Science Safety in the Community College

Book excerpt: NSTA's safety guidebooks are must-haves for science educators teaching at any level to lay a sound safety foundation in their labs and classrooms. Divided by grade band; elementary, middle, high, and college, the four titles provide confidence-building tips and techniques for recognizing and safely working with an ever-increasing array of hazardous materials. Classroom veterans themselves, the authors have organized the books with practicality in mind. Safety concepts are discussed in the context of common situations in real classrooms. Chapters address both general topics such as equipping labs, storing and disposing of chemicals, and maintaining documentation as well as the special requirements of specific disciplines, physics, chemistry, Earth and space science, and biology. Sidebars and inserts in every chapter highlight and reinforce important material. Also included: easy-to-adapt permission slips, student contracts, and a wealth of anecdotes about what works and what doesn't.