Science Safety Agreement 2018-2019 Science is a process of discovering and exploring the natural world. Exploration occurs in the classroom/laboratory or in the field. As part of your science class you will be doing many activities and investigations that will involve the use of various materials, equipment, technology, and chemicals. Safety in the science classroom/laboratory/outdoor arena is the FIRST PRIORITY for students, instructions and parents. To ensure safer classroom, laboratory and field experiences, the following Science Safety Rules and Regulations have been developed for the protection and safety of all. Throughout the course of the academic year, your instructor will provide additional rules for specific situations or settings. The rules and regulations must be followed at all times. After you have read and reviewed the rules and regulations with your with your instructor Please sign and date this agreement and keep a copy of your signed agreement in your notebook. Your signature indicates that you have read these rules and regulations, understand them, and agree to follow them at all times while working in the classroom/laboratory or field. Your signature on this document is required before you are permitted to participate in any activities or investigations. Your parents will also be asked to read, review and sign this safety agreement. (Adapted from the NSTA Safety In The Science Classroom Agreement: http://static.nsta.org/pdfs/safetyinthescienceclassroom.pdf ) Please initial each section read and reviewed in class. Standards of Student Conduct in the Laboratory and in the Field 1. Conduct yourself in a responsible manner at all times in the laboratory. Frivolous activities, mischievous behavior, throwing items, and conducting pranks are prohibited. 2. Lab and safety information and procedures must be read ahead of time. All verbal and written instructions shall be followed in carrying out the activity or investigation. 3. Eating, drinking, gum chewing, applying cosmetics, manipulating contact lenses, and other unsafe activities are not permitted in the laboratory, Vinci Computer Lab or Imaging and Innovation Lab 4. Working in the laboratory without the instructor present is prohibited. 5. Unauthorized activities or investigations are prohibited. Unsupervised work is not permitted. 6. Entering preparation or chemical storage areas is prohibited at all times. 7. Entering Imaging and Innovation Lab and/or Vinci Computer Lab can only be done with the permission and
presence of your instructor. 8. Removing chemicals or equipment from the laboratory is prohibited unless authorized by the Instructor. 9. Students may not enter a science classroom unless a teacher is present in the room. 10. Students may not touch any glassware, equipment, chemicals or any other items unless instructed to do so by the instructor. Personal Safety in the Laboratory/ Field 11. ANSI Z87.1 approved chemical splash goggles or safety glasses, as appropriate or directed by your instructor, shall be worn at all times in the laboratory or field, including pre-laboratory work and clean-up, unless the instructor specifically states that the activity does not require the use of chemical splash goggles or safety glasses. 12. When an activity requires the use of laboratory aprons, the apron shall be appropriate to the size of the student and the hazard associated with the activity or investigation. If you feel your apron is the wrong size it is your responsibility to notify the instructor. The apron shall remain tied throughout the activity or investigation. 13. All accidents, chemical spills, and injuries must be reported immediately to the instructor, no matter how trivial they may seem at the time. Follow your instructor s directions for immediate treatment. 14. Dress appropriately for laboratory/field work by protecting your body with clothing and shoes. This means that you should use hair ties to tie back long hair and tuck into the collar. Do not wear loose or baggy clothing or dangling jewelry on laboratory/field days. The same hold true when working with various pieces of technology equipment. When working in the field long pants and socks should be worn and insect repellent used to prevent tick and other insect bites. If you are not properly dressed for field activities you will not be able to participate. Acrylic nails are also a safety hazard near heat sources and should not be used.sandals or open-toed shoes are not to be worn during any lab/field activities. Refer to pre-lab instructions. If in doubt, ask! 15. Know the location of all safety equipment in the room. This includes eye wash stations, the deluge shower, fire extinguishers, the fume hood, first aid kits and the safety blanket. Know the location of emergency master electric shut offs and exits. 16. Know the different types of fire extinguishers in the labs and how to use them. 17. Know how the eyewash and safety showers work. 18. Review in class what to do in the event of an unauthorized person or active aggressor near your classroom. Evaluate, Run, Hide, Fight, call for help, etc.. Know the location of the orange Emergency Booklets. 19. Certain classrooms may have living organisms including plants in aquaria or other containers. Students must not handle organisms without specific instructor authorization. Wash your hands with soap and water after handling organisms and plants.
20. When an activity or investigation requires the use of laboratory gloves for hand protection the gloves shall be appropriate for the hazard and worn throughout the activity. 21. Wash hands with soap and water after working in the lab and/or field. 22. Report all accidents in the laboratory or field to your instructor immediately. 23. Puppies from Guiding Eyes for the Blind often visit campus. At times faculty also bring their dogs to class. Students may not pick-up and/or touch the puppies/dogs unless permission has been given by your instructor. Remember that young puppies have very sharp teeth so be careful when holding them near your face. Please do not encourage rough play or nibbling from teething puppies. Specific Safety Precautions Involving Chemicals and Lab Equipment 24. Avoid inhaling in fumes that may be generated during an activity or investigation. 25. Never fill pipettes by mouth suction. Always use the suction bulbs or pumps.. 26. Do not force glass tubing into rubber stoppers. Use glycerin as a lubricant and hold the tubing with a towel as you ease the glass into the stopper.. 27. Proper procedures shall be followed when using any heating or flame producing device especially gas burners. Never leave a flame unattended. Remember that hot glass looks the same as cold glass. After heating, glass remains hot for a very long time. Determine if an object is hot by placing your hand close to the object but do not touch it.. 28. Should a fire drill or other evacuation emergency occur during an investigation or activity, make sure you turn off all heating elements burners and electrical equipment and exit the room as directed.. 29. Always read the reagent bottle labels twice before you use the reagent. Be certain the chemical you use is the correct one.. 30. Replace the top on any reagent bottle as soon as you have finished using it and return the reagent to the designated location.. 31. Do not return unused chemicals to the reagent container. Follow the instructor s directions for the storage or disposal of these materials.. Standards For Maintaining and Improving Safety in a Laboratory Environment 32. Backpacks and books are to remain in an area designated by the instructor and shall not be brought into the laboratory area. 33. Never sit or stand on laboratory tables or chairs. 34. Work areas should be kept clean and neat at all times. Work surfaces are to be cleaned at the end of each laboratory or activity.
35. Solid chemicals, metals, matches, filter papers, broken glass, and other materials designated by the instructor are to be deposited in the proper waste containers, not in the sink. Follow your instructor s directions for disposal of waste. 36. Sinks are to be used for the disposal of water and those solutions designated by the instructor. Other solutions must be placed in the designated waste disposal containers. 37, Glassware should be washed in the dishwasher. Glassware too fragile for the dishwasher is to be washed with hot, soapy water and scrubbed with the appropriate type and sized brush, rinsed, dried, and returned to its original location. 38. Broken glassware it to be placed in the appropriate broken glassware containers rather in the trash to avoid injury to others. 39. In the event of a clean-up in the labs involving blood (ie. a bloody nose, cut) please deposit blood stained items and materials in the red BloodBorne pathogen boxes or special disposable bags in the classroom. Outdoor Safety 40. Individuals are encouraged to apply sunscreen as needed while in the field to prevent against burns. 41. Insects represent a significant source of disease transmission, and precautions to minimize contact are necessary. The use of insect repellent is strongly encouraged in the field to protect against injuries and infections that may result from bites, stings or exposure to insects such as ticks, mosquitoes, flies, and others that are part of the environment. 42. New England is a region of the country where ticks and tick diseases are prevalent. Extreme caution and vigilance should be used. Students should avoid sitting on stone walls and be vigilant even after sitting on the lawn or petting faculty pets. Students and faculty should perform tick checks frequently in the field and should thoroughly inspect their bodies for ticks, bites and rashes when returning from field work. Students are encouraged to change their clothes and shower after being in the field. If a student finds an embedded tick (attached to their skin) they should report this immediately to the health office and to their dorm parent or teacher. If a student, even if they did not find any ticks on their bodies, experiences any symptoms associated with various tick diseases, these symptoms should also be reported to the health office for follow-up in order to rule out possible tick-borne illness. How to recognize ticks and symptoms of disease were reviewed in class and shared with you via a Google Drive folder. 43. Students should wear eye protection and gloves anytime chemical test kits are used in the field. Eye protection should also be used when carrying long objects (i.e. nets, meter sticks) and/or when cutting vegetation along trails. Gloves should be worn when digging in the soil or when engaging in pond explorations. 44. Students should use caution when in the field due to the possible presence of wildlife. Dangers associated with wildlife include, but are not limited to, stings and bites from insects, poisonous snakes (very rare), and rabies, especially in stray domestic animals, fox, skunks, and bats.
45. Students should never pick-up sick/injured animals. Mammals & Reptiles should never be handled by students. Students should report sick/injured animals immediately to a faculty member so that the community can be alerted. As for handling other animals such as amphibians, insects, and birds this should only be done with permission and supervision from your teacher. 46. Students who have allergies to poisonous plants, insect bites or stings or any other allergens encountered outdoors must inform their teacher prior to leaving for the activity. Epi-pen dependent students need to remember to take their Epi-pen with them into the field and show their instructor where their Epi-Pen is located should an emergency response in the field be needed. All students, if bitten or stung will be encouraged to take a Benadryl until they can be evaluated back on campus for any potential unknown allergies/reactions by the Health Office. 47. Students should stay together in assigned groups in full visibility of the teacher. In the event of an accident one person from the group should go for help. Cell phones should be carried while in the field for emergencies, but recognize that cellular service may not always be available. In these cases alternative means of communication will be conveyed by your teacher. 48. Fallen trees should not be jumped on nor should dead trees (snags) be knocked over due to the potential of injury and because they are homes for wildlife. If you notice a potentially dangerous situation involving a fallen tree and/or limb please alert your teacher immediately. 49. Keep in mind that rain and/or snow can make trails slippery so please use caution and walk slowly through the forest. 50. Keep in mind that fallen leaves can make trail obstacles such as rocks and logs difficult to detect so please use caution and walk slowly through the forest. 51. Care should be taken when walking in streams or near stream/river edges as periphyton, a mixture of algae and other microbes growing on rocks can make rocks very slippery. Please use caution and walk slowly through any stream/river environment. 52. In the event of the potential for severe weather in the field, activities should be stopped and shelter sought. Follow your teacher s directions to help ensure your safety. 53. Please do not pick-up or try and help turtles cross the road! Turtles bite and they carry a lot of bacteria in their saliva which could cause infection. Some of the larger snapping turtles could actually bite off your finger!! If concerned find an adult who can facilitate a rescue if needed. 54. Care should be taken when walking in rocky areas, pulling vegetation from the base of trees, walking through tall grass or when stepping over fallen logs and be alert to the possible presence of snakes and/or yellow jackets (stinging insects that often nest in the ground). 55. Generally speaking, the majority of caterpillars pose no risk if touched. Some caterpillars do have urticating spines (irritating bristles) that could raise water blisters if you brushed them along the inside of your arm. It is always best to ask your teacher before picking up caterpillars and then do so with a leaf rather than your bare hand. Never attempt to eat any caterpillars!
56. If you somehow become separated from the group in the field and/or on field trips, stay put and we will attempt to find you. Keep in mind this should not happen if you have stayed within visual range of your teacher! 57. Please make sure you understand the teacher s directions. If you do not, ask for clarification. 58. Do not wade into the ponds or other swampy areas. Some of these have very soft bottoms and you could get stuck and possibly drown. 59. Do not put pencils or pens in the mouth while working in the field. 60. Cover and protect any exposed cuts, broken skin, or wounds prior to working in the field. 61. Do not eat in the field unless proper sanitation has occurred prior to consuming food and a designated area for eating has been established. Remember to drink fluids often on hot days to avoid the dangers of dehydration. 62. Students should never handle a sick or injured bird. 63. Students should not eat and mushrooms. Students should never pick and/or handle any fruit or fungus (mushrooms) without their instructor s permission. Even if they feel they know what it is or have done so in a previous situation or school. 64. Black Bears share Skiff Mountain with us and we need to respect them. If you see a bear If you see a bear: Observe it from a distance. Advertise your presence by shouting and waving your arms or walk slowly away. Do not walk in the forest alone Never attempt to feed or attract bears. Report bear sightings on campus immediately to a faculty member 65. Some plants such as Poison Ivy are poisonous and can give people a bad rash. Be aware of plants with leaves of three. Become familiar with the appearance of poison ivy as well as the vines of the plant growing on trees as both the leaves and vines can transmit irritating oil to one s skin. 66. Bat awareness and safety was discussed in class.
Technology & Hand Tools (Note: More specific rules regarding the use of various pieces of technology and hand tools will be posted near each specific piece of equipment. So please be sure to read these before using the equipment and/or tools). Drones 31. Students should not touch and/or start drones unless given permission to do sounder the direct supervision of a qualified adult experienced in using the equipment. The general FAA drone flight guidelines apply at Marvelwood: Fly at or below 400 ft Keep your UAS (Drone) within sight Never fly near other aircraft, especially near airports Never fly over groups of people and always respect the privacy of others Never fly over stadiums or sports events Never fly near emergency response efforts such as fires, vehicle accidents, etc... Never fly under the influence Be aware of airspace requirements 3D Printers 33. Students should not touch and/or start 3D printers unless given permission to do so under the direct supervision of a qualified adult. Laser Cutters/Engravers 34. Students should never touch and/or start laser cutters/engravers unless given permission to do so and under the direct supervision of a trained adult experienced in using the equipment. Other important safety considerations to keep in mind when using the laser cutters/engravers include: Always follow the manufacturer s instructions when operating a laser cutter. Be sure to enter your name in the log book detailing your use of the laser cutter/engraver, cutting time, and materials cut. Check to make sure that the fire extinguisher mounted on the wall near the laser cutter is still in its proper place. Regular vacuuming of the cutting deck and internal cavity of the laser cutter is very important for preventing fires! Know what materials can be safely cut! Some materials such as PVC produce hydrogen chloride gas which is extremely dangerous. Never leave an operating laser cutter unattended. Avoid placing laser cutters on wooden surfaces. Wear appropriate ANSI approved eye protection for laser cutters/engravers when operating the machine. Hand/ Power Tools (i.e. Drills) Hand/Power tools should not be touched or operated unless permission from the instructor has been given to you. Appropriate Safety Glasses should be worn when operating these tools.
I have read the above science laboratory, field, and technology safety rules and regulations in the Safety Agreement, and I agree to follow them during any science course, investigation, or activity. I acknowledge that these rules initialed by me are necessary to prevent accidents and to ensure my own safety and the safety of others around me in my science class. I will follow any additional instructions given by my instructor. I understand that I may ask my instructor at any time about the rules and regulations if they are not clear to me. My failure to follow these safety rules and regulations may result in discipline. Allergies (etc ) Do you have any allergies (ie. peanuts, latex) or other medical conditions that your instructor should be aware of when you are working in the laboratory and/or field? Yes No Epi-Pen If yes, please explain in the space below: 2018-2019 Academic Year Print Name (student) Signature (student) Date: Print Name (teacher) Signature (teacher) Date: Print Name (parent) Signature (parent ) Date: Spring Term (Outdoor Safety Review) Print Name (student) Signature (student) Date: Print Name (teacher) Signature (teacher) Date: Please keep these pages in the front of the laboratory section of your notebook. Taken/Adapted from Stevenson University Safety Policy for Environmental Field Studies ( www.stevenson.edu/... sciences /... safety /.../ field - studies -agreement.pdf ) and Worthington Field Studies Inc. ( http://www.wfsinc.org/attachments/summer12/form_4_required_forms_packet.pdf ) NSTA link