Laboratory Safety and Management

Laboratory Safety and
Management
Sophia Cheng
Science Education Section, EDB
 Who is the one responsible for
laboratory safety in individual
laboratories?
 Who is the one responsible for

laboratory safety in science KLA?
Can accidents be prevented?
Accident Statistics (05/06)
 464 schools responded (response rate : 93.4
%)
 Statistics
• 296 schools without accident (64%)
• 554 cases in 168 schools (36%)
• 1.19 cases per school
 500 students and 8 staffs injured; most injuri
es were minor cuts or scalds
 Cause of accidents: Carelessness
(students: 91.7%;teachers: 0.5%; LTs: 1.8
%)
Types of accidents (05/06)
Subjects involved (05/06)
Others
350 309 (56%)
Bites by animals
300
Substances catching fire
250
Cuts
200
134 (24%)
Discomfort arising from
150 inhalation of gases
92 (17%)
Heat burns or scalds
100
18 (3%)
Chemicals spillage
50 1 (~0%)
Eye accidents
0
Phy Chem Bio/H Bio IS ES/S&T
Chemicals on skin
Survey on school laboratory accidents
 EDBCM151/2009
 Collect data for 2008/09 school year
 Data input via
http://cd.edb.gov.hk/sc_survey09
 Deadline: 30 November 2009
Why accidents happen?
Careless Inadequate Inadequate

Safety Training Instructions
Unsafe Overcrowding
Experiments
Inadequate Facilities
Inadequate Equipment
Inadequate
Misbehavior Preparation
Ignorance
Poor Teaching
Laboratory Experiences
Management
Responsibilities in maintaining a safe
learning and working environment
 Who should be responsible?
• Students
• Teachers
• Laboratory Technicians
• Panel Chairpersons
• School Authority
• …
 Safety is Everyone’s Responsibility
 Have you performed your duties? ( 有否盡
一己之本分 )
Students
 Know and follow all safety rules
 Be alert in the laboratory
 Do not attempt unauthorised activities
 Exercise proper experimental techniques
 Consider the safety of oneself and the others
 Read and study lab manual before coming to
class
 Report lab accidents to teacher immediately
 Keep area clean
 Proper disposal of biological and chemical wa
ste
 Do not enter preparation or store rooms
 …
Teachers
 Ensure the safety of all practical activities and must b
e thorough in preparation
 Try out experiments in advance
 Check that technicians know how to carry out safely t
he requested hazardous operations
 Issue students with safety rules and explain what the
y mean and why they are necessary
 Give clear instructions to students and remind them
of the potential hazards and safety precautions
 Provide sufficient supervision and guidance to studen
ts during experiments
 Insist students to use proper personal protective equi
pment
 Never leave students unsupervised in the lab
 Familarise with the operation of safety facilities and e
mergency procedures…
Panel Chairpersons
 Set and model high standards of safety
 Raise everyone’s concern on safety
 Ensure all panel members provide adequate safety
instructions and equipment to students
 Be well informed of laws, rules and regulations
concerning safety, assist school principal in
formulating and implementation of safety policy
 Co-ordinate the provision of safety resources /
facilities
 Organise/co-ordinate professional development on
safety
 Access and disseminate up-to-date safety
information to teaching and technical staff
 Keep a record of all accidents and details of
treatment given
 Develop and implement a regular schedule for
safety inspection …
Laboratory Technicians
 Have responsibilities for each other’s safety and should w
arn each other of hazardous situations
 Co-operate with safety policies of panel, school and EDB,
etc.
 Prepare, operate and maintain apparatus and equipment
 Procurement of stores and equipment
 Tryout experiments
 Provide assistance in class demonstrations
 Assist teachers in supervising students performing experi
ments
 Observe all the normal safeguard in a laboratory
 Familarise with the operation of safety facilities and emer
gency procedures
 Check regularly to ensure all safety measures are in place
 Supervise the work of other LTs / laboratory attendants …
School Authority
 Ensure school complies with the Education
Ordinance
 Build up an effective management system
 Draw up safety policies, administrative and
operational procedures
 Set up an accountability mechanism for such
policies and procedures including how to handle
emergencies
 Provide necessary safety facilities and equipment
 Support professional development on safety
 …
Safety Management
 Setting up a Standing Committee on
Laboratory Safety to:
• convene regularly to discuss issues related to
lab safety
• plan and conduct lab safety programmes
• carry out safety inspections regularly
• formulate, implement and revise the
emergency plan
• conduct evacuation drills regularly
Safety Policy
 Includes:
• Emergency measures and evacuation
procedures
• How new staffs are to be inducted
• How students are to be trained in
safety awareness
• How safety equipment should be kept
and used
• How safety information and resources
are circulated or disseminated
• How to keep records of lab accidents
• In what circumstances non-science l
essons may be conducted in laborato
ries
• How to carry out safety inspections
• What procedures for risk assessment
are to be adopted in open-ended inv
estigations or projects
Resources for Lab
Safety
Laboratory Safety and Management
(http://www.edb.gov.hk/cd/sc  References & Resources  Labor
atory Safety and Management)
Handbook on Safety in Science
Laboratories
English version: http://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net/cd/science/laboratory/safety/SHB_2002e.pdf
Chinese version: http://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net/cd/science/laboratory/safety/SHB_2002c.pdf

Learning and
Teaching
Resources on
Safety in Science
Laboratories
http://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net/cd/science/laboratory/SAFETY/safety_exemplars_e.pdf
http://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net/cd/science/laboratory/SAFETY/safety_exemplars_c.pdf
http://resources.edb.gov.hk/~ses/
In open-ended investigations
 Value learning experience from scientific
investigations and inquiry based
experiments
 Cultivate correct attitude towards lab safety
 Train students to be responsible for their
and others’ safety at lab
• Follow safety regulations
• Conduct and implement risk assessment
• Be alert and attentive of every procedure to be
taken
Risk Assessment
 An analysis of a practical activity to
identify hazards and to take precautions
to minimise the risk
 Procedures:
• Identifying hazards
(Materials / Procedures / Equipment)
• Assessing how likely the hazard will actually
cause harm (risk)
• Deciding what control measures to reduce
risk to acceptable level
• Finding how to dispose of hazardous residues
Hierarchy of Controls
Order Control Example
1 Eliminate Removing the hazard, e.g. taking a hazardous piece of
equipment out of service
2 Substitute Replacing a hazardous substance or process with a less
hazardous one
3 Isolate Isolating the hazard from the person at risk, e.g. using a
guard or barrier
4 Engineer Redesign an experiment, piece of equipment or process
to make it less hazardous
5 Administrative Adopt safe work practices. Provide appropriate training,
instruction or information
6 Personal Protective Use of lab-coat, gloves, safety glasses, safety footwear,
Equipment dust masks, face shields, goggles, etc.
Safety information about chemicals
 Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS);

CityU
• http://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net/cd/science/l
aboratory/safety/msds_ss_2000.pdf
 International Chemical Safety Cards; I

LO
• http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protecti
on/safework/cis/products/icsc/dtasht/ind
ex.htm
Maintenance and repairs
for laboratories and
equipments
Minor repairs
 Government schools
• Expanded Subject and Curriculum Block
Grant
 IMC aided schools
• Expanded Operating Expenses Block Grant
 Non-IMC aided schools
• Composite Furniture and Equipment Grant
• Operating Expenses Block Grant (General
domain)
 Consolidated Subject Grant (EDBCM
No.100/2009)
Minor repairs
 Rates for 2009/2010 school year:

• EDBCM110/2009
 For details:
• http://www.edb.gov.hk => school adminis
tration => financial management
Major repairs
 Cost > $8000 (e.g. installation of fume cu
pboard, fire service installation, exhaust fa
n maintanance)
 Apply for non-recurrent grants in Mar/Apr
every year
• EDBCM No.60/2009 (Estimates for 2010-11 Fi
nancial Year - Aided Schools Applications for N
on-Recurrent Grants: Major Repairs/Alteration
s)
 Estate schools => Housing Department
 Non-estate schools => Architectural
Services Department
Procedures for Major Repairs
1. Application 2. HD or 3. Classify items

for funding Arch SD into “essential” ,
by school conducts site “desirable but not
inspection essential” and
“not necessary”
4. EDB 5. HD or Arch 6. Repair

estimates SD initiates works by
budget meetings with contractor
school
Emergency Repairs
 Cost < $200,000

 Submit Standard Request Form for
emergency repairs to HD or Arch SD
with a copy to REO.
 Examples of emergency repairs:
• Blackboard repair, serious water
seepage, re-charging of fire
extinguishers, broken windows, etc.
Conversion with structural alteration
and extension
 Require approval from EDB
 Seek advice from
• Regional Education Office
• Housing Department / Architectural
Services Department
• Department of Health
• Fire Services Department
 For details on Maintenance of Premis
es:
http://www.edb.gov.hk/index.aspx?no
deID=1621&langno=1
(http://www.edb.gov.hk
=> School administration => Regulati
ons
=> School administration guide
=> 8.School premises & safety)
Designing and Planning Laboratories
http://www.ase.org.uk/ldtl/docs/L014.pdf
Group Discussion
Thank you!
Sophia Cheng
sophiaslcheng@edb.gov.hk
3698 3439

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Laboratory Safety and

 Who is the one responsible for

Careless Inadequate Inadequate

English version: http://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net/cd/science/laboratory/safety/SHB_2002e.pdf

Chinese version: http://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net/cd/science/laboratory/safety/SHB_2002c.pdf

 Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS);

 International Chemical Safety Cards; I

 Rates for 2009/2010 school year:

1. Application 2. HD or 3. Classify items

4. EDB 5. HD or Arch 6. Repair

 Cost < $200,000

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