You Must Know What Is in Your Schools

A recent report from 1News should get the attention of every school leader, science supervisor, facilities director, and administrator responsible for laboratory safety.

According to the article, emergency and defence personnel responded to several New Zealand schools over two days after discovering potentially volatile or unstable chemicals. In one case, the New Zealand Defence Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team was called to make a substance safe through a controlled explosion. In another case, a high school was evacuated as a precaution after a potentially unstable chemical was found in a science laboratory.

These incidents are reminders of a simple but essential safety principle:

Schools must know what is in their buildings.

Chemical Safety Begins With Inventory

A chemical inventory is not just a spreadsheet.

It is a safety system.

It helps schools identify what chemicals are present, where they are stored, how old they are, what hazards they create, and whether they should still be in the building.

Every school with science laboratories, chemical storage areas, prep rooms, makerspaces, art rooms, maintenance areas, or CTE spaces should be able to answer these questions:

• What chemicals are currently in the building?

• Where are they stored?

• How old are they?

• Which chemicals are expired, unstable, reactive, or no longer needed?

• Are Safety Data Sheets current and accessible?

• Who is responsible for reviewing, removing, and disposing of chemicals?

• When was the last inventory audit completed?

• What documentation shows the review took place?

If the answer to any of these questions is uncertain, the school may already be behind.

Hope Is Not a Chemical Hygiene Plan

Chemical safety cannot depend on memory, assumptions, or good intentions.

• It must be planned.

• It must be documented.

• It must be reviewed.

• It must be maintained.

A school may have inherited chemicals from previous teachers, old programs, retired courses, unopened kits, forgotten storage cabinets, or donations that were never fully reviewed. Over time, chemicals can degrade, labels can fade, containers can become compromised, and substances that were once manageable may become unstable or inappropriate for school use.

Waiting until a renovation, cleanout, inspection, or emergency is not a safety plan.

The safer approach is proactive review.

The Standard of Care Connection

The Standard of Care requires educators and administrators to act as reasonable and prudent professionals under similar circumstances.

In science safety, that means schools must foresee hazards, maintain safe learning environments, take reasonable precautions, and document the systems used to protect students and staff.

Chemical inventory is part of that responsibility.

A reasonable and prudent school does not wait until a dangerous chemical is discovered by accident.

A reasonable and prudent school knows what is in its labs, storage rooms, and prep areas.

A reasonable and prudent school removes what does not belong before it becomes an emergency.

Practical Steps Schools Should Take

Schools should regularly review their chemical inventory and remove chemicals that are expired, unstable, reactive, unlabeled, unnecessary, or inappropriate for the instructional program.

At minimum, schools should:

Review all science laboratories, prep rooms, storage cabinets, and chemical storage areas.

Verify that all containers are properly labeled.

Confirm that Safety Data Sheets are current and accessible.

Identify chemicals that are expired, deteriorating, unstable, or no longer used.

Work with qualified professionals for proper disposal.

Document the review, removal, and disposal process.

Schedule routine follow-up reviews.

Train staff on chemical hygiene expectations and reporting procedures.

These steps are not just administrative tasks. They are preventive safety measures.

Know What Is in Your Schools

Do not wait until a chemical is found during a cleanout.

Do not wait until a storage cabinet is opened during a renovation.

Do not wait until emergency personnel are called.

Know what is in your schools.

Review the inventory.

Remove what does not belong.

Dispose of chemicals properly.

Document the process.

That is how schools move from reaction to prevention.

That is how schools demonstrate the Standard of Care.

Article: https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/08/26/potentially-volatile-chemicals-disposed-of-at-high-schools/

The Standard of Care in STEM Education: A Practical Guide for Teachers and Administrators is available now.

If your school or organization needs support reviewing science safety systems, chemical hygiene practices, lab documentation, or Standard of Care procedures, Kevin Doyle Consulting can help.

Reach out to start the conversation.