Teachers should be knowledgeable about the potential hazards (both chemical and physical) that are present in a teaching chemistry laboratory. It is important that teachers model best practices for their students, incorporate chemical safety principles into lessons, and enforce safety expectations with a conscious and consistent effort.
The aim of this section is not meant to be an exhaustive source of information on laboratory safety. Rather, the goal here is to provide teachers, administrators, and school personnel with a “big picture” overview of the potential risks involved, and current best practices and resources.
For information on recommendations regarding specific kinds of safety equipment, see the Lab and Safety Equipment section, and the ACS Center for Lab Safety resources available about training in Safety and Sustainability.
The “RAMP” Principles for Safety
In 2016, ACS released updated safety guidelines (PDF) for schools, which are based on RAMP safety procedures.16 RAMP is an acronym designed to help teachers and students keep laboratory safety prominent, simple, and familiar:
- Recognize the hazards
- Assess the risks of the hazards
- Minimize the risks of the hazards
- Prepare for emergencies
RAMP represents a comprehensive risk management framework utilized in laboratories where chemicals are used to systematically identify hazards, assess and minimize risks from these hazards, and prepare for potential emergencies. The updated safety guidelines include hazards and risks in the laboratory, a list of appropriate laboratory safety equipment, safety rules and procedures, and emergency responses for middle and high school.
Teachers should use the guidelines to perform complete risk assessments for experiments and demonstrations. The ACS website also includes additional resources helpful in communicating the RAMP principles, on its “What is RAMP?” and Safety Videos & Webinars pages.
Download the Safety Guidelines and the RAMP Poster to help keep laboratory safety prominent.
