Australia's Science Forum

Hi All,
I realise this topic comes up all the time and I feel a slight fool for asking again but, I've just had a teacher ask me (as in ten minutes ago) to prepare a prac for second lesson tomorrow using sodium. Lovely highly reactive sodium in the tub of water prac as a demo for her year 9 students after their exam.
I'm fairly sure that in QLD Sodium has now been banned in schools. Is this true????
I'm sure I don't have sodium in the stores, but the teacher says she performed the prac only a couple of years ago before I started working here.

Also would anyone know where I can access a good list of banned substances in Schools? Even if its not for QLD it should give me a good idea.

Please can anyone enlighten me.

Cheers
Kelli

Cheers Louise,

Thats exactly what I wanted. None of our science department were sure if we could use it at all, so that has helped clear it up.
Thanks

Kelli

Dear Kelli,
we use sodium but only by approved teachers and ONLY as a demonstration with the Risk Assessment/disposal forms filled in correctly.
DET approved chemical code users in NSW are categories 1, 2 & 5.
Code 1. Teaching staff with tertiary qualifications in chemistry, staff approved as Code 1 users by the principal.
Code 2. Teaching staff with tertiary qualifications in Science and experienced SASS working in the Science KLA, and approved by the principal.
Code 5. Teaching and support staff approved by the principal to use a specific chemical for a particular purpose.
Our rationale is that this demonstration can show much about this chemical and its reactions.
The staff also have to be very comfortable with the obvious risks involved.
Hope this helps,
Robyn

Our teachers use sodium metal as a demo only.But when I purchased ours last year I had to fill out paperwork,like a licence,the principal had to sign it,before they would send it.
M

Thanks Everyone. It turned out I didn't have any in my stores anyway. Thanks M for the heads up re ordering sodium, the science teacher is still deciding whether or not she would like some ordered now.

Cheers
Kelli

We do the sodium prac as a demo here. It is not banned in QLD