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 process of editing and revising resulted in the 1990 STAT Laboratory Safety Survey (West & Cielencki, 1992). Attached to the survey was an Incident/Accident Report form that asked participants to describe any incidents or accidents that may have occurred in their classes. That instrument form was the precursor for the extensively revised 2001 Incident/ Accident Report used in this study, which is part of a larger study, the Texas Science Safety Survey, 2001.

Texas Science Safety Survey, 2001: Incident/Accident Report

The Texas Science Safety Survey, 2001, is a 187-item survey that covered several key issues including

1. Conditions of Science Teaching.

2. Teacher Certification.

3. Science Facilities.

4. Teacher Safety Training.

5. Student Safety Training.

6. Science Safety Incidents.

7. Science Safety Accidents.

8. The Greatest Hazard of Science Teaching.

In addition to the survey, an Incident/Accident report was included in each packet that was sent to a random sample of 199 secondary schools. The sample was based on district type, percentage of economically disadvantaged students on the campus, and the percentage of students of different ethnicities on campus. After completing the multiple-choice portion of the survey, the participants were provided an opportunity to describe any incidents or accidents they could recall in the Incident/Accident Report. This report was optional, open-ended, and anonymous. Respondents provided information on class size, classroom space per student, room size, injuries, the procedure followed immediately after the incident or accident, safety training, and written safety policies.

The reports are unique in capturing the strengths and weaknesses of safety practices in science classrooms, laboratories, and field sites as perceived by the teachers without inclusion of researcher bias and input.

Results and Discussion

This study indicates that there are several key areas of concern existing within science classrooms, laboratories, and field settings that link with incidents and accidents. These factors include overcrowding, poor discipline, inadequate science facilities, and lack of safety training. In addition, this study also identifies the most frequent types of accidents and the presence or absence of written safety policies. Furthermore, it is important to include both accidents and incidents when dealing with these concerns because it is in these "incident" situations where the potential lies for accidents to occur.

This study confirms data from some of the older reports surveying nonrandom samples of science teachers. Additionally, this study, unlike any of the older reports, provides statistically significant linkages between increased rates of mishaps and factors/situations in science classrooms.

Of the 856 science teachers completing the Texas Secondary Science Safety Survey, 81 also returned the Incident/Accident Reports. Sixty-five percent of the reports were from high schools and 32% were from middle schools. The conditions under which the incidents and accidents took place are summarized in Table 1. Most mishaps, 91%, occurred during the class period. Student-conducted activities accounted for 78% of mishaps, and 14% occurred during a class demonstration or laboratory preparation by a teacher. The majority, 78%, of occurrences involved only a student, and 16% affected only the teacher.