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Rehab the Lab: Creating Safer School Labs
Making School Labs Safer
Rehab the Lab is a free service offered to schools in King County, Washington to help with the management of hazardous chemicals. The program offers downloadable lesson plans for least toxic chemistry labs, a database of school chemicals and on-site assistance and trainings to help teachers and school district staff safely store, handle and dispose of their chemicals.
Program Services
During visits to secondary schools in King County, program staff have found stockpiles of unneeded hazardous chemicals, incompatible chemicals stored together, improper disposal of hazardous wastes and poor chemical hygiene practices. These hazardous chemicals and their related issues are found in science labs, arts and crafts studios and storage rooms, photo labs, and custodial closets. To help improve chemical management in these programs we offer these services.
Rehab the Lab Resources
Lab Safety Videos
Four short videos provide information on managing hazardous laboratory chemicals, responding to spills, properly storing and labeling chemicals, and disposing of chemicals safely and legally when they’re no longer needed.
Least-toxic chemistry labs
This collection of fully-scripted, least-toxic chemistry labs is ready for use by high school chemistry teachers. The set includes student and teacher guides and meets the Washington State Educational Learning Requirements
School Chemical List
A searchable database of more than 1,000 school chemicals provides information on hazards arising from acute or chronic exposures. It also describes proper chemical storage, the usefulness of chemicals in lab experiments, recommended maximum grade levels, and proper disposal of waste or leftover chemicals. The database can create an XCEL spreadsheet that can be used as the school’s chemical inventory.
Safely Storing Chemicals in Small Spaces (Excel)
Reduced chemical disposal costs
Rehab the Lab technical assistance staff are available to visit schools to answer questions about chemical handling, storage and disposal and to provide referrals to the Voucher Incentive Program and the Small Business Hazardous Waste Disposal Pilot Project. There’s no charge for the visit. Many schools have saved hundreds of thousands of dollars in disposal costs, liability reduction and improved safety practices.
Call 206-263-3069 or email dave.waddell@kingcounty.gov to request a Healthy Schools site visit.
Training for Teachers
Trainings by Dave Waddell are offered to groups of 10 or more teachers on these topics:
Trainings range from one to three hours and can be customized to the needs of the school or district. There is no charge. Most trainings can be done at the school and include hands-on training. For more information, call 206-263-3069 or email dave.waddell@kingcounty.gov.
Resources
Mercury in Schools rule
Since January 1, 2006, public and private schools in Washington are prohibited from purchasing, storing or using most mercury-containing products and materials.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s regulations on occupational exposures in laboratories
School laboratories fall under the requirements of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s, or OSHA’s, regulations for laboratories.
Chemical hygiene planning requirements
OSHA’s laboratory safety regulations require that all laboratories, including school labs, have a chemical hygiene plan in place and provide training to staff in its use.
Laboratory Waste Management Guide
This guidebook provides recommendations to help analytical, medical, teaching, and biotechnology labs properly manage hazardous materials and reduce hazardous waste.
Keeping the Artist Safe
School art studios in Washington are viewed as posing similar chemical risks as those found in science laboratories. Information compiled by the National Library of Medicine on maintaining safe practices in art studios is relevant to teachers as well as commercial artists.
Environmental Protection Agency’s Schools Chemical Cleanout Campaign (SC3)
The Schools Chemical Cleanout Campaign helps ensure that all schools are free from hazards associated with mismanaged chemicals. SC3 gives K-12 schools information and tools to responsibly manage chemicals.
Chemical Vignettes
These vignettes are true stories about what can—and does—happen when hazardous chemicals are improperly managed.
