Survey on Survey on School Laboratory School Laboratory Accidents (2002/03)Accidents (2002/03)

Mr W C HO, EMBMr W C HO, EMBJune 2004June 2004

DiscussionDiscussion1. Are your laboratories safe?2. Were there any accidents

happened in your laboratories recently?

3. Why accidents happen?4. What are your strategies to ensure

a safe environment for learning and working?

Why accidents happen?Why accidents happen?

Careless?

Overcrowding?

Inadequate Safety Facilities?

Problem of Equipment/Chemicals

?

Misbehavior?

Inadequate Safety

Training?Unsafe

Experiments?

Inadequate Preparation?

Poor Laboratory

Management?

Teaching Experiences?

Inadequate Instructions

?

Ignorance?

• 上海兒童醫學中心提供的資料顯示，– 52% 的兒童意外傷害發生在家庭，– 19% 發生在街道，– 12% 發生在學校。

• 其中學齡前兒童的意外傷害多發生在家里，學齡兒童的意外傷害多發生在學校和上學途中，且與學校體育運動設施和騎自行車有密切關係。

深圳南方日報 (2004-04-08)

Who is safest at school?Who is safest at school?

Health and Safety Executive Statistics for 1996/97, UK

Place Real % of accidents to students

Sport activities

Gymnasium

Extracurricular activities

Corridors, stairs & cloakrooms

Toilets

Science laboratories

D&T workshops

Food technology rooms

Classrooms

Play area (inside & outside)

Other

28.9

18.4

13.3

13.3

10.3

5.3

2.3

2.2

1.2

1.0

0.4

Triennial Survey for 02/03Triennial Survey for 02/03

• Dec 03EMBCM 328/2003http://cd.emb.gov.hk/sc_survey

• Jun 04EMBCM 132/2004(collection form)

Accident Statistics (02/03)Accident Statistics (02/03)• 422 Schools responded• Statistics

– 274 schools without accident (65%)– 475 cases in 148 schools (35%)– 1.10 common accidents / school– 325,727 students studying science courses– 1,316,929 practical periods

• 358 students & 8 staff injured• Carelessness (students: 94.5%;teachers: 0.4%; LTs: 1.

1%)• Nature of accidents similar to previous surveys

Accident Rates (02/03)Accident Rates (02/03)• 1.46 cases per 1,000 students• In 2002,

– Road traffic accident rate: 2.3 cases per 1,000 population (Transport Dept)

– Industrial accident rate: 37.4 cases per 1,000 workers (OSHC)

• 3.61 cases per 10,000 practical periods

Types of Accidents (02/03)Types of Accidents (02/03)

(37.5%)

(34.7%)

(6.3%)

(9.9%)

(6.9%)

Subjects Involved (02/03)Subjects Involved (02/03)

12 (2.5%)

152 (32%)

85 (17.9%)

225 (47.4%)

1 (0.2%)

Evaluating Lab AccidentsEvaluating Lab Accidents• Find our how the accident happened• Ask the students involved• Identify the causes• Was the accident handled properly?• Learn from events and take

steps to prevent recurrences• Keep proper records

(minor and serious accidents)• Review in Subject Panel &

SCLS meetings• Identify underlying failures in the

safety management system

Accident Case

10/2002

Analysis: Type-MonthAnalysis: Type-MonthNumber of Accidents

Type of Accidents Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

Chemicals on skin

Eye accidents

Chemical spillage

Heat burns or scalds

Discomfort arising from inhalation of gases

Cuts

Substances catching fire

Bites by animals

Others

Total

Analysis: Type-YearAnalysis: Type-YearNumber of Accidents

Type of Accidents 95/96 96/97 97/98 98/99 99/00 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05

Chemicals on skin

Eye accidents

Chemical spillage

Heat burns or scalds

Discomfort arising from inhalation of gases

Cuts

Substances catching fire

Bites by animals

Others

Total

Analysis: Subject-MonthAnalysis: Subject-MonthNumber of Accidents

Subject Involved Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

S1 Science

S2 Science

S3 Science

S4-5 Physics

S6-7 Physics

S4-5 Chemistry

S6-7 Chemistry

S4-5 Biology

S6-7 Biology

Total

Zero AccidentZero Accident• Number of accident-free

days/months/years• Do you believe that all accidents are

preventable?• How can we achieve ZERO

ACCIDENT?

ReferencesReferences• Gerlovich, J. A. (2002) NSTA analyzers Safety in th

e classroom, The Science Teacher, Oct, pp. 52-55• Gerlovich, J. A. (2001) et al, Surveying Safety: How

researchers addressed safety in science classrooms in Wisconsin, The Science Teacher, Apr, pp.31-34

• Charles A Dana Centre (2001) An Analysis of Laboratory Safety in Texas, University of Texas at Austin http://www.tenet.edu/teks/science/safety/index.html

• ASE (1996) Safeguards in the School Laboratory, ASE

• OSHC (2000) Safety and Health Management DIY Kit for SMEs, OSHC

“Practical work is much more enjoyable if safety procedures have been carefully planned and followed.”

Alasdair Thorpe (2000), Assessing the Risks in Practical Work, Chemistry Review, Sept, pp.25-26

“It requires constant vigilance and attention even if it’s gone right 999 times.”

Kaufman, Dow Chemical Co.Kaufman, Dow Chemical Co.

Safety is Safety is Everyone’s Everyone’s

ResponsibilityResponsibility