January 23, 2023 — REDMOND, WA — Science Safety, a leader in science, STEAM, CTE, and laboratory safety, announced the launch of the Science Safety Risk Management Framework (SSRMF) today. The SSRMF is a comprehensive and holistic approach to science safety risk management for schools and school districts.
The SSRMF outlines eight primary capabilities schools and school districts must consider to properly evaluate, manage, and mitigate risks in CTE, STEAM, science, and laboratory instructional environments.
- Safety awareness training for administrators, staff, teachers, and students
- Student safety acknowledgment forms that document student awareness of specific hazards and risks inherent in laboratories.
- Annual inspections and maintenance of classrooms, storage cabinets, chemical storerooms, and laboratories
- Annual reviews & updates of chemical hygiene plans and other related safety manuals
- Risk analyses for instructional activities performed in labs, maker spaces, & classrooms
- Availability & use of required personal protective equipment in instructional environments
- Deployment of a shared and well-maintained chemical inventory with safety data sheets
- Annual review of chemical and hazardous materials storage for safety and security
“By using the SSRMF as a guide, districts can begin to measure risk, identify potential hazards in their instructional programs, and implement strategies to limit accidents while also meeting regulatory compliance requirements and curricular objectives,”. “This has never been done before.”
Science Safety supports districts with the tools and resources needed to provide safer CTE, STEAM, and laboratory instruction while allowing schools to meet the requirements of OSHA (the Occupational Health and Safety Administration) and various state regulations.
“Our goal is to build safety awareness while creating an ongoing safety culture for school communities,”, “We work directly with school districts to implement software and expert service solutions for each capability in the framework. Allowing teachers and students to enjoy hands-on activities in safer environments while allowing institutions to mitigate potential risks and reduce liabilities.”
- Over 400 subject and grade-level appropriate safety courses, pathways, and role-based modules where administrators, staff, teachers, and students can earn verifiable micro-credentials and safety certificates.
- A scalable safety acknowledgment management system that teachers can use to document student awareness of specific risks in their classes.
- A virtual safety inspection software tool allows anyone to conveniently and quickly evaluate classrooms, labs, and storage facilities against OSHA requirements.
- Industry experts can perform comprehensive safety documentation reviews and provide expert safety advice for overall safety planning, insights on appropriate personal protection equipment, chemical storage, and more.
Individual districts and schools can use the Science Safety Risk Management Framework by accessing the Science Safety website and jumping into the Science Safety Needs Assessment.
About Science Safety
Science Safety Inc. is a leader in Science, STEAM, CTE, and Lab Safety, providing a comprehensive and holistic approach to safety risk management. Science Safety aims to help organizations build a culture of continuous safety and improve policies to reduce the risk of injuries (and resulting lawsuits). The Science Safety Risk Management Framework (SSRMF) helps schools and organizations take a proactive approach to science, CTE, STEAM, and laboratory safety.