Use of Plants and Animals in the Lab
12. Safety While On Field Trips and Experiences
13. Duty of Care Responsibilities as an Educator
14. Additional Resources for Science Safety
15. References
Access this safety document at https://www.flinnsci.com/api/library/Download/d6a6344f026b4d858666863510b1b911

The common safety concerns in elementary STEM programs involving tools are addressed in this outstanding new CSSS and Flinn Scientific collaborative document. This document deals with the following topics:

1. Council of State Science Supervisors
2. Science Safety Checklist Criteria and Concerns
3. Safety Operating Procedures
4. Accident Prevention and Mitigation
5. Safety Contracts/Agreements
6. General Tool Safety
7. Cutting/Torsion/Impact/Thermal Processing/Tool Usage
8. Considerations for Tool Safety in STEM
9. 3D Printer Safety and Awareness
10. Prohibited Items in STEM Labs
11. Remote STEM Safety Concerns
12. References

Access this safety document at
https://www.flinnsci.com/api/library/Download/7bd971b40e3d4d18a6fc89a9032d47f6

Given the increased levels of hands-on activities in science and STEM labs in our schools today, these resources are not only timely, but also critical for our science/STEM teachers and supervisors, both for the safety of our students and liability protection for our educators.

Kudos to CSSS members and James Palcik, director of education, safety, and compliance at Flinn Scientific, Inc., for their time, commitment to safety, expertise, and outstanding work.  

Submit questions regarding safety to Ken Roy at safersci@gmail.com or leave him a comment below. Follow Ken Roy on Twitter: @drroysafersci.