Australia's Science Forum

Wow, I can't believe you guys have to "multi-task" in admin. I work in two catholic schools and am specifically employed as a TA in science. I'm the lab tech and thats all I do. Once school has 4 labs, approx 400 students in in secondary side (350 in the primary) and we have 1 FTE lab tech...

Sunray, I have heaps of eggs and could part with a few. However I have no idea how (legally) I can get them from Tas to NSW?

Yah!!! it works. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Thanks Jazz, off to see if it works!

Ok, I will start by saying I have never had any training in chemwatch and have had to try and teach myself. The online workbook is atrotious to try and work out so my (somewhat simple )question is: I have created my stores and now I want to add some chems to them. How on earth do I do it? The manual...

It certainly makes one wonder.........

Does anyone give their students (and/or staff) a safety induction talk or booklet? I am wanting to make up a student (and eventually teacher) Lab Safety induction including a booklet on basic safety and the reasoning behind it accompanied by a short talk/induction. One of my schools is very new and ...

For those of you who use spill trays in their chemical stores, what do you use and where did you purchase them from?

Depending on the volume you need, you could always ask your local Pathology if they are willing to give/sell you some already made? Any micro department will have it in abundance.

Oh My. Really, Oh gosh, I am lost for words.......

Sounds like a OH&S disaster waiting to happen!! We turn ours off and the key is returned to the prep room. There are big signs on each lab door asking "Have you turned the gas off?" Plus the isolator switches are on the door side of the teachers benches so they have to walk right past....

Thanks Narelle. I can pick up on the way to work so its not really time sonsuming for me. Also 7 classes 8O We have 3 plus an extended in any one year group. I can't imagine 7!!! How do you do it? We have a full time lab tech (I have a job share) and are employed for 52 weeks a year, not just term t...

Can I ask why you all get frozen brains? I am assuming that is why they are so mushy, the defrost process. We get all out dissection offel fresh and we do not even have to go to the farm gate so to speak :giggle: The owners live on the city and have a"school fridge" all set up in their gar...

lol thanks guys, I think we'll start small and go from there. Will do a search for past threads.
I better not blow up the tacher, she is the HOD and a good guy and only one of two qualified science teachers here, the rest just teach science

A teacher wants me to work out how much Na metal to put in water for a demo to make it look impressive but not dangerous

Any suggestions?

Has anyone got these in their labs? After our first week using the new lab they have rust stains!!! 8O Apparently they are made to Aus Standard specification and there is nothing we can do about it. The local forensic lab also have the same ones and have the same problem. So does anyone have any ide...

Do you have a hard copy on site? or is electronic access enough? I'm about to email my OH&S guy for one of my schools and I have been told he knows nothing about Lab stuff *sigh* Forwarned is forarmed

Thanks, thats how we were going to do it. How do you dispose of the iodine after use? This is one of my weak areas now I'm not in a medical lab where we paid someone to take everything away for us :cheesy: MSDS's are no use as they all so "according to local regs blah blah blah" which I do...

Are we still able to do this? A couple of the teachers have requested it but my HOS has said she thinks that we are not allowed to anymore.
Of course its fallen to me to find out.....

At one of my schools, all non teaching staff have the option of working 15min extra a day and this allows us to take the week mid term break in term one, and a few school closure days off each year. We have informal flex time in that if you need time off for an appointment etc, then you just make it...