Safety in science laboratory

The maintainance of highest possible standards of safety in science teaching in school involves more than a consideration of safety precautions.The laboratory safety is the best regarded as a positive undertaking which is an integral part of every activity in which science teachers is engaged with her students.The aquisition of safety in conscious attitudes by people is an important part of a science teachers task and teaching and learning activities should be designed to minimise all safety hazards .The teacher as a good example is important,but obviously not likely to be enough.

With the progress of science,corresponding hazards also increases.At home as a member of community the child learns safety by being told about the hazard rather than by experiencing them in the first-hand.

Bearing in mind the devolpomental stages of the late primary/early secondary school student,it is equally necessary to focus attension directly on the hazards associated with the learning of science.Such a positive focus on the attension of safety is not only a precaution against accidents in the school laboratory but also a stage in encouraging safety attitude in their minds which endures throughout the life,until the individual has reached a certain stage of reasoning safety will have to be taught, it cannot be learned.

The reason underlying good abd bad laboratory pracices should be stated explicitly and the safety component of experimental,whenever it is appropriate to do so eg: advantages of a dropping funnel compare to the thistle funnel in the preparation of hydrogen and easier control of liquid/liquid reactions as compared to liquid/solid.Again the explosive properties  of nitric acis and ethanol if they are poured into the same container;or the danger from the hydrochloric acid formed from the hydrogen chloride gas,as a result of disposing of sodium chloride and used sulphuric acid in the same waste bin

people must be aware of the hazards involved in any experiments the do, and in the interest of both safety and efficiency be taught to do the work systematically.People must be made to understand the laboratory rules and follow them.Given the number of students learning science and doing in the laboratory,it is tribute to teachers that very less accidents are occuring,but continuous awareness should be necessary to avoid the combination of HAZARDOUS SITUATION+ HUMAN ERRORS= ACCIDENTS