Australia's Science Forum

Hello everyone and hope the new year is going well for you

I know this topic has been covered numerous times, but with a new HO I am wanting to be clear on some things. Has there been a definitive descision made on whether Risk assessments are required for every individual prac? or is this still an unclear area? We are an independent school so are not covered by CSIS. Does anyone know if there is a similar document for Independent schools?

Kathryn

Kathryn,
I work for an independent school and we still follow CICS. You do not need RA for every prac, a generic one can be used (eg lighting bunsen burners, diluting acid, reactions of metals with acids etc etc).
I have very supportive teachers, they support me in generating RA, so one advantage being I have a final word if prac does ahead.
Lada

I'm at an independent school, and I use CSIS. Last year we started using Focus text books, and they provide Risk Assessments for each prac. We have downloaded them, and that's what we are using.

We had started doing RA's for every experiment but finding it very time consuming. We are considering doing one RA at the start of each topic which covers all experiments within that topic and hope that will be enough.

Hi Kathryn,
As discussed in a previous post somewhere, lots of us are using Risk assess. It is an online program that you can use to do risk assessments and also as a scheduling tool. We introduced this in Term 4 last year and have gone from no teachers doing any risk assessments to most/all teachers doing them particularly if they want me to organise their pracs. It is a very useful program that also covers us as lab techs.
Lorrae

RiskAssess every time. Can't recommend it enough. It covers all the bases, and most importantly of all it makes the Teachers consider each experiment and each class on a case by case basis. We've been using it for more than 12 months now, so for lots of our classes the teachers simply have to find the relevant RA and adapt quantities, location etc to their specific needs.

It is also an EXCELLENT ordering system. Really highlights who ordered stuff first etc.

Im with Smiley, I cant recommend 'Risk Assesss' enough.!!!!!

It does the prac request and the RA all in one and as we have to keep the RAs for 30 years, I save all of mine electronically into folders on the school drive and then onto a thumb drive at the end of the year. So easy and efficient.

As part of the Australian Curriculum all students should as part of their extended investigations (student-initiated experiments) be carrying out their own RA . 'Risk Assess' has just introduced a student version to make this easier. I'm yet to use it but we have decided to purchase this, so will keep you informed.

Risk assessments for every prac using the Risk Assess program. Means that the teachers are scheduling themselves onto the lab scheduling timetable. First in best dressed and the science coordinator can see at a glance who ordered what when and if they are late in asking for pracs because the time stamp makes it very clear when the prac was ordered. Teachers have been told one week in advance for prac orders. In a perfect world that would be nice but I do have at least one teacher ordering four weeks in advance. Talk with your HOD. The program is not too expensive and once you get the hang of it - so damn useful.

Lyn.

A whole week?? Oh lucky you!!

That's why I said "in a perfect world". Everything is coming in at the last minute ( except for the teacher who has booked several weeks in advance). Prac requests have gone missing into the nether regions of the internet. Verbal requests forgotten. I am seriously going to rely on the risk assess programs lab schedule this year instead of trying to remember some request that went in one ear and promptly escaped out the other. Teachers who have unfinished pracs and want to do them again, have been requested to reschedule using the RA system. Chasing up a teacher who has a double on Monday morning first thing to see if they are doing anything and then putting that prac into the lab schedule for them. It's Friday and I'm over it. Almost.

Lyn.

I have signs that say "please leave" laminated and stuck to my fridge and also "finished". The idea is that if they haven't finished they put the please leave sign on the tray then swap it for finished when they are done. Usually they forget the finish sign though... I print out the risk assessment and put it in the tray with the equipment and then I can chase up who's it was down the track if I need to (unless they take the paper out).

I didn't realise we had to keep RA's for 30 years!!!! As far as I knew our archives are for 7years. The RA's are on the back of our order request forms.

just chirping in here.
who's responsibility is it to do the risk assessments?
the reason i am asking is that we have a vision impaired student and her liason worker wants a risk assessment of the lab.
Um she has been here a year already....and now they want it, she looked to me, i fobbed it off to the HT.

I take the stance that if its a prac for a class the teacher does it and I sign off fo me preparing and packing it up. If its something I do eg. prepare agar, dilute acids etc I do it for myself.
I would think that a vision impaired student would come under the HT heading with a general RA for the lab?

We have a vision impaired student as well. I have made it a bit of a campaign for her successive teachers to acknowledge her presence in each prac request they do thru RiskAssess. They at least have to indicate that they acknowledge that she is in the class, and what modifications, if any, that the teacher plans to make to accommodate that student in the prac and what restriction there might be. For example, the student has enough vision to add indicator to a test tube, but maybe not acid or some other clear liquid.

So I guess our answer is that the RA is based on the work that we are doing rather than the lab per se. I would have thought that the learning support team had to do a RA on the actual lab environment, since they're possibly more immediately responsible for her safety. Maybe they just need to strategize where the student sits etc, and do some practical orientation within the lab environment. That's what we did, Our student has a designated desk, and is near exits etc.

Is that helpful at all?

That is helpful! thank you.
The liason person just didn't want to do another RA if one had already been done.
Our labs are pretty clear, with no equipment left in them, just the benches and tables.

I don't think it is up to me -

Hi
does anyone know how long we keep risk assessments for. I have read 30 years and 7 years. Is anyone sure?
Thanks Krysia

RiskAssess states that risk assessments for experiments have to be held for the life of the youngest participant. Where do we store these?

I would presume on the Risk assess data base. Isn't that all part of the subscription? I would then think they would archive it and if we need it either contact them or we should be able to access them. I really can't imagine we would be expected to keep that much paper work!! Then again who knows!!

Just checked risk asses. If you download the users guide on page 15/16 they give you suggestions on how to store your own Risk assessments.