labelling chemicals NSW versus QLD

[estelle]

Hello,
Can anyone tell me if the labelling requirements are the same for NSW DET schools and QLD schools. eg colour coding etc.
Only asking because we may be employing an ex QLD (Townsville)school science labbie to fill in on some days that I am taking off this year.
Thanks
Estelle

[RosalieM]

If you have a colour code sheet on the wall somewhere for her to refer to you should be ok though. It's not like she'll be receiving mass stock orders or anything.

[estelle]

It wasn't so much about her doing labelling on new stock, it was more about the staff asking for chemicals or some equipment for example year 8, that we are only supposed to send out for senior students etc.
I have told the staff here that they need to have all the prac requests they need for Friday and monday up early, so I can have it all prepared, so whoever comes in will only be doing very basic jobs, but you know what they are like.
I am only taking every second friday off meaning 11 days over the whole year and this has turned into a big bun fight over who gets to fill in.
Thanks for the replies.
Estelle

[merilyn]

Estelle
Take the time off and relax. I'm sure you've got good systems in place with labelling, coloured dots etc that should be easy for anyone to follow. I came into this job with only a brief hand over and have managed to work it all out. It helped that things were clearly labelled and there was a table explaining the coding system displayed on the wall.

M.

[smiley]

Labelling requirements?? Are we supposed to label stuff? I mean accurately?

Haven't you seen Bob Katter Jr on the TV? The basic rule of thumb is that the further North you go, the more laid back you get. People in Cooktown are virtually horizontal, and when you get to the Straits....

But seriously, judging from what you guys write about coloured dots and such, I'm guessing NSW is a little more intense perhaps. But don't quote me OK!

[Labbie]

Your are so right Smiley, every thing that goes into a class room MUST have a coloured dot on it. Green 7-12 Orange 11-12 only Red Teacher or labbie ONLY. No ifs or buts about it.
Get caught without a coloured dot, and it can be a fine, some schools have had big ones. The CSIS tells you which dot goes on want. I am not 100% sure but have been told once the National Currcumlum comes to town, all states will have the CSIS to follow.

Our liquid soap has a green dot on it, laugh we do, every day.

[nickyw]

Oh Smiley you crack me up. BOB KATTER


No we dont have colour codes for chemicals up here, but if the qld labbie has worked in a school before, I'm sure she will pick up the codes in no time.

Just relax, I think you are worrying far too much, we are not that bad up here.

[rae]

I too think you are over reacting. When I started here 5 years ago I had never worked in a school. I had worked in pathology labs for a long time though, so had a science background. I had no one to train me, so with the help of CSIS and my brain I worked the colour coding out for myself. Someone who has worked in a school science lab should have know problem.

[estelle]

Don't know about overreacting or not but my HT said I shouldn't even have the PVA glue in a squeeze sauce bottle in the school because we could get fined. It's labelled correctly, doesn't leave the prep room and is a whole lot easier to use than what it came in. I figure some people don't have anything better to do.
I was only covering my (.)

Talking about over the top, a builder I know told me that they were told stanley knives were to be banned from building sites because of an incident involving someone being attacked by one. Have they not seen what a nail gun can do!! How about hammers, screwdrivers, cement mixers (concrete boots). Must check and see if he is still an apprentice, maybe someone was having a lend of him.

Anyway, the SAM has found someone else to replace me that she thought was experienced for the job, he is doing Cert III at Tafe and has done 3 days there so far and never been in a lab before. I will have to ease him into jobs like most of us have done.

Thanks everyone.
E

[Labbie]

Hi Estelle, I am sorry but your HD is correct, you can be fined for useing food bottles, in Science. The CSIS does state not to use them ever. So a sauce bottle with Glue is well a little over the top, but the Head Teacher is the one that gets the fine. We had Iron fillings in the Master food spice bottles, they have a little sieve in the top, great for iron Filings, our new Head Teacher said OH NO, and we have had to throw all of them away. I thought it was a great idea, but our new head teacher is the one in the line of fire so to speak.

[RosalieM]

You can get around it by purchasing the re-fillable sauce bottles (clear ones, like for picnics etc) and use those. Crazy, i know!! OH&S has gone beyond a joke... and we have our OH&S meeting this arvo... Some things are good, but most is just covering butts because if someone doesn't have common sense they can blame someone else! I remember seeing somewhere "The problem with common sense is that it's not very common". So true! I think the issue is that someone can recognise it as a food container and put glue all over their sausage (even if it is labelled 'glue') but if it is a purchased container it can be used for anything because it doesn't have a specified purpose, just a 'suggested use'. It is ridiculous. Same with having to have all the MSDSs in case of fire. Do you really think the firies are going to read 3 lever arch folders full of MSDS before they attack the fire? Chemical register I can understand. And MSDS for hazardous/dangerous goods, yes. Poisons information number listed somewhere handy, yes. MSDS for distilled water?? STUPID WASTE OF PAPER!! As for the issue someone brought up about 'what if the MSDS is missing and you look and it's not there so you assume non-hazardous?' Well, I suggest we keep the Chemical Register as an index and have non-hazardous next to anything that shouldn't need MSDS and have the required MSDS listed alphabetically. But that's just what I think, not what I do. Sorry for getting on my soap box (should I have MSDS for that??). Just a little frustrated by the stupidity of so many things at the moment...

[Labbie]

No Roslie, you may need a RA, incase of a fall??????????????? I agree with you, OH&S gone mad.

[J]

I have some PVA glue in a stuhl dropper bottle. Works for me.

J

[Narelle01]

I have pasta shells in 1kg tub of yoghurt container.

I returned the unused milk to the bottle in the fridge from the bio prac, and just in case the cleaner was thirsty (like he has been in the past for our coke) I wrote 'not for drinking' 'do not drink' all over the bottle

[Labbie]

Yes we label our milk, Breast milk, no seems to what to take that one.

[nickyw]

Right on Rosalie I couldn't agree more. OH&S gone mad. Who eats anything out of the science lab anyway, especially something that looks like glue, smells like glue but wait its in a sauce bottle so it must be sauce


Its so hard to make the teachers comply with OH&S and RAs etc etc when they and I know its a load of cr*p. In fact yesterday I had an arguement (taken lightly) with one of the teachers about filling out these new RAs in QLD and I could totally see his point of view, but rules are rules.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who has the same view on all this stuff, MSDS for soap PLEASE!!