Dangerous chemicals banned from school science labs
The Department of Education has told second-level schools that a range of substances should no longer be used in their science labs, following advice from the Health and Safety Authority. Schools were told in a letter last week that around a dozen chemicals and related compounds should be isolated, stored safely and kept in the school for collection by a chemicals disposal company.
On the Leaving Certificate chemistry syllabus, six mandatory experiments and two experiments to be demonstrated by teachers require some of the substances now being banned. The Junior Certificate science syllabus features a student practical activity that uses cobalt chloride paper, which schools have also been told not to use any longer.
