CSSS Elementary School Science Safety Manual
A nationally aligned safety manual supporting sound professional judgment, developmental alignment, and safer hands-on learning in U.S. elementary schools.
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This manual was developed through a collaborative effort led by Safer STEM, bringing together nationally recognized expertise in science safety, education, and implementation. The Council of State Science Supervisors, Rutgers University, and Ward’s Science played a critical role in both the development and rigorous peer review of this compliance sheet, ensuring it is accurate, relevant, and grounded in real-world practice.
The Council of State Science Supervisors (CSSS) Elementary School Science Safety Reference Manual reflects a fundamental shift in how safety is understood, implemented, and sustained. Led by Safer STEM, these updated manuals establish a modern, research-based foundation for safer teaching and learning, aligned to today’s realities.
Access the other 2026 CSSS Manuals
CSSS High School Science Safety Manual
A practical, standards-aligned guide that helps high school science educators and leaders make confident, day-to-day decisions to reduce risk, strengthen safety culture, and support hands-on learning across all science disciplines.
CSSS Middle School Science Safety Manual
A clear, research-informed resource that equips science educators and leaders to anticipate hazards, apply safer practices, and create consistent, high-quality safety experiences in middle school instructional spaces.
CSSS High School CTE Safety Manual
A comprehensive, standards-aligned resource that equips high school CTE educators and safety leaders to manage complex, real-world hazards through proactive risk assessment, industry-informed safety practices, and a culture of accountability that prepares students for both workforce readiness and safer learning environments.
CSSS Remote, Distance, and Home-based Science and STEM Safety Guidance
A nationally aligned, standards-based framework that guides educators and school leaders in designing safer science and STEM learning experiences beyond the classroom, prioritizing hazard elimination, clear instructional boundaries, and defensible decision-making to ensure that rigorous learning continues without exposing students to unmanaged risks in remote, distance, and home-based environments.
Preparing STEM Instructional Spaces for the Next Pandemic
A forward-looking, evidence-based guide that helps K–12 educators and safety leaders embed public health readiness into everyday STEM instruction, integrating infection prevention, laboratory safety, and instructional design into a cohesive system that protects students, sustains hands-on learning, and strengthens resilience for future pandemics and public health disruptions.
Augmenting Safety with Better Decisions
A research-informed, nationally aligned framework that reframes safety culture in K–12 science and STEM not as compliance alone, but as a system of decisions, equipping educators and leaders with AI-supported tools, cognitive strategies, and design principles to improve judgment, respond to changing conditions, and build defensible, learning-centered safety practices that continuously reduce risk and strengthen professional responsibility.