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Ok this is a bit odd but I do try to be different (I promise never to ask about RIDDOR!). Yesterday I spend a day with some chemistry undergraduates and I was concerned about some of the working practices in the teaching labs. This are not the sort of things that are covered in SOPs and safe systems of work but little things that people pick up over time- I know I did and I still have the scars. Unfortunately we can’t use the school of hard knocks anymore and I am wondering how to get the students to think and work in a safe manner. For example during a practical the students had to use a syringe and needle. Before the practical they were given what was in effect a tool box talk by the lecturer covering how to get the needle out of the packaging, how to attach it safely to the syringe how to remove the sheath and how to dispose of it safely. All this was very good but despite this three students managed to cut/stab themselves with the needle. Fortunately the needles were not contaminated by anything but I ended up wondering what else we could do. We cannot sit there supervising each and every student, telling them how to use the needle and anyway they need to learn how to do it safely for themselves: that is what being a scientist all is about. There were few other things like keeping the flaks of chemicals away from their faces:” It’s a chemistry practical, not great British Bake Off!). Does anybody have any ideas how to indoctrinate people in the little safety things that are not covered by the big Health and Safety documents? Is there anything out there that I could apply to a class of 100 students?
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Rank: Super forum user
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This is a really difficult one, because having taught people the right way to do things, there is no guarantee that they will. I used to teach students to swab aluminium specimens with HF, and used to tell them exactly why I did it the way I did it, and the possible consequences of getting it wrong. There would always be a few who would get it wrong. I would normally be on hand to intervene quickly.
When teaching postgrads to do similar operations (bearing in mind that they have much less supervision) we designed a fun experiment to get our points across. In particular we taught them how to remove their gloves without getting any of the contamination from outside the glove on their hands. They were given gloves and a bowl of jam. They were invited to dip their gloved hands into the jam and smear it all over, and then remove the gloves without getting jam on their hands. They had already been shown a video about how this should be done. Some students had to have several goes before they managed to have non-sticky hands.
So the suggestion is - can you think of a fun activity that will give them the skill, where failure is obvious to the participant?
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Is it possible they were not as careful as they should be, because they know there was no contamination. Could the syringe be filled with plain water and them told it will not kill them, but give them diarrhoea for 24 hours, to ensure they learn the lesson?
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Rank: Super forum user
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Originally Posted by: Jane Blunt  This is a really difficult one, because having taught people the right way to do things, there is no guarantee that they will. I used to teach students to swab aluminium specimens with HF, and used to tell them exactly why I did it the way I did it, and the possible consequences of getting it wrong. There would always be a few who would get it wrong. I would normally be on hand to intervene quickly.
When teaching postgrads to do similar operations (bearing in mind that they have much less supervision) we designed a fun experiment to get our points across. In particular we taught them how to remove their gloves without getting any of the contamination from outside the glove on their hands. They were given gloves and a bowl of jam. They were invited to dip their gloved hands into the jam and smear it all over, and then remove the gloves without getting jam on their hands. They had already been shown a video about how this should be done. Some students had to have several goes before they managed to have non-sticky hands.
So the suggestion is - can you think of a fun activity that will give them the skill, where failure is obvious to the participant?
The activity with the syringes was the "fun experiment" to get them used to syringes! Nice suggestion though.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Oh dear. They are clearly having too much 'fun'
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Rank: Super forum user 
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From experience of being a Biomedical Science student, lab lesson one surrounding sharps, needles and anything else for that matter was to treat it as contaminated. It may be perceived by some in the profession as scare tactics etc, however when I think back, that almost contextualised approach to lab safety in that in the real world this could cause me serious harm has stuck with me. From memory we didn't have a single incident in the lab in my cohort.
That little bit of fear placed on me I found to be actually very helpful looking back and certainly made me think twice about the safe ways of working...it also led me to my H&S career. Tricky one though and you can't always plan for that one rogue who tries to fire pipette tips and sharps into a bin 20ft away...
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