Great point about NFPA 45-12—Jim was heavily involved in the development of the standard, so I’ll be sure to reference it in the article. Here are a few additional points: 

While NFPA 45-12 sets an important benchmark, the real challenge is practical implementation in K-12 schools. (1) Many districts lack dedicated safety personnel, leaving science safety entirely up to individual teachers (as implied in the standard since it references the individual instructor)—most of whom aren’t formally trained in hazard analysis or risk assessment. (2) With STEM teacher shortages, more schools are relying on emergency-certified instructors or teachers working outside their expertise, making it unrealistic to expect each individual teacher to be aware of the standard AND to effectively evaluate high-risk experiments like the Whoosh Bottle. (3) So, we can then encourage teachers not to do demos or experiments when they haven't performed the requisite hazard analysis, but current curriculum standards (i.e., NGS standards) encourage hands-on, constructivist learning as a best practice. And because teachers are driven by the curriculum, the safety requirements can be overlooked when established processes are not in place. 

So the issue isn’t just about having a standard—it’s about making it usable and accessible for all STEM educators. Without clear pathways for implementation, standards just become barriers—either ignored or inconsistently applied. Rather than simply advocating for NFPA 45-12, we need actionable strategies to help schools integrate it effectively across entire districts. Here are a few thoughts:

• Establishing district-wide science safety committees to evaluate high-risk experiments.

• Providing training that translates NFPA 45-12 into real classroom practice.

• Offering safer alternatives and clear guidelines to support teachers.

My real goal is to help create pathways to compliance that empowers school districts to deploy standards like the NFPA 45-12 in a way that is practical, sustainable, and actually helps teachers with their job functions. 

Thoughts?

Stephen Taylor, Ph.D.
Executive Director

The Laboratory Safety Institute

www.labsafety.org

Stephen Taylor | LinkedIn

PS. Be sure to take our Safer Science Self-Assessment to see how your School or University stacks up!

On Mon, Feb 10, 2025 at 11:47 AM <000006c59248530b-dmarc-request**At_Symbol_Here**lists.princeton.edu> wrote:

A good article but it fails to note that NFPA 45 has specific requirements for demonstrations which, if followed, would help prevent accidents like this. So let’s get the word out to follow an established, well known, and proven standard.

 

From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU> On Behalf Of Stephen Taylor
Sent: Monday, February 10, 2025 8:42 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Whoosh Bottle Incident

 

I thought that I would share another Whoosh Bottle Incident that happened last week in Indiana at a local high school. 

Glass bottle explosion injures students, chemistry teacher at Southport High School | Fox 59

Also here is an article that I wrote over the weekend in response to the incident for anyone that is interested, 

Stephen Taylor, Ph.D.
Executive Director

The Laboratory Safety Institute

www.labsafety.org

Stephen Taylor | LinkedIn

PS. Be sure to take our Safer Science Self-Assessment to see how your School or University stacks up!

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