CLEAPSS: Keep it safe! Health and safety for new teachers

Science teachers must comply with health and safety legislation as there are many hazardous chemicals, living organisms, pieces of equipment and procedures in use in school laboratories. There are many pitfalls to trap the unwary, particularly newly-qualified science teachers.

As well as knowing how to work safely, new teachers also have to develop the skills needed to run a successful practical lesson. This course will therefore also consider what this means and offer suggestions and tips based on new CLEAPSS publications.

Audience

• Secondary NQT science teachers

Date and time

• Tuesday 30 November
• 9.30am - 3.30pm/4.00pm

Cost

• £150 for CLEAPSS members
• £295 for non-members

Objectives

• raise awareness of health and safety matters amongst new science teachers
• fulfill, in part, the obligation on employers to provide health and safety training for new staff
• develop an understanding of risk assessment
• allow participants to share concerns about health and safety matters
• further develop skills and techniques for running a successful practical lesson.

Workshops

• Safety in school science - the role of the NQT
• Risk assessment and dealing with emergencies
• How to make the best use of CLEAPSS resources
• Dealing with issues raised by participants including learning from past accidents

The course will seek to reassure the over-anxious, whilst restraining the too independently-minded teacher. It will also debunk a few myths and look at legal requirements and the duties of teachers and their employers.

There will be opportunities to check model risk assessments and to consider how these might need to be modified to deal with particular problems.  The importance of adopting control measures and of sticking to agreed procedures will be emphasised.  Activities in the lab that commonly give rise to problems will also be highlighted and discussed plus there will be opportunities to discuss your own safety concerns.