Health and Safety

Free member access to laboratory and chemical standards

NZASE members now have free access to the 12 standards about lab and chemical safety below, as NZASE has paid for a subscription to NZ Standards. These standard documents are essential references when storing and using new lab supplies, and during refurbishment and rebuilding. Download our article summarising nine of these standards. We are not permitted to host the PDFs on our website, so simply email NZASE Administrator Donna Sellers with the numbers of the standards you want, and Donna will reply within 72 hours with a password and instructions.

Standard title	Standard topic
AS/NZS 2982:2010	Laboratory design and construction
AS/NZS 1668.1:2015	The use of ventilation and air conditioning in buildings
AS/NZS 4303:1990	Ventilation for acceptable indoor air quality
AS/NZS 2243.1:2005	Safety in laboratories - Planning and operational aspects
AS/NZS 2243.2:2006	Safety in laboratories - Chemical aspects
AS/NZS 2243.3:2010	Safety in laboratories - Microbiological safety and containment
AS/NZS 2243.4:2018	Safety in laboratories - Part 4: Ionizing radiations
AS/NZS 2243.5:2004	Safety in laboratories - Non-ionising radiations: Electromagnetic, sound and ultrasound
AS/NZS 2243.6:2010	Safety in laboratories - Plant and equipment aspects
AS/NZS 2243.8:2014	Safety in laboratories - Part 8: Fume cupboards
AS/NZS 2243.9:2009	Safety in laboratories - Recirculating fume cabinets
AS/NZS 2243.10:2004	Safety in laboratories - Storage of chemicals

Safety and Science/Pūtaiao: Guidance for Aotearoa New Zealand Schools and Kura

Download the Ministry of Education’s document released in May 2023.

NZASE executives, members and STANZ raised issues when the 2021 version of the guideline was published, and have been involved in its revision. All HODs, school boards, laboratory managers and technicians, and teachers need to ensure that their school systems are compliant with these guidelines.

Human remains in schools

If your school still has kōiwi (human bones), talk with your Kaiako Māori and mana whenua about the appropriate tikanga in your region. The W.D. Trotter Anatomy Museum at the University of Otago has provided details of the process for transferring such remains to them.

WorkSafe induction video

[23/07/2020] WorkSafe has a new Induction video which can be used during your new staff induction process. You might also like to show it to all of your Science staff to ensure that they understand their rights and responsibilities when it comes to keeping themselves healthy and safe at work.

Keeping safe in school labs during COVID-19

NZASE have produced these guidelines for use with your school’s policies and procedures, to help limit exposure to COVID-19 and reduce the probability of its transmission amongst students, teachers, technicians, cleaners, and other staff using school laboratories. You can also use this  flow chart to help make decisions about  practical activities during COVID-19.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us at NZASE if we can help you in any way during these changing times.

Thinking long term about Hazardous Substances

This WORKSAFE media release What New Zealanders don’t know about cancer is a good conversation starter for you and your science teaching andtechnician colleagues. You might also like to share Thinking long-term about hazardous substances, which looks at what makes some substances hazardous, and how these substances might enter the body.