Australia's Science Forum

I'm starting to think we will all be out of a job soon because eventually it will be decided that pracs require too much paperwork and teachers don't have time to worry about it! Perhaps it will become "OK kids, if we were to do a prac to demonstrate 'this', we would do 'that'. Let's have a look at the risks involved and the paperwork that would go with it (takes up whole lesson - kids write their own RA), so we won't do it and you can just take my word for it that 'this' would happen"... And then nobody will want to be a scientist anymore!

Hi All,

Thank you for being patient re: Risk Assessments,

I will be heading over to the Fax machine now... Check your paper work as the Risk Assessment will be there ASAP...

Cheers,

Robb.....

P.S. I appologise for the time delay although I said that I will send these off to you Thursday Last but as you can probably see that I am busy here with a lot of requests. But as promised you will have them..

Thanks again for your patience guy's....

hi Robb,
I would like a copy of your RA please.
The fax no. is

(03)62730940

Will message you when I get it.
Thanks

Pat

hi Lisa,
I would really appreciate it if you could also email me the pdf for "Getting it to Work" to me.
My address is
pmeaney@dominic.tas.edu.au

Thanks

Pat

Hi Pat,

I will have the RA on the fax machine in no time,..

Cheers,

Robb.....

Hi All,

Just for your information I have now faxed off the RA to all whom have requested them.. Up to now at least..

Cheers,

Robb.....

Hi Robb... sorry to be a pain... but when you get time, could you please fax me a RA form as well?

Fax 02 49676658

Thanks in advance?

Hi Lisa, I have just read all the risk assessment letters and would like a copy of "Getting it to Work". I'm not sure of the regulations as appply to Northern territory, so, so far have kept a low profile on RA and just concentrate on MSDS, and add recomendation notes about safety, on the request for equipment form. (Read or not never quite sure)
My email is rosalie.breen@ntschools.net
Thanks a lot
Rosalie

Dear Robb - Tried to send a private message - could'nt work out how to do it!!!! I know I have sent PM's in the past, but things appear to be different, so I gave up in despair (well almost!!!) So, just letting you know that the RA arrived safely, Many Thanks. What would we do without you??? Cheers. Judy Gould.

Now, to slightly change the direction of the thread.....

All this RA stuff has set me on the path of investigating what we are doing as opposed to what we should be doing as opposed to what some people THINK we should be doing, and I seem to be comming to the oppinion that there are as many ideas as there are people, but that it is almost impossible to pin anybody down to a precise "Chapter and verse" in the legislation. (probably because the legislation itself is very huge and hard to wade through!?)

Firstly, does anybody know the "Chapter and Verse" that spells out EXACTLY what is involved in a RA for a normal class prac, and how it should be set out, how often it should be revised etc..

Secondly, I have just discovered that my two volumes of printed out "Mini MSDS's" left to me by my predecessor are in fact NOT Mini MSDS's but ChemGold "Summary Pages" (and all more than or about 5 years old). When we include a Mini MSDS in the tote tray for a prac, are the "Summary Pages" sufficient?

If I am about to reprint the more than 5 year old Mini MSDS's, should I replace the old "Summary Pages" with new "Summary Pages" or with the proper "Mini MSDS's"?

I look forward to your ideas!

Ian

Ian
What a great question one I have been thinking exactly this myself and actually asked previously with no satisfactory answer..
BUT
I was reading the CSIS folder the other day and this may be of some use
In Section 1: General Information for all staff there is a section on RA's and MSDS. Do you have this? There are guide lines on when an SSRA (SIte Specific Risk assessment) should be provided.
This may clarify some of the confusion or just add more.

Lorrae

I would replace the Summary's with Mini MSDS, their was a long period of time, when Chemwatch's Mini MSDS were not working, and they advised us to use the Summary for the time being. Check the date of ISSUE, not the printed date. If the date of issue is different to the MSDS you have, it needs to have a new one printed out. It means Chemwatch has updated information on the chemcial. Issue date.

As for the Risk assisments, as it is the teachers job to fill these in, only our job to maintain them. I would not be able to help you their. Sorry

I have been pondering a moral dilemma....

The other popular thread asking for recipes for edible sedimentary rocks brought this thought to mind:

How do we stand with RA's regarding cooking and consuming food in the Labs?
One of our most basic Rules of the Laboratory is DO NOT EAT OR DRINK IN THE LAB.

It bothers me every time I prepare these pracs.
Am I silly?

No you are not silly. Great point. We have a class room in our Science block, and it is used for Food only, or Non experiments only. It is much smaller and has no fittings like the other labs. It also has a few computers in it.

At another school, they use to have special beakers & jugs in Science marked Food only, but laugh they were stored in the chemical storeroom.

Another idea is ask the Cooking class, if they would swap classrooms for that period. At this time in term, it may work well. We do, as long as the Science assistant (ME) cleans up after wards.

Our classes sometimes go to the food tech room for these types of pracs.
Rosalie

Certainly a sensible idea, but hasn't been the habit here. Food Techie and I regularly borrow equipment from each other though. Will be raising the question at a Faculty meeting, I think.

Hello Rob,
Could I join the line too . My fax no is 94895722.

Many thanks,
Kathy Kunz

Hi Robb,

I would aslo like to join the line and say "Me To"

At the moment, our head teacher, despite me talking to him about it does not see the need for risk assessments on our pracs. I think he mumbled something about not signed off by the Teachers Federation, but i"m not sure.

I'd like to be ready when they do decide to do something.

At the moment if there is something I feel is risky I get them to fill in the one from CSIS.

See some of you tomorrow,

Wendy

woops !!!! I'd better add the fax no !!! 67663937. thanks

Hi Kathleen, Wendy.

I will draft these and put them on the fax straight away. You should recewive these within the next few minutes..

Cheers,

Robb.....