LEVEN CE (VC) PRIMARY SCHOOL

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LEVEN CE (VC) PRIMARY SCHOOL To enrich life through Learning Health and Safety Statement for Science March 2005 Introduction This document is concerned with Health and Safety when teaching Science

1 LEVEN CE (VC) PRIMARY SCHOOL To enrich life through Learning Health and Safety Statement for Science March 2005 Introduction This document is concerned with Health and Safety when teaching Science and should be read alongside the Science Policy. The Role of Staff It is the duty of all staff: To take responsible care for the health and safety of themselves and others who may be affected by their acts. To be familiar with this policy by periodic reference to it. To implement the provisions of this policy. To cooperate with other members of staff in promoting health and safety. Health and Safety in Science We believe science in our school to be a very safe activity. However, Science is a very openended activity and on occasions it is not always possible to predict what might occur. Health and Safety when teaching science is largely contained within the Association for Science Education document, Be Safe! Some aspects of safety in school Science and Technology for Key Stages 1 and 2 (2 nd edition 1990). A copy of Be Safe! will be kept in the science cupboard and each member of staff has been given a list of chemicals, plants, and animals which are safe to use in the classroom (see Appendix 1). All teachers must check Be Safe! when planning their Science activities. If relevant guidance cannot be found, staff should consult CLEAPSS (see Appendix 2). The LEA maintains a subscription to CLEAPSS school service. They produce a termly newsletters and a range of free guides, which provide guidance on health and safety issues. CLEAPSS is also available to help teachers with all aspects regarding practical science. Advice can be obtained by contacting them direct.

2 Risk Assessment It is the duty of staff to ensure under the COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) that a risk assessment has been carried out before the use of any microorganisms or hazardous chemicals (including some kitchen chemicals). This school has adopted Be Safe! as containing model risk assessments for the activities normally undertaken in teaching science. However appropriate models can also be found in a range of CLEAPSS guides (see Appendix 2). Plants and animals Throughout the school year suitable animals and plants are kept and studied in classrooms. We believe this enhances the curriculum and also helps to promote respect for living things. Each member of staff has been provided with a list of suitable and unsuitable plants and animals (see Appendix 1). In the case of animals it is also important to ensure that the proper up keep and care of the animals is maintained. To ensure this, we follow the information provide in CLEAPSS publications. Food and Hygiene The preparation of food provides us with many scientific opportunities consequently we believe in good hygienic practice when preparing and using food. For further information of food hygiene staff should consult Be Safe!

3 Health and Safety Statement for Science Appendix 1 Chemicals Children can use the following chemicals safely: Aluminium foil Universal indicator paper or solution Vaseline Vinegar Vitamin C Washing powder Washing soda Water glass Zinc foil Baking powder Bath salts Bicarbonate of soda Blackboard chalk Borax Carbonated (fizzy) drinks Chalk Charcoal Citric acid crystals Clay (moist) Copper foil or powder Cream of tartar Detergents (Hand-washing types) Epsom salts Food colouring Glycerine Health salts (e.g. Alka-Seltzer) Lead shot or foil Lemon juice Litmus paper Oils, vegetable and mineral Tea Milk Plaster of Paris / Polyfilla Salt Sand Soap Steel wool Sugar Cobalt chloride paper

4 The following chemicals are unsuitable for use by children in the classroom: Bleach Caustic soda De-rusting solutions Dishwasher detergents Disinfectants Dry cleaning fluids Some fertilisers Fireworks, sparklers and party poppers Some plant growth substances (e.g. rooting powders) Lavatory cleansers Milton Oven cleaners Paint strippers Pesticides, fungicides and insecticides Scale removers Weedkileers Biological and automatic machine washing powders. Hydrogen peroxide

5 Plants The following plants are suitable for use with children: Plants for general use Begonia Busy Lizzy Cissus Antarctica Coleus Exacum affine Fuchsia Geranium Grevillea robusta Mother of thousands Philodendron Rubber plant Swiss cheese plant Tradescantia Umbrella or Nile grass Plants to illustrate growth from seeds Broad bean Cress Dwarf bean Maize Mung bean Mustard Oat Runner bean Wheat Pea Various seeds and pips from edible fruits: Avocado Date Lemon Orange Peanut The following parts of all these plants should be considered poisonous and unsuitable for use by children: Giant hogweed Caster oil seeds Holly Laburnum Mountain ash Potato Privet Red kidney beans (except when cooked) Spindle tree Rhubarb Tomato Yew Black bryony Black Nightshade Cuckoo Pint Deadly nightshade Hemlock Henbane Ragwort White bryony Woody Nightshade

6 Animals Examples of suitable animals for classrooms: Mammals Mongolian gerbils Syrian hamsters Laboratory rats Guinea pigs Rabbits Invertebrates Earthworms Slugs and Snails Woodlice Land crabs Brine shrimps A variety of common pond creatures Reptiles Garter snakes Indian stick insects Pink winged stick insects Australian spiny stick insects Amphibians Clawed toads Axolotls Bullfrog tadpoles Tiger salamanders Mealworm beetles Chafer beetles Some butterfly and moth larvae where their food plant is available (but not those which are very hairy). Frogspawn Fish Cold-water fish Tropical fish

7 Health and Safety Statement for Science Appendix 2 CLEAPSS GUIDES 1. Safe use of household & other chemicals 2. Microscopes and magnifiers for years 3 to 7 3. Plants for classrooms 4. Small mammals 5. Electrical safety 6. Earth science KS 1 & 2 7. Simple electric circuits with bulbs and batteries 8. Teaching weather at KS 1 & 2 9. Magnets for Primary Schools 10. Earth in space KS 1 & Inspecting safety in Science: a guide for Ofsted inspectors 12. Developing and using environmental areas 13. Model health and safety policy in Primary Schools 14. Science policies for Primary Schools 15. Health and Safety in Primary Science and Technology

Acid Attack. Key Message: Plants are very important, Acid rain can damage plants.

Acid Attack. Key Message: Plants are very important, Acid rain can damage plants. Key Message: Plants are very important, Acid rain can damage plants. SESE Curriculum Link: Content Strand Living Things Strand Units Science and the Environment skill DEVELOPMENT: Experimenting, observing,