1001 Lab Safety Questions:

What Every High School Science Teacher Should Know

The Laboratory Safety Institute invites all science/education organizations and individuals to contribute what they believe are the important questions that high school science teachers should be able to answer.  We ask not only for the question but also for the correct answer and the resource reference which help readers to better understand why the answer is correct.

LSI believes that there are two myths in science education: the administrator’s myth and the student’s myth.  They go like this.

The Administrators’ Myth: They went to school for a long time and studied science.  They will make sure that students are not harmed.

The Students’ Myth: They went to school for a long time and studied science.  They will make sure that students are not harmed.

In the spring of 2015, the Laboratory Safety Institute (LSI) completed a survey of US State and Territory Departments of Education.  Only one question was asked.  “Do you have any written requirements to become a certified science teacher in your state or territory?”  Only 8% said yes (100% participation).

Faced with increasing concern that children and administrators can’t count on new science teachers having sufficient knowledge about science safety, LSI is now “crowd-sourcing” this collection of question, answers, and resources. 

We hope that prospective science teachers, the colleges and universities that help to educate them, and current science teachers will use this collection of question to grow both their knowledge and appreciation of safety in science education.  Want to test your Lab Safety Intelligence Quotient (LSIQ)?  Try answering the questions in this collection.

We hope that every reader will want to contribute a question and challenge the answers wherever appropriate.  Questions may be multiple choice, true/false, fill in the blank, essay, etc.

Life has nine hazards: Chemical, Physical, Biological, Mechanical, Radiation, Hi-Lo Pressure, Noise, Electrical, and Stress.  We will divide the questions into these nine categories and add a few more for good measure, as needed.

Everyone contributing a question which is accepted for publication will receive an electronic copy of the full collection and an acknowledgment (unless you wish to remain anonymous). 

If you are interested in volunteering to serve on an editorial board, want more information, or wish to submit Q&A’s, please contact me: 508-574-6264 or email jim**At_Symbol_Here**labsafetyinstitute.org.

Thanks in advance for your help and for sharing this request with others.  … Jim

James A. Kaufman, Ph.D.

President/CEO
The Laboratory Safety Institute (LSI)
A Nonprofit Educational Organization for

Safety in Science, Industry, and Education

192 Worcester Street, Natick, MA 01760-2252
508-647-1900  Fax: 508-647-0062 
Cell: 508-574-6264  Res: 781-237-1335
Skype: labsafe; 508-319-1225

jim**At_Symbol_Here**labsafetyinstitute.org  www.labsafetyinstitute.org

Chair, ICASE Committee on Safety in Science Education

International Council for Associations of Science Education

www.icaseonline.net

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