ABSTRACT
It is becoming increasingly apparent that the economically developed countries of the world achieved their position of enhance by dint of hard work based on a scientific approach to life endeavours. This era is commonly referred to as the Technological age which is an acceptance of the fact that the growth of a nation economically, socially and even politically is guided by its advancement in science and technology, based on this there is need for nut only emphasis to be laid on teaching and learning of science and technology but for strong foundations to be laid for them too. Therefore, for effective teaching and learning of science, laboratory is very essential and for laboratory to achieve its aims and objectives, it should be safe for those using it, Hence, the need for investigation into the status of safety standards in Anambra State secondary school science laboratories, laboratories have been sited without due consideration to safety as an over-riding factor in the design and construction Provision of preparatory room, store room, plant and animal rooms is have been .overlooked. In some schools their improper storage of chemicals, absence of safety equipment, first aid and waste disposal materials, no laboratory rules and regulations, and at times course units on safety are ignored completely.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to The Study
There have been so many causes and effect of accidents, which occur in the science (Physic in particular) laboratory. Such as there are two sides of every coin, some of these causes could result to effect such as minor accident, while other could result to serious injury, which may lead to death. Both staff and students are exposed to dangers, which may arise from thermal, and chemical burns caused by candles or alcohol burners, high voltage appliances can cause electric shocks. Injury occurs as a result of improper techniques of handling scalpers, forceps, scissors, needles, razor blade etc. Accident also occurs due to improper instruction and lack of general safety rules.
The physics laboratory as a part of the school is a place of many possible dangers. It is a workshop was many experiments are carried out for observation, proof and conformation. These experiments involve, the use of different types of equipment/apparatus, which the students may handle carelessly. There by resulting to accidents, out dated and condemned apparatus can also lead to accidents. Over the year, both in develop and developing countries, technology has been a standard of differentiating factor between countries state, organizations and individual irrespective of the colour, culture or language. And as such, technology depends on the quality of scientist, engineers, and laboratory or workshop users. Technology can never be successful without the workshop, laboratory or tools. According to Thomas Carlyle, man without tools is nothing, with tool he is all, this statement elaborated the important of tooling to a man. The important of laboratory workshop and tools cannot be over emphases. Move over, research have it that, the workshop or laboratory claim too many victims (lives) in the process of carrying out research or during the use of machines. Over 70% of these accidents are caused by neglect, carelessness or ignorance on the part of the scientist, engineer, (student) or a colleague in the workshop or laboratory. In 2008, a first year student in Cross River University of Technology-Nigeria was rushed to the hospital during a practical experiment in chemistry laboratory due to an exploration which was wrongly mixed by self. In 2010, a final year student in Boki comprehensive secondary school Okundi was badly injured during a practical class by a friend who was terribly drunk. That notwithstanding, a good number of scientist, engineer, a laboratory or workshop user have lost their hands, legs, eyes, ears, mouth, fingers, carriers, marriages, jobs, education, friends, their lives and the lives of others due to neglect, carelessness or ignorance of laboratory or workshop safety and precautions in cases of accidents.
In the workshop/Laboratory, Radioactive contamination is also called radiological contamination. It is the deposition of or presence of radioactive substance on surface or within solids, liquids, or gases (including the human body), where their presence is unintended or undesirable. Such contamination presents a hazard because of the radioactive decay of the contaminants, which emit harmful ionizing radiation such as alpha or beta particles, gamma rays or neutrons. The degree of hazard is determined by the concentration of the contaminants, the energy of the radiation being emitted, the type of radiation and the proximity of the contamination to organs of the body. It is very important to be clear that the contamination gives rise to the radiation hazard, and the terms radiation and contamination are not interchangeable. Contamination may affect a person, a place, environment, animal, an object such as clothing.
Radiation contamination is typically the result of a spill or accident during the production, or use of radionuclides (radioisotopes). Clearing up contamination result in radioactive waste. If a person’s body is contaminated by ingestion or by injury and standard clearing cannot reduce the contamination further, then the person may be permanently contaminated. Radioactive contamination can enter the body through ingestion, inhalation, absorption or injection. For this reason, it is very important to use personal protective equipment when working with radioactive materials.
Laboratories may have been cited in some Nigerian Secondary Schools without safety considerations as an over-riding factor in the design and construction. In certain schools block reagents are frequently carried by hand for a long distance to the laboratories in the main road, another factor that is a times overlooked is the provision for auxiliary rooms such as preparation room, store room, plant and animal rooms and adequate shelves in the store room so that bottles of acids and bases can be properly stored, Inflammable chemicals are not mixed with corrosive materials. Chemicals that read with each other are not stored close together and glassware can be stored so as to reduce the possibility of breakage. The mode of electric, gas and water installations in some school laboratories is most hazardous, often, gas outlets have been located below combustible materials, this is not safe at all. It is also not uncommon to, find volatile liquids like ether, alcohol, gasoline, benzene, carbon disulphide etc. being kept on the floor or shelves that are close to source of fire, Safety facilities such as sinks, waste containers etc are imputes for some school laboratories.
Also the absence of such safety equipment as fume cupboards, eye goggles, fire extinguishers, first aid boxes for the students and staff end so forth create health hazard for anybody working in the laboratory. A times there may not be enough land for expansion seeing the number of students offering science is on the increase. In view of these, it is seen that in order to meet our national yearnings for technological advancement more efforts are required to popularise science and technology, to achieve this more attention should be paid to laboratory practices, safety, its organisation and enragement. Surely not much will be achieved if our present and future scientists are expected to work in laboratories that are not adequately planned, equipped and properly organised.
In this study therefore, an attempt is made to highlight the cause of accidents in the Physics laboratory along the following lines;
- Unsafe laboratory environment due to inadequate size, poor arrangement of apparatus, water or grease spilled on the laboratory floor.
- Misuse of apparatus due to ignorance or carelessness
- Lack of appropriate apparatus/outdated apparatus in Physics laboratory
In this study also, some of the safety measure for preventing these accidents and minimizing their occurrence will also be highlighted sine accident cannot be completely avoided no matter how careful, it is of importance to know what to do to prevent the severity of the damages caused by accidents to the body as a physicist by being informed on how to administer first aid.
1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
The conditions of safety in science laboratories in Nigeria? secondary schools today may not be adequate and encouraging, Teachers have not yet developed positive attitude towards safety in science laboratories, Of ten laboratories have been sited without due consideration to safety 8s an over-riding factor in their design and construction, Provision of ancillary roams such as preparatory, stare room, plant and animal rooms have been overlooked, In some schools, there are improper storage of chemicals, absence of safety equipment, first aid and waste disposal materials, no laboratory safety rules and regulations, and times safety course units are ignored completely, Contrary to the expectations our laboratories may become very unsafe for the people using it.
A study of the cause of accident in the physics laboratory. This study is aimed at investigating the cause of accidents in the physics laboratory in some selected secondary school in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria
In carrying out this study, some of the problems included in it are;
- Unsafe laboratory environment due to inadequate size, poor arrangement of apparatus
- Improper techniques of using electric appliances or apparatus
- Improper method of teaching and lack of apparatus
- Lack of knowledge of the general safety rule
- Ignorance on the part of the students due to inexperience in applying the general safety rules in the laboratory.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF STUDY
The objectives of this study are as follows;
- To investigate the causes of accidents in physics laboratory
- To know of what way this accident would affect individual person in the physics laboratory
- To examine ways by which these accidents can be minimized or prevented
- To make plausible recommendation.
1.4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study was based on the science laboratories and science teachers in secondary schools of Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria. The study was limited to only one hundred and sixty-one science teachers which the researcher drew from fifty-four secondary schools of the three education zones randomly composed from Edo State. The three education zones were Onitsha, Nsukka and Awka. The study was also ‘limited to safety in the science laboratories, There are a lot to be studied in the science laboratories but the researcher restricted the study only to availability of safety equipment and materials, the nature of accident and procedure for their treatments, the general designed and fittings of the laboratories, the chemical storage and labelling, waste disposal, Course units on safety, organisation and management of safety in the science laboratories, It was also restricted to only Chemistry, Physics and biology laboratories.
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
Since the objectives of science can but be achieved without the presence and effective use of science laboratories and for the laboratory to achieve its aim, it has to be put in order, Therefore, the importance of safety in any science laboratory cannot be overemphasized. The findings from this study will make available some necessary information to the government, the Nigerian educational research centres the science equipment centre, teachers in the classroom and all those science education policy making bodies in Nigeria, It will portray the conditions of the science laboratories in the secondary schools in the State to them. It is hoped that through the study the government should be made to understand that low money spent on suppling laboratories equipment to science laboratories in schools owed by them is an investment towards national advancement of science and technology. This is because, the laboratories are the tool used in achieving the objectives of science and technology. The study is meant to explain and create awareness concerning the importance of safety to the student, teachers and any other person making use of it, k strong safety awareness such as this dl1 enable the students to operate in the environment with minimal hazards. The research also expects the study to be beneficial to the relatively new science teachers especially those in the field without any formal professional training. The safety awareness den created will not only help in the science laboratories but will apply in our day to day livings.
- This research report is intended to make physics students as well as all science students and teachers aware of the causes of accidents in the laboratory
- To educate the physics students as well as science students on safety measure to take in order to prevent or minimize accidents occurrence
- It is also hoped that this study would be of great help to the physics teachers in post primary and post-secondary schools.