Australia's Science Forum

Ninjas were japanese fighters centuries ago and they flung sharp round and flat metal blades at people as weapons. If you can imagine very direct frisbee style, with force.

RiskAssess applies it to heat mats and gauze mats.

and retort stands can be used as swords some very creative risk assessments - the teachers don't read them out to kids for fear it will just fuel their imaginations! but at least the teachers have a 'heads up' and can be looking out for possible culprits...

Gotta love: "Tripod legs may be unscrewed and left as a "booby trap" for the next user."

Or "FISH: Do not eat in the laboratory" Fair enough, except that it was under the category of "Living Things" Well! There's such a thing as taking sushi too far!

Oh, and 1metre rulers can also be used as swords.

Yep. There's a guy who has worked in interesting schools.

Swords!!! nah

Golf clubs and cricket bats and they come back in poor shape ie. pieces. I sometimes despair that the teachers never see this happening.

Lyn.

Well, I obviously work with some pretty lame and unimaginative teens then :O

I would hate to shatter your view of Phillip, but I am pretty sure, he has not worked in schools. He is a Phd chem professor who as far as I know only worked at Universities. He started his own company (name evades me something "solve" ) and workes with his son on all OH&S matters. Very knowledgeable guy with lots of experience and lots of stories to tell.
Lada
PS Gauze mats are pesky things even for our yr12 chem students. One touched it while red hot and had to go to school sister feeling faint. How is that, yr 12 and still stupid.

lada wrote:How is that, yr 12 and still stupid.

Some things just can't be taught...

[quote="smiley"]Gotta love: "Tripod legs may be unscrewed and left as a "booby trap" for the next user."

Or "FISH: Do not eat in the laboratory" Fair enough, except that it was under the category of "Living Things" Well! There's such a thing as taking sushi too far!

Oh, and 1metre rulers can also be used as swords. quote]


Lyn maybe you could email him about the eye disection would love to read that risk ass. I reackon he has more than one son, I know what my boys can think up.

We had a year 12 chemistry student (male) who wanted to pick up the gauze mat but realised it would be too hot (good start!) so was going to use a plastic sandwich bag (that I had used for paddle pop sticks or the like) to protect his hand! Managed to stop him just in time.

We have only just started using the RiskAssess program this week I'm still finding my way around it. Teachers, well some are going well, including a teacher I really was worried this would convince her to retire not real computer savvy) and of course the one who knows it all! seems to be having the most trouble.

Anyway back to me still finding my way around, is there anyway of booking out a whole lab for the day without actually doing a risk assessment. I have sent out emails to everyone asking not to book anything, and you guessed it. we have the CSIRO coming for a day!!! Can anyone help me out?

Big smiles

You could possibly just create a blank RA. Our room bookings go off a different computer program that all staff use. With the labs and risk assess we only use it for pracs/equipment requests. To do a 'blank' RA, Just call it CSIRO visit, and in the reference section write "Lab in use all day. No other bookings allowed" and when people log on they should see this. Put in the lab you want then just leave the rest blank and generate the risk assessment. That's about the only way I can think of.

Thanks Rosalie,

I ended up doing something similar this morning. I emailed Phillip Crisp late yesterday, he replied within 10 minutes which I thought was pretty impressive he replied that there had been a few request for the same thing and as yet haven't done anything formal about it. and suggested the same thing.

It would make it heaps easier, we have a separate school booking system, but I just can't confuse them to much in one week

We use a program called 'Book-it' from the same people who produced Sci List - CaRob computing .. works really well as it is on school network drive ..

My favourite potential hazard..
Chicken, freshly dead...

Axe anyone??

dog
Potential hazards
May bite. May be infected with hydatid or rabies. Wash hands after touching dog.
Standard handling procedures
It is not permitted to carry out experiments on dogs in schools.
dog hair(dog fur)
Potential hazards
May cause allergic reaction in some people. Flammable, with difficulty.

thank you - needed the laugh

I so have to get this program!!

No seriously, after some of the behavior of staff I really want to impliment risk assessments at one of my schools. One teacher in particular shows a disregard for even basic safety. For example, he was doing the Kiwi Dna Extraction (with bananas) last week and none of his students had lab coats or safety glasses. When I questioned him he said "There is nothing that can hurt them, I'm sure a bit of banana in the eye is not a problem" Hmmm maybe not but a bit of ethanol migh be or a broken glass stirring rod. The trouble is, here in Tas (in the catholic system anyway) there is no "ruling" that we have to have them. I am currently trying to pull out pieces of the new WHS requirements to support my case.

I love it, it's only taken them the week to get used it, I'm so far ahead of myself this week because of the program. I'm in a Catholic School I know it's heading that way that we'll have to do risk assessments for everything, I think we all need to cover our own

I did type in MEN under living things and this is what came up, sorry

blood, humanPotential hazards
Possibility of infection during experiments with human blood. Standard handling procedures
Do not use. It is not permitted to culture unknown microorganisms.

breath, humanPotential hazards
Possibility of infection during experiments with human breath. Standard handling procedures
Do not use. It is not permitted to culture unknown microorganisms.

cough, humanPotential hazards
Possibility of infection during experiments with human cough. Standard handling procedures
Do not use.

saliva, humanPotential hazards
Possibility of infection during experiments with human saliva. Standard handling procedures
Do not use. It is not permitted to culture unknown microorganisms.

human hairPotential hazards
Flammable, with difficulty.

To be fair guys I also typed in WOMEN it came back
"No matching living things found. Please search again below."