Implementing a Comprehensive Safety Program in School Districts

This 2024 EdCircuit Staff piece outlines the parts of a comprehensive STEAM and science safety program for school districts, including training, risk assessments, protective equipment and inspections. The section below, added in 2026, sets out what the OSHA Laboratory Standard and the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) say a science lab safety program needs.

In today’s educational landscape, school districts are increasingly recognizing the importance of implementing comprehensive safety programs to ensure the well-being of students, staff, and the entire school community. A holistic approach to safety, particularly in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) education, is essential for creating a secure and conducive learning environment. 

The shift from a traditional, holistic approach to a more spectral STEAM safety program is a revolutionary step towards addressing the diverse academic disciplines within the educational setting. It encompasses a wide array of safety protocols and training initiatives that are vital for enhancing awareness and promoting safety best practices. 

One of the fundamental responsibilities of school administrators and educators is to provide regular training and awareness programs in alignment with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines. These programs should be conducted regularly to ensure that safety remains a top priority, with monthly safety meetings and ongoing safety-related agenda items being integral components of this approach. 

Furthermore, the implementation of activity-based risk assessments, meticulous documentation reviews, and the use of safety acknowledgment forms are crucial for reinforcing safety expectations and mitigating potential legal entanglements in the event of accidents. 

In the context of STEAM education, where hands-on activities and experiments are commonplace, the proper utilization of personal protective equipment (PPE) and adherence to safety protocols are of utmost importance. Educators must be well-versed in identifying and addressing hazards and risks before carrying out any activities, emphasizing the significance of using suitable PPE such as safety glasses and chemical splash goggles.

Moreover, school facilities and instructional spaces, including laboratories and classrooms, must undergo regular inspections to ensure that safety equipment such as eye wash stations and emergency showers are functional and readily available. 

Additionally, appropriate storage of materials and strict adherence to safety data sheets are imperative for maintaining a safe learning environment. It is essential to recognize that a comprehensive safety program not only benefits students and staff but also extends to the broader school community, including administrators and supervisors. By fostering a culture of safety and accountability, school districts can create an environment where everyone plays a pivotal role in upholding and promoting safety standards. 

In conclusion, a holistic STEAM safety program in school districts is a multifaceted endeavor that demands unwavering commitment and collaboration from all stakeholders. By embracing a spectral approach to safety, school districts can instill a culture of safety consciousness that ultimately enhances the overall educational experience for everyone involved.

Science lab safety program: what OSHA and NSTA say a district needs

A science lab safety program starts with a written plan, a named person responsible for it, and training that happens before staff work with hazardous chemicals. The article above refers to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines, and the standard it links to, 29 CFR 1910.1450, is the main federal rule for laboratory chemical safety. This section summarizes that rule and the NSTA guidance that applies it to schools, so that a district can check its own program against them.

What the OSHA Laboratory Standard requires

According to the text of the standard on OSHA’s website, it applies to employers engaged in the laboratory use of hazardous chemicals, defined as work done on a laboratory scale with multiple procedures or chemicals, outside a production process, with protective laboratory practices and equipment in common use. The employer must have a written Chemical Hygiene Plan that protects employees from the chemical health hazards in the laboratory. The plan must be available to employees and to OSHA, and it must include:

• standard operating procedures for safety and health;
• criteria for choosing control measures, including engineering controls, protective equipment and hygiene practices;
• requirements that fume hoods and other protective equipment work properly;
• employee information and training;
• circumstances that require approval before a laboratory operation begins;
• medical consultation and examination provisions;
• designation of responsible personnel, including a Chemical Hygiene Officer; and
• extra protections for particularly hazardous substances.

The employer must review and evaluate the plan at least annually. Employees must receive information and training when first assigned to an area with hazardous chemicals and before new exposure situations, covering the plan, exposure limits, signs of exposure, where safety data sheets are kept, and protective measures including emergency procedures. The Chemical Hygiene Officer is an employee qualified by training or experience to give technical guidance on developing and carrying out the plan.

Whether the rule covers a given district

NSTA’s safety issue paper on the K-12 Chemical Hygiene Officer explains that federal OSHA does not have jurisdiction over public school employees in every state. Many states operate OSHA-approved State Plans that extend the Laboratory Standard to public employees, or have labor departments that adopt federal standards by reference, so in much of the country the requirement carries legal force for public school staff. The paper also notes that the standard does not set minimum qualifications, training hours or duties for a K-12 officer, so a district could technically meet the requirement by giving the title to an employee without training, authority or time. A district should check with its state labor department which rules apply, and the NSTA position statement on safety and school science instruction (adopted in 2015 and revised in April 2024) encourages every district, including those not covered, to follow the standard.

What NSTA recommends in practice

The position statement recommends that district leaders adopt a comprehensive program that covers engineering controls such as fume hoods and fire extinguishers, administrative procedures such as chemical management policies and emergency procedures, and personal protective equipment. It adds several points a district can act on:

• All school employees, contractors and emergency personnel should have direct access to safety data sheets for the hazardous chemicals used in instruction.
• Districts should train science teachers when first assigned to rooms where hazardous chemicals are present and before new exposure situations, and should repeat training annually.
• Research cited in the statement indicates that a class of more than 24 students doing science activities cannot be safely supervised by one teacher, and that accidents rise as enrollments exceed 24 or workspace is inadequate.
• Teachers should identify, document and report hazards, and assess the risks of each proposed activity. If an activity cannot be done safely, even with modification, the teacher should drop it, and the district should not discipline a teacher for an objectively reasonable judgment.
• Districts should send written safety acknowledgment forms to parents and keep them for the period required by state law.
• No food or drink in laboratory spaces, and no chemical or bacterial activities in cafeterias.

Why the program matters

The NSTA paper reports an analysis of acute chemical release incidents in 14 states from 2008 to 2013, published in the Journal of Environmental Health (Anderson and colleagues, 2017). Schools accounted for 1.3 percent of the chemical release incidents recorded but 8.5 percent of the incidents in which people were injured. Of the 335 school incidents, 41 occurred in school laboratories, with 88 injured people, and students were 62.1 percent of the injured persons in school incidents. The NSTA paper also notes that no federal agency systematically tracks laboratory incidents in K-12 schools, so the true count is probably higher.

A district can use these sources as a short checklist: a written plan reviewed every year, a Chemical Hygiene Officer with training and time, scheduled teacher training, working safety equipment, accessible safety data sheets, class sizes within the limits above, and records of incidents and near misses.

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