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Practical Solutions to
Reduce Your Liability
Introduction
Teaching science is different than teaching other
academic subjects because to properly teach science,
students must receive instruction and engage in
appropriate hands-on activities. More importantly,
science teachers must teach in an environment using
materials and equipment that have the potential to
cause serious harm to both teacher and student.
Science teachers must be trained in more than just
teaching methods and classroom management.
They also must receive specific training in laboratory
safety. Science teachers must know, understand and
follow many rules and regulations to ensure the safety
of students in their classrooms. Science teachers also
owe it to their students to properly supervise, instruct,
maintain equipment
and facilities and warn students
of potential harm in their classrooms. Accidents will
happen in the classroom. However, teachers can
significantly reduce their risk of negligence liability
and prevent classroom mishaps by following a few
simple rules.
1. Know the safety statutes that affect your classroom
and carefully abide by them.
Check with your state and county departments
of education, state department of labor or
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
for statutes and regulations that apply to your
classroom. At a minimum, each school should
have in place an up-to-date Chemical Hygiene Plan
(CHP) that describes the safety procedures that are
required at your school.
2. Document all efforts to resolve safety issues in
your classroom.
Any safety issues or equipment problems that
need repair must be documented carefully in
writing and submitted to the proper administrator
for immediate action. If you cannot successfully
resolve the issue at the site level, send a letter to
the superintendent or school board describing the
problem, your efforts to correct the condition and
possible solutions for resolving the problem. Attach
copies of your documentation. Save all letters and
documentation.
3. Do not leave your classroom during any
instructional period.
Every teacher has a primary duty to properly
supervise students. Never leave students
unsupervised for any reason.
4. All students should wear the appropriate personal
protective equipment while working in the laboratory.
Chemical splash goggles and chemical
resistant
aprons should be worn whenever any chemicals
(no matter how minimal the risk of perceived
injury) are to be used by students. Protective
eyewear must be worn during all laboratory
activities and demonstrations.
5. Teach safety all year and review safety procedures
often.
Teachers have a duty to provide proper safety
instruction. Start the year with a student safety
contract then get in the habit of reviewing a safety
rule every day at the beginning of class. It is critical
to review the appropriate safety precautions with
students prior to beginning any laboratory activity.
Remember to document all safety instruction you
provide in your lesson plan book.
6. Make safety a priority in the classroom by
establishing and modeling safe chemical-handling
practices.
Set a good example for your students by always
wearing appropriate personal protective
equipment and performing laboratory procedures
in a safe manner. Not only will your actions speak
louder than words to your students, but if an injury
to a student occurs, their attorney will not be able
to use your good practices against you.
7. Use smaller volumes and amounts of chemicals.
Smaller chemical quantities result in smaller spills,
reduced vapors and less material for disposal.
Smaller chemical quantities also usually result in
less severe injuries to your students. Microscale as
many labs as possible, particularly
those that use
volatile or hazardous chemicals.
8. Demand appropriate safety training related to your
duty of care in the science classroom.
Science laboratories are industrial areas requiring
specialized training and knowledge that must
be updated frequently. Your school district is
responsible for appropriate training to enable you
to meet your duty of care in the classroom.
9. Do not permit students to use damaged or defective
equipment.
Damaged or defective equipment can cause
serious harm to students. Until the equipment
can be repaired, do not use it. If the conditions of
your laboratory facility are unsafe, then document
the safety issues and do not permit laboratory
activities until the conditions are remedied.
Perhaps calling the safety issue to the attention of
parents, whose students will not receive adequate
instruction because of existing unsafe conditions,
may achieve quicker resolution of the problem.
10. Do not permit students to take chemicals or
any other school equipment home to perform
“experiments.”
Theft of unlocked chemicals, performance of
unauthorized experiments and unsupervised
home experiments expose students to potential
injury and teachers to negligence liability.
11. Be proactive rather than reactive.
Acknowledgment
Kelly Ryan was a science teacher in San Gabriel
High School in California for 17 years and is now a
practicing attorney. He has written a book entitled
Science Classroom Safety and the Law—A Handbook
for Teachers.
Science Classroom Safety and the
Law—A Handbook for Teachers
By: Kelly Ryan, Esq., Attorney at Law
Science Classroom Safety and the Law was written
to educate science teachers about court cases that
apply to science education so you can successfully
persuade school administrators to make the “right”
decision regarding science safety. This book will
give you the “ammunition” you need to correct
safety problems at your school. Author Kelly Ryan
understands firsthand the safety problems science
teachers face since he was a high school chemistry
teacher for 17 years before becoming an attorney.
Throughout the book, practical suggestions are
made to improve science safety and reduce the
potential for teacher and school district liability.
Catalog No. Description Price/Each
AP6118 Science Classroom
Safety and the Law
$28.15
SAFETY REFERENCE REDUCE YOUR LIABILITY
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