An analysis of Incident/Accident Reports from the Texas secondary school science safety survey, 2001

School Science and Mathematics, Oct 2003 by Stephenson, Amanda L, West, Sandra S, Westerlund, Julie F, Nelson, Nancy C

This study investigated safety in Texas secondary school science laboratory, classroom, and field settings. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) drew a random representative sample consisting of 199 secondary public schools in Texas. Eighty-one teachers completed Incident/Accident Reports. The reports were optional, anonymous, and open-ended ; thus, they are unique in capturing the strengths and weaknesses of safety practices in school science settings as perceived by the teachers. Pertinent findings include: a) incidents and accidents (mishaps) increased from 8% to 62% as the class enrollment increased from 24 students (p 60 ft^sup 2^ per student to 1200 ft^sup 2^ to

Monday, March 11, 2002, seemed to be a typical spring day at New Berlin West High School in New Berlin, Wisconsin, until something horribly unexpected occurred during a chemistry demonstration in the school auditorium. A chemistry teacher was igniting chloride and methyl alcohol mixtures to show the variety of chloride emissions when a sudden burst of flames shot into the audience of students. Immediately, four female students suffered extensive burns to the face, neck, hands, and arms. (Hetzner, 2002). A similar event occurred in November 1999 at Waverly High School in Delta Township, Michigan, when methanol ignited as the chemistry teacher heated it in a small container. This accident severely burned a student and required her to have skin grafts (Wronski & Durbin, 2001.

Although headline-producing articles capture attention, most safety issues in the classroom, laboratory, and field are not publicized. For instance, in 2001 an Iowa middle school student inadvertently knocked over one of the graduated cylinders while taking volume measurements. No one was injured. Although incidents like this one do not make it into the headlines, such situations have the potential for more serious accidents to occur. Had the glassware shattered and struck an eye or contained a hazardous chemical, the likelihood of an injury would have increased. The same conditions that surround an incident without human injury also surround injury-causing accidents.

Mishaps in classroom, laboratory, and field activities occur with little or no warning. The first two events described were severe occurrences and are classified in this paper as "accidents." Accidents, as defined in this study, include human injuries that take place during science activities in the classroom, lab, or field. Although these are the events we consider most important, there are numerous episodes, or "incidents," that are less severe but equally significant in their potential to cause injury. Incidents, as defined in this study, include spills, broken glass, excessive fumes, small fires, and liquids boiling over during activities in the classroom, lab, or field that do not cause human injury. Such events include the last mishap mentioned, which involved broken glassware.

Mishaps should not prevent science teachers from conducting "active science" with their students but, instead, make teachers, administrators, students, parents, and public officials more aware of the necessity for safety in science classes. Safe hands-on laboratory and field experiences are integral to student learning (National Research Council [NRC], 1996; National Science Teachers' Association's [NSTA] Task Force on Science Facilities and Equipment, 1993). Sixty percent of middle school and 40% of high school lab and field instruction should be spent conducting investigations (NSTA, 1993). Similarly, at least 40% of the instructional time for Texas secondary school science students must include "hands-on laboratory investigations and field work using appropriate scientific inquiry" (Texas Administrative Code [TAC], 1998). Therefore, the extensive laboratory and field activities recommended for science literacy, and sometimes required by states, must be conducted safely.

Importance of Study

This paper reports the findings of Incident/Accident Reports from a large-scale science safety survey of secondary school science teachers in Texas. The design of the Incident/Accident Reports was based on previous research indicateing that certain factors including overcrowding, discipline, adequate science equipment and facilities, and safety training (of teachers and students), increase the number of incidents and accidents occurring in school science settings. The previous studies conducted in science safety have used localized, self-selected groups. However, this study is the first of its kind in that it statistically links these factors to mishaps. The findings of this study can be used to develop science classroom, laboratory, and field safety guidelines on a classroom, school, district, state, and national level during a time when budgets are being cut due to a weak economy and reduced local, state, and federal allocations.

More scientifically designed studies were needed in order to provide statistically credible information about specific science safety issues to state education agencies, state boards of education, and professional organizations for administrators, architects, facilities planners, and science teachers. There are no current data concerning safety in secondary school science classrooms, laboratories, and field settings in Texas, and there are few national studies. This is due in part to the following: 1) the last Texas Education Agency (TEA) safety survey occurred in 1991; 2) there is no requirement for reporting accidents; 3) there is no mandated and documented annual safety training for science teachers; and 4) there is no systematic data collection on conditions of safety in science (or other) classrooms. Additionally, new national science education standards-based requirements were implemented in Texas (TAC 19:74, 1998). A current research-based picture of today's school science settings will provide a basis for making decisions to implement these requirements.