CLEAPSS Supporting practical science and technology
Welcome to the new CLEAPSS Science Website
What is CLEAPSS
CLEAPSS resources give teachers ideas for exciting and engaging practical activities that fire pupils' imaginations and then, unlike many other sources of ideas, go on to show teachers and technicians in detail how to translate the ideas into safe and exciting experiences in the classroom.
CLEAPSS advice and documentation is recognised by the Health and Safety Executive and the Department for Education.. (read more)
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CLEAPSS online training - Health & Safety for Science Technicians
This FREE unmediated self-study course consisting of 4 video presentations interspersed with DIY tasks.  

For further details please click here

After completing the course you may wish to sign up to our follow-on live online H&S course.
WANTED : IT System & User Support Manager
CLEAPSS is looking to appoint a IT System & User Support Manager. 

The successful candidate will be part of the CLEAPSS management team, providing input on all matters relating to the use of IT in the business. 

They will work closely with the CLEAPSS IT developer on the successful implementation of bespoke IT solutions across the organisation.

For more information about the post, please download the job pack here. (You may need to right click and select download this zip file)
New Edition of CLEAPSS Guide L93
The new edition of L093 (February 2024) is now available to download. 

Guidance leaflet GL114 (also available now) details the main changes in the new edition. 

A revised edition of DL093 containing editable versions (MS Word) of the key record keeping forms is also available.

RPS in schools should review the revised guidance carefully, in particular, sections 6.5, 6.6.1, 9 and 15 of the revised L093 need to be completed by the RPS.

CLEAPSS will scheduling additional training courses (face to face and online) for RPS(schools). These will be advertised via the website.

RPOs in the CLEAPSS RPA service will be invited to attend an online briefing about the implications of the changes for their role. Invitations will be sent by e-mail this week.
CLEAPSS at the ASE Conference 2024
Thanks to everyone we met at the ASE Conference in Northampton.

You can also see a showcase video reel here.

You can find links to all our conference resources here.

Supply of chemicals - New Regulations

The regulations for supplying explosives precursors and poisons was updated on 27th September 2023 and came into force on 1st October. These put in place new requirements on the supply of certain chemicals which include the following commonly used in schools:

Explosives precursors: acetone, aluminium powders, hydrochloric acid, hydrogen peroxide, sulfur and sulfuric acid.

Poisons: ammonia, phenols, sodium hydroxide, sodium nitrite and sodium hypochlorite solutions. 

The regulations state that businesses and professional users should be verified by the supplier every time a new purchase is made of these regulated chemicals. 

 Where they are being supplied frequently or on a routine basis to the same professional user or business, verification should occur every 18 months or whenever there is a change or deviation from normal purchasing patterns. This is something suppliers can choose to do, but given schools don’t generally make frequent purchases of these chemicals, it is likely that the information will be required for each order.

The person making the sale (the supplier) must obtain the following from the business customer (i.e. the school):

<!--the business customer’s name and address. If the business customer is not an individual, the name of an individual who is authorised on behalf of the business customer should be recorded;

<!--a form of photographic identification of the business customer or, if the business customer is not an individual, of the individual making the purchase; this could be a school photo ID card

<!--a statement of the nature of the business customer’s trade, business or profession, or of the public function that the business customer performs; and the business customer’s VAT registration number, if the business customer has such a number

Your school will have to decide who is authorised on behalf of the business to make the purchase (the name on the order must match the individual). For schools it is most likely to be a technician, head of science or finance manager.

There is no licence which applies to these regulations, so there is nothing schools will need to apply for.

This information should be provided when requested by the company making the sale, there is no need to provide it in advance.

Further details including a list of the regulated substances and concentration thresholds can be found in the Explosives precursors and poisons: general guidance on the government website  


What's new.. more..

PS014 - Laboratory furniture and fittings, suppliers and manufacturers.
Mainly lists of organisation which make, or can supply, and fit all of the furniture and fittings need to equip a school lab.  supports the guide G14 Designing and planning laboratories. 
 (14 Mar 2024)

GL253 - Suppliers who are associate members of CLEAPSS
The individuals, companies and organisations listed in this document are associate members of CLEAPSS. They are permitted to display the CLEAPSS logo with the text “Associate Member of CLEAPSS” This m.. more
 (14 Mar 2024)

GL069 - Banned chemicals and other myths 2024
Updated and revised in 2024 : This provides authoritative guidance on the use of more than 50 chemicals, resources or activities commonly found in school science and which have, in the past, been the .. more
 (14 Mar 2024)

GL254 Make-it guide - microscale distillation apparatus
Instructions on how to make small scale distillation apparatus incorporating an electric heater.
 (13 Mar 2024)

PP086 - Making soap the microscale way
Soap making is an ancient process, going back at least 4000 years. It is an example of saponification of an ester group, which is sometimes included in GCSE, A-level and BTEC courses. The conventional.. more
 (13 Mar 2024)