School Safety

SCIENCE LABORATORY

You will be going to the Science Laboratory to participate in practical lessons that will help you understand your topics better and prepare you for your practical assessments. As you will use breakable equipment, gas burners and chemicals, you will need to observe certain rules to ensure the safety of your peers and yourself.

GENERAL RULES

1. Do not enter the science laboratory without the teacher’s permission.
2. Do not eat or drink in the science laboratory.
3. Do not run around in the science laboratory.
4. Do not carry out any experiment without the teacher’s permission.
5. Do not tamper with the electrical mains and other fittings in the laboratory.
6. Read the instructions carefully before you start the experiment. If in doubt, ask your teacher before you proceed.
7. Do not smell the gases unless instructed by the teacher. Do not breathe in any gas deeply.
8. Do not taste any chemical unless the teacher gives permission.
9. Use apparatus and equipment correctly and carefully.
10. Make sure your workbench is tidy. Clean up spillage immediately.
11. Wash all the apparatus after use and dispose of waste appropriately. Never throw solid waste material into the sink.
12. Return apparatus that has been cleaned to its original place.
13. Do not remove chemicals and apparatus from the science laboratory.
14. Wash your hands thoroughly at the end of the practical lesson.
15. Report all accidents, spillages and breakages to your teacher immediately.

SPECIFIC RULES FOR CONDUCTING EXPERIMENTS

1. Always wear safety goggles before you start heating and/or mixing chemicals.
2. Never point the mouth of the test-tube you are heating, towards yourself or at anyone else.
3. Do not place a flammable chemical such as alcohol near a naked flame or heat directly a test-tube containing a flammable substance.
4. Read labels on the containers before removing chemicals from them.
5. If a chemical is spilled on any part of your body, at once wash thoroughly under running tap water and then report to the teacher.
6. Do not return unused chemicals to their bottles as this would result in contamination.

KITCHEN, CRAFT & TECH WORKROOMS

KITCHEN

1. No practical work is to be carried out without the presence of a Food and Consumer Education teacher.
2. Every student should wear an apron during practical food sessions. Every student should use a scarf/headband/cap. Girls with long hair should have them plaited or tied. This is to maintain personal hygiene and to keep hair from becoming a hazard during practical sessions.
3. Students are not to run or rush about in the work room to avoid accidents.
4. Students should not operate any machine or appliance unless they have been instructed on the correct use and safety precautions.
5. Students should ensure that their hands are dry and appropriate footwear worn when they are using electrical appliances.
6. Extreme care should be taken when using sharp-pointed/sharp-edged equipment/appliance and fragile glassware.
7. Chemicals should not be used when conducting food science experiments.
8. Students should report all accidents such as cuts and burns to the teacher for immediate first-aid treatment.

CRAFT & TECHNOLOGY WORKSHOPS

1. Practise workshop safety to ensure a safe work environment.
2. Wear an apron or other recommended clothing, protective wear and proper footwear during a practical lesson in the workshop. Protective safety gears such as goggles, masks or gloves are to be worn at all times when using machinery or equipment.
3. Work in the workshop only when a teacher or a workshop instructor is present.
4. Use a machine or tool only after you have been taught how to use/operate it properly and safely.
5. Check all tools that are to be used. Report to the teacher if there are missing or damaged tools.
6. Practise good housekeeping habits, such as cleaning up the work areas and returning tools to their proper places after use to ensure a safe and orderly work environment.
7. Do not run around and play with friends after completing work in the workshop.
8. Take note of

•  all exits
•  location and type of all fire fighting equipment.
•  Emergency Stop switches location(s).
•  location of the First Aid Kit(s).

1. Keep hair neat and tidy. Long hair is to be tied and long fringes are to be clipped up.
2. Exercise cautious behaviour at all times during workshop practical lessons.
3. Report all injuries, no matter how slight to the teacher/instructor.
4. Ensure the safety of others when using paints, acids, glues and solvents.
5. Maintain a safe distance when equipment is being is used by another person.