Safety in the Classroom

Safety is an essential consideration in all learning environments.

To create a safe environment for learning requires that teachers be informed, aware and proactive and that students listen, think and respond appropriately.

Safe practices are the joint responsibility of teachers and students.

Safety refers to more than protecting students’ physical safety (e.g., injury prevention procedures). Safety also includes students’ personal and emotional safety and sense of belonging which can be supported by ensuring that learning takes place in an inclusive environment free from subtle or overt stereotypes (e.g., racial, gender and sexual diversity, socio-economic or social status), exclusion, bullying or use of inappropriate language and behaviours.

The teacher’s responsibility is to provide instruction and supervision within a safe environment (e.g., floor free of debris, the climate of respect for self and others) and to ensure the students are aware of safe practices such as the importance of appropriate clothing and equipment, inclusion of all students in the work, adjusting tasks for students who may require adaptations, and ensuring proper techniques in each art form (e.g., warm-up and body alignment in dance, proper breathing while singing or playing, caution with visual art tools and chemicals). The students’ responsibility is to act appropriately based on the information and guidance provided by the teacher and/or resources.

Kwan, Texley and Summers (2004) suggest that teachers, as professionals, consider the four Ps of safety: prepare, plan, prevent and protect. The following points are adapted from those guidelines and provide a starting point for thinking about safety in the classroom:

Prepare

• Keep up to date with personal safety knowledge and certifications.
• Be aware of national, provincial, school division and school-level safety policies and guidelines.
• Design a safety agreement with students.

Plan

• Develop learning plans that promote effective and safe learning for all students.
• Choose activities that are suited to the abilities, maturity and behaviour of all students.
• Create safety agreements and checklists for in-class activities and field studies. 

Prevent

• Assess and mitigate hazards (e.g., ensure dance and theatrical stage props and equipment are not defective).
• Review procedures for accident prevention with students (e.g., transporting students to off-site locations, ensuring vocal health when playing instruments or singing).
• Teach and review safety procedures with students (e.g., how to move to avoid muscle strains or fabrics becoming entangled, proper posture when playing, storing or transporting musical instruments).
• Do not use defective or unsafe equipment or procedures.
• Do not allow students to eat or drink in areas used for learning activities (e.g., the procedure for staying hydrated but avoiding liquid spills on the floor).    

Protect

• Ensure students have sufficient protective devices where applicable (e.g., masks or protective eyewear as needed when using visual art tools, creating dance props or stage backdrops).
• Demonstrate and instruct students on the proper use of safety equipment and protective gear.
• Model safe practices by insisting that all students, teachers and visitors (e.g., guest artists) follow school division safety guidelines. 

Safety in the classroom includes the storage, use and disposal of chemicals (e.g., visual art materials such as paint, ceramic glazes, photography, lithography, sculpture or materials used in the construction of drama/theatre or dance staging). The Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) regulations (WHMIS 1998 and WHMIS 2015) under the Hazardous Products Act and the Hazardous Product Regulations govern storage and handling practices of chemicals in schools. All school divisions must comply with the provisions of these regulations.

Chemicals should be stored in a safe location according to a chemical class, not just alphabetically. Appropriate cautionary labels must be placed on all chemical containers and all school division employees using hazardous substances should have access to appropriate Materials Safety Data Sheets (WHMIS 1998) or Safety Data Sheets (WHMIS 2015). Under provincial WHMIS regulations, all employees involved in handling hazardous substances must receive training by their employer. Teachers who have not been informed about or trained in this program should contact their director of education. Further information related to WHMIS is available from Health Canada and the Saskatchewan Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety.