Does anyone know if you can do the Limewater/straw practical as a demo currently? I know CLEAPSS are saying no to the practical in light of Omicron.
Lime water practical
- Thread starter Serious Leigh
- Start date
Purple Cat
It's real Science not Rocket Science
CLEAPSS says 'no' then it's no.
Show them the section in the latest guidance, and leave them to assess the risk, if doing gas exchange a leaf in bicarbonate indicator would show something similar, if testing for carbon dioxide a bit of acid on marble chips with a delivery tube into the limewater would do the job.
You couldn't before when it was not advised, so I doubt you can now.
I'm curious...if Cleapss say no does it actually mean no to subscribing schools or is Cleapps role advisory so that schools can ultimately decide themselves? I contacted SSERC yesterday on this (actually I had a cheek cell practical booked for later in the day). Advice was that cheek cells and limewater/blowy stuff can still be done as classes or demo as long as precautions were taken e.g pushing straw through a cotton wool bung into tube to minimise aerosol. That said, overarching advice is that if you don't need to do it then don't. Teachers, however, are by nature needy.
yup & i do...the question was more related to whether English schools are "bound" to follow the advice
This sort of question crops up quite a lot, and the answer is fairly complex.
Yes, CLEAPSS is only advisory and not a statutory body - BUT - by subscribing to CLEAPSS (be it directly, through a MAT, through LA, or however) employers (schools) are officially appointing CLEAPSS to be their H&S advisors and therefore school staff are obliged to follow the CLEAPSS guidance (suitably adapted for their individual circumstances of course) - any deviation from what CLEAPSS say would require full risk assessment etc, and as CLEAPSS are recognised by HSE and DfE etc as the premier authority in regard to safety in school science, D&T, art, etc, you would struggle to prove that anything you said would be better than their advice. It would only ever get tested in a court of law should an incident occur, but in all likelihood the court would side with CLEAPSS/HSE rather than the person(s)/school that decided their advice didn't apply to them..... Schools can choose to decide everything for themselves if they wish, but it's far more sensible all round to just follow the advice as given really...
Exactly what I came here to say Dave!This sort of question crops up quite a lot, and the answer is fairly complex.
Yes, CLEAPSS is only advisory and not a statutory body - BUT - by subscribing to CLEAPSS (be it directly, through a MAT, through LA, or however) employers (schools) are officially appointing CLEAPSS to be their H&S advisors and therefore school staff are obliged to follow the CLEAPSS guidance (suitably adapted for their individual circumstances of course) - any deviation from what CLEAPSS say would require full risk assessment etc, and as CLEAPSS are recognised by HSE and DfE etc as the premier authority in regard to safety in school science, D&T, art, etc, you would struggle to prove that anything you said would be better than their advice. It would only ever get tested in a court of law should an incident occur, but in all likelihood the court would side with CLEAPSS/HSE rather than the person(s)/school that decided their advice didn't apply to them..... Schools can choose to decide everything for themselves if they wish, but it's far more sensible all round to just follow the advice as given really...
I cant seem to find this anywhere on CLEAPPS. Would you have a link or guidance number? Thanks
Page 3 of the latest issue of GL343, probably best to discourage indoor activities which mean students have breathe or blow into equipment for a while.
DOH!! Never looking further than my nose. Thanks : )
Can anybody confirm whether this is now good to go? Our students do not wear face masks anymore, and as per updated GL343 I would imagine that this is now ok? Students would be using paper art straws to blow into test tubes of limewater?
Unless you are in an outbreak management you can do everything, covid is over just ignore the teachers being off with it.