School reopening plans should address the following considerations when allowing students to use the science labs.
- Face masks must be worn at all times in the building. CDC does not recommend use of face shield for normal everyday activities or as a substitute for face cloth.
- Each student needs to maintain a circle with a radius of 3 feet that no one else can enter.
- App 30 square feet area is needed per student in the lab.
- Check the following engineering controls periodically.
- Emergency Eye Wash Stations (Flash weekly)
- Emergency Showers (Flush Weekly)
- Fume Inspection (Annual Inspection by a professional technician)
- Google Cabinet Sanitizers
- Keep it mind that UV is not proven to be effective against COVID-19 (yet) and only sanitizes the surface that is exposed to.
- Wash the Googles with water and soap, then sanitize them in Google Sanitizing cabinets.’
- Wash hands regularly (Soap and water preferred) and make sure kids wash hand with soap and water,
- Don’t forget the golden rule: Clean First, Disinfect Second.
- Don’t share unless cleaned after each person’s use.
- Make sure the common surfaces are cleaned frequently: Tables, Doorknobs, Light Switches, Countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets and sinks, lab equipment, touch screens, eraser, markers, pens, pencils, etc.
- Sanitize PPEs.
- No gloves unless students or the teacher is not performing experiment with hazardous chemicals.
- Do not schedule multiple groups to use the same lab stations in shifts unless the entire lab station and equipment can be cleaned and disinfected between shifts or near the end of the lab period by students wearing PPE under the direct teacher visual supervision.
- NO PLEXIGALSS at all in Chemistry/Biology labs. It catches fire easily.
