Please note our new address
CLEAPSS®, The Gardiner Building, Brunel Science Park, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PQ
Tel: +44 (0)1895 251496 Fax/Answerphone: +44 (0)1895 814372 E-mail: science@cleapss.org.ukIf you find that the PDF documents display a blank page when accessed via this web site then please click here for further information.
The Members' part of the CLEAPSS web site is often updated every week, for example, as addresses and contact details change. The new leaflet PS67, Practical Activities in the new Science GCSEs (see below) has been updated many times already and we expect frequent changes as new problems emerge. Keep watching the Members' Only part for full details.
Latest news 21st August 2008
CLEAPSS Bulletin 132 Summer Term 2008
Despatch of the summer term issue of the CLEAPSS Bulletin has been completed.
Copies are sent in bulk to local authorities for them to forward via the internal mail to their own schools (and to any associate members which subscribe via a local authority). All local authorities outside Scotland are now members of CLEAPSS. Some local authorities also put the Bulletin on their internal networks. Many local authorities send copies out very quickly, but if your school has not received the Bulletin within a month of despatch, we suggest you contact your local authority to find out why you have not had it. If you are unsure who to contact in the local authority, contact us and we will tell you to whom we send the bulk mailings.
Associate members (ie, independent and some Foundation schools, incorporated colleges, teacher-training establishments, etc) are sent copies directly, by post and these should have arrived by now. Mailings to overseas associates may take a little longer.
Remember that you can print out an index to all issues of the Bulletin (including the latest issue) from this web site, please click here.
The Bulletin can also be downloaded from the Members' part of this web site, please click here.
Detecting background radiation
Detecting background radiation (OUP Twenty First Century Science). The text book suggests a very nice activity to detect alpha radiation from radon and other background sources. It uses a sensitive plastic called Tastrak which is permanently damaged as charged particles pass through it. The damage tracks can be seen once the plastic is ‘developed’ by chemical etching. The supply of Tastrak has been interrupted because the only firm supplying and developing this material withdrew from the market. Recently, Dr Geoff Camplin, one of the originators of the use of Tastrak in schools has set up a service to order the plastic in bulk and then supply schools. Geoff is not doing this on a commercial basis so he is unable to offer continuous availability throughout the year. For further information, see Geoff’s web site www.camplin.clara.co.uk. At CLEAPSS, we have produced Supplementary Risk Assessment SRA 13 which describes how Tastrak can be developed safely, although the procedure uses very strong alkali. Note that Tastrak must be used within a year of purchase.
PS67 Practical activities in the new science GCSEs
As a result of phone calls from schools we have been looking at some of the new specifications for the GCSE science subjects and at the books and schemes being published commercially to support them. We are somewhat concerned at what we have found so far: some of the experiments don’t work, some of the science is bad and some of the activities are unsafe (and in one or two cases illegal). Some of the publishers have had a safety check carried out on their schemes, but not all. Sometimes a publisher has had one scheme checked but not another.
To help schools in this difficult situation we have produced a leaflet, PS67 Practical activities in the new science GCSEs and various additional documents. All but those revised or produced after October 2007 are on the 2008 CLEAPSS Science Publications CD-ROM. You can download electronic versions from the members’ part of our web site. Please click here: the username and password is on your 2008 CLEAPSS Science Publications CD-ROM. We anticipate updating PS67 at frequent intervals and adding further additional documents as more problems come to light, so keep checking the web site.
PS69 Banned Chemicals and Other Myths
In 2005 CLEAPSS was commissioned by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) to investigate whether effective teaching of practical science was being inhibited on spurious health and safety grounds. In particular, we investigated alleged bans on the use of various chemicals or particular procedures that were commonly used in the past. The full report, Surely That’s Banned? is available on the RSC web site – (see the Links page). A paper copy of the main report (without the statistical appendices) was sent to all secondary schools in October 2006.
As part of the research, a questionnaire was sent both to schools and local authority officers. Included in this was a list of 40 chemicals or procedures which some callers to the CLEAPSS Helpline had thought to be banned although in fact almost none are. However, schools were under the impression that much, much more was banned or discouraged.
The leaflet (please click here) is an attempt to overcome these mistaken views. It lists around 60 chemicals or activities, comments on any bans and, for CLEAPSS members, gives guidance on where to obtain further information about the healthy and safe use of the chemical or procedure. Note that this table only gives information about national bans. It is possible that a particular employer may have banned something which is not banned nationally, although this is unlikely.
Getting Started with the CLEAPSS CD-ROM
We have found on courses that many teachers and technicians have made very little use of the CLEAPSS Science Publications CD-ROM. Even those who have used it occasionally have rarely realised the huge amount of resources available at the click of a mouse. So we have devised some training activities that departments could use at school to develop the skills of teachers and technicians. Print off the leaflet PS66b and use it freely. Click here.
Please don't forget that almost all our secondary publications are available on the CLEAPSS Science Publications CD-ROM.
Documents provided on the members-only part of this web site are those documents which are frequently updated such as our Guidance and address leaflets or new materials, updates and Bulletin newsletters created since the last issue of the CD-ROM.
Recent guides and leaflets:
New publications for design and technology
We have three new publications for design and technology: L235 Managing Risk Assessment for D&T, L254 Health and Safety Maintenance of D&T Workshop Equipment and PS68 D&T Class Sizes, Room sizes and Possible Effects on Safety. Member schools can phone or e-mail for a paper copy. Alternatively, you can download an electronic version from the members’ part of this web site. Please click here: phone or e-mail us if you are unsure of the password to the D&T part of the members’ web site.
PS65 Immediate Remedial Measures for D&T
This gives guidance for D&T departments about what they should do after an accident whilst waiting for a qualified first aider to arrive. The intention is that part of the leaflet can be copied and perhaps given to all D&T staff or posted on the walls of workrooms. There is of course equivalent guidance for science staff in section 5 of the CLEAPSS Laboratory Handbook but there are some differences between the science and D&T advice because the nature of likely accidents is different and facilities are different.
It can be downloaded from the Members’ part of this web site (please click here).
CLEAPSS Design and Technology Publications CD-ROM
This CD-ROM was despatched in bulk, via the same routes as are used for the termly Bulletin in 2003. Thus it was sent directly by post to most associate members and via LAs for everybody else.
This CD-ROM includes not only guide L225, Local Exhaust Ventilation in Design and Technology, but also has the complete Model Risk Assessments for Design and Technology (including a few updated and extra sheets). There is a good search facility, so finding the information you need should be much easier than with the paper version. There are also a few other files which we hope you will find useful. Unlike the Science Publications CD-ROM, this CD-ROM is not reissued yearly and will not expire.
Further additional sheets (eg on laser cutters and including revised contents and index) are available from the secondary members-only part of our web site under Design & Technology - Model Risk Assessments for Design & Technology update. If you are not sure of your password e-mail to password@cleapss.org.uk giving your school details and making it clear you want access for the D & T files.
CLEAPSS Guidance for publishers and authors
Jointly with the ASE and SSERC, we have recently revised the document giving guidance for publishers, authors and readers on writing and checking the content of science text books so that important health and safety issues are addressed. To download a copy of Health and Safety Checks on Science Texts (227 kb), click here.
CLEAPSS Guidance freely available
As a result of joint initiatives with the DfES and the ASE, we are making two of our publications available to establishments that are not members of CLEAPSS. These include guides L228 Technicians and Their Jobs and L14 Designing and Planning Laboratories. If you wish to download L228 (553 kb), click here and L14 (828 kb), click here. Please note that both these publications are on the latest edition of the CLEAPSS Science Publications CD-ROM.
As a result of a further initiative with the DfES we are also making our guide L93 Managing Ionising Radiations and Radioactive Substances available to non-members, click here. Note that this guide is currently being revised (although the general approach will not change, nor will most of the details) and the new edition will also be available to non-members. The guide is available to members on the current CLEAPSS Science Publications CD-ROM.The CLEAPSS Welcome button will take you back to the introduction - eg, if you decide you want the Primary set of pages.