lABORATORY POLICY

The IB Mission

The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end, the organization works with schools, governments, and international organizations to develop challenging programs of international education and rigorous assessment. These programs encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate, and lifelong learners.

Harvest International School (HIS) Mission and Vision

HIS Mission

Harvest International School is dedicated to providing personalized holistic education, leveraging technology for academic growth and innovation. Our inclusive and value-centric approach develops confident, globally-minded individuals who embrace diversity. With the guidance of exceptional educators and partnering with parents, we provide a supportive environment, instilling a lifelong love for learning and empathy.

HIS Vision

Nurture happy learners who embody ethics, enable them to excel in their chosen fields, and contribute to the betterment of society as responsible and conscientious global citizens.

Purpose of the Laboratory Policy

The lab policy outlined by the International Baccalaureate (IB) emphasizes safe and ethical conduct during scientific experiments. The purpose of experimentation is to enhance individual learning rather than generate new scientific knowledge. No one should be at risk of injury or other health issues, and no harm should be caused to other life forms.

The guidelines apply to all IB science experiments, emphasizing the principles of replacement, refinement, and reduction when using animals.

Experimentation involving animals should consider:

• Replacement of the animals by using cells, plants, or computer simulations.
• Refinement to the experiment to alleviate any harm or distress to the animal.
• Reduction in the numbers of animals involved.

Animal Behaviour Experiments

Any planned experimentation involving animals must be approved by the supervising teacher following discussions with the student(s). Experiments involving animals must be based on observing and measuring aspects of natural animal behavior. This should be within the range of environments to which the animal would naturally be exposed.

Experimentation should not compromise the health of an animal (vertebrate or invertebrate) in any way. This includes pain or undue physiological stress beyond that which would be expected within its natural habitat.

Any animal removed from its natural habitat, for example for choice chamber experiments, must be safely returned unharmed and within a suitable time frame. Experiments that administer drugs or medicines or that manipulate the environment or diet beyond that of the natural tolerance range of the animal are not acceptable. Animals must never be deliberately euthanized for the sole purpose of an experiment.

Animal Dissection

Teachers and students are not mandated to conduct dissections of any animals, whether vertebrates or invertebrates. However, if teachers deem it educationally valuable and choose to incorporate dissections into the curriculum, certain guidelines must be followed.

The reasons for animal dissections should be discussed with students. Any student who wishes to opt out of the dissection should be allowed to do so. An attempt should be made to reduce the number of dissections. Replacing animal dissection with computer simulations and/or use of animal tissue should be encouraged. This could include, for example, hearts and lungs obtained from a butcher.

Live organisms must not be used for dissection. Animals to be dissected should be obtained from an ethical source only. Animals killed on the road should not be used.

Fieldwork Impact

Fieldwork should be carried out with minimal impact on the environment and should adhere to rules and regulations relating to the site. Precautions should be taken to ensure the safety of all species when carrying out sampling techniques. Working in areas where protected and/or endangered species are present, or likely to be present, should not be permitted.

All habitats investigated should experience minimal disturbance and be returned to their original condition. Delicate sites should not be trampled by repeated passage. Sites of special scientific interest should be avoided. The species sampled should be identified and counted in situ. If the sampled species are removed, they must be returned within a suitable time frame and safely to where they were collected.

Safety

Before using a fieldwork site, a risk assessment is required to identify any hazards and reduce potential risk. It is recommended that potential dangers are highlighted to students, for example on a map. Appropriate procedures should be in place for any student groups working away from supervision.

The specific hazards of the habitat being visited should be considered, for example water currents, mud, cliffs, or rocky terrain. The avoidance of any potentially hazardous organisms, for example, ticks, venomous plants, and animals. Participants should be advised to wear appropriate clothing and footwear. Forecasts for changing local conditions should be observed, for example, the weather or tides. Contingency planning should be undertaken if work needs to be cancelled.

Handling of Equipment, Chemicals, and Waste Disposal

Students should be trained in standard laboratory practice and made aware of particular risks associated with handling the different equipment and compounds being used. Teachers should consult safety information on compounds and materials (e.g., CLEAPSS, ACS Institute, 2022).

When required, students must wear appropriate protective clothing and eye protection. The working environment must be safe; for example, fume hoods should be present if appropriate. Students must not carry out work in a laboratory unsupervised. Consumption of materials must be kept to a minimum to prevent unnecessary waste. The disposal of waste material, including biological material, should adhere to local regulations and aim to cause minimum environmental impact and to encourage recycling.

Carcinogenic substances must not be handled by students and, when possible, toxic substances should be replaced by less harmful ones. Low-level radioactive sources that do not pose an external hazard to students can be used.

Human Physiology Experiments

Any planned experimentation involving human subjects must be approved by the supervising teacher following discussions with the student(s). Written permission from each participant must be obtained. Confidential informed consent forms are mandatory.

The investigation must not use participants under the age of 16 without the written consent of their parents or guardians. A written declaration ensuring that each participant is of good physical health, such as a physical activity readiness questionnaire (PAR-Q), must also be obtained if the investigation includes moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity.

Experiments that administer substances, including but not limited to alcohol, drugs, medicines, or dietary supplements (including beverages containing caffeine and energy drinks), are not acceptable and must not be carried out. Experiments involving any body fluids (such as sweat, blood, urine, and saliva) must not be performed due to the risk of the transmission of pathogens.

Microbiological Studies

Experiments involving any body fluids of an animal (such as sweat, blood, urine, and saliva) for microbial investigations must not be performed due to the risk of the transmission of pathogens. The use of raw (untreated) milk is not permitted.

Known non-pathogenic cultures from reputable specialist suppliers must be used. The incubation temperatures for these must be maintained at or below 25°C. Aerobic conditions must be maintained by ensuring containers are not completely sealed. Edges should not be taped shut so an aerobic environment inhibits the growth of human pathogens that may contaminate the cultures. Once closed, containers must not be reopened. The handling of the microbes should be carried out using standard aseptic techniques.

The culturing of organisms from the environment or from human body surfaces, such as hand swipes, must not be carried out. Disposal of microbial cultures must meet local safety requirements. The testing of antibiotic resistance in bacteria, even non-pathogenic strains, must not be carried out.

Risk Assessment

A risk assessment must be conducted by both students and teachers prior to carrying out experiments both in the laboratory and in the field. Risk assessment requires four steps:

• Identify the hazards.
• Recognize and assess the potential risks of the hazards.
• Minimize the risks of the hazards by identifying and implementing appropriate and effective control measures.
• Prepare for emergencies from unexpected events. (ACS Institute, 2022)

Hazards may take the form of items in the laboratory equipment, field conditions, health conditions, substances, sources of energy, condition of the working environment, or organisms under observation or encountered.

Local policies should be adhered to and regarded as a minimum standard. Personal and environmental safety are the priority and steps should be taken to ensure risk assessments are as comprehensive as possible.