This guide provides guidelines and procedures for safety audits and inspections in work environments. Contents include: (1) Administrative Concepts, (2) Physical Concepts, (3) Protecting Your Audits, (4) Safety Inspections, and (5) Safety Inspection Checklist. The appendix features federal laws and regulations affecting laboratories. (YDS)

This study was intended to measure the effectiveness of ventilation systems in removing airborne contaminants produced by arc welding in vocational agriculture laboratories in Missouri. It was found that most schools did not meet the minimum Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards. (SK)

Highlights the importance of considering the hazards, precautions, and emergency procedures pertinent to the safe handling of chemicals before introducing students to the laboratory. Discusses safety hazards depending on the chemical's properties including flammability, corrosivity, toxicity, and reactivity; eye protection; and physical hazards.…

Highlights the guidelines for assuring safety that are endorsed within the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Pathways to the Science Standards. Discusses findings of an ongoing study of 500 science teachers that indicate science teacher understanding of the National Science Education Standards and NSTA's guidelines as they relate to…

The author outlines options available to protect students' and teachers' hearing in noisy vocational education laboratories. (CH)

Reports the results of a National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) study that analyzed science classroom safety. Examines the potential need for a national safety indexing system to rank states with regard to science safety. (DDR)

Discusses the importance of involving students in assessing the risks versus the benefits of specific laboratory activities, completing accident/incident reports, and performing periodic safety inspections. Concludes that involving students enhances their awareness of both hazards and precautions that must be taken. Provides them another avenue…

Presents a checklist as a guide for preparing a set of safety rules that has been adapted from the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission's publication titled "School Science Laboratories: A Guide to Some Hazardous Substances". Addresses work habits; safety wear; facilities and equipment; purchasing, use, and disposal of chemicals; and…

Hearing loss resulting from excessive noise levels remains a concern in technology education laboratories. Teachers must take responsibility to provide a safer, less noisy environment. (SK)

Describes a safety program for teaching science. In the summer of 1999, specific Wisconsin safety laws, codes, and standards were researched and a training program including content, training sites, and dates was developed. One-day training programs were planned for six regions throughout the state. (SAH)

In response to the Texas Hazardous Communication Act (THCA) of 1986 which raised many new health and liability issues regarding students in science laboratories, a laboratory safety survey was generated for use in evaluating laboratory safety. This article contains the easy-to-use survey. (ZWH)

A survey and hearing test of 46 male agriculture teachers in West Virginia had the following results: (1) 36 had some high- frequency hearing loss; (2) 66% did not receive information on hearing in college; (3) 35% never wear hearing protection; (4) 51% have trouble getting students to use safety equipment; and (5) only 9% have had the sound…

The design of vocational laboratories must reflect four major design criteria: (1) work flow and activity relationships; (2) equipment size and orientation requirements; (3) mechanical system requirements; and (4) requirements related to supervision, safety, and control. (Author)

Four questions chemistry teachers should regularly ask are How well informed am I on safety? Do I instruct students about safety in an appropriate manner? How well do I plan for safety? Do I accept my responsibility to supervise personally all laboratory activities? Answers to these questions are provided. (JN)

A discussion of the teacher responsibility to student with regard to safety in the shop. (HD)