Safety
practice can be explained to mean the process of averting danger. According to
advance learner’s dictionary, “safety is freedom from danger or risk” (Oxford
Advanced Learners Dictionary of Current English A. S. Hornby, 1982). The
importance of safety measure in every activity of individual cannot be over
emphasized. It forms an integral part of individual understanding. Laboratory
activities demand adequate safety measures in order to overcome danger. This
can be achieved either by the teachers or students. Aminu (1982) maintain that
most laboratory hazards can be reduced by good value judgment, careful
manipulation adequate supervision, and most of all the knowledge of how to use
the safety material or device present in the laboratories. It is obvious that
anyone who is not alert and safety conscious stand the greater risk of turning
a minor hazard into an accident which might be fatal. To ensure safety in our
biological science laboratories, students and teachers should be well-informed
of the safety practice and how to operate simple safety gadgets during
emergency. Also there is the need that these safety gadgets be constantly
checked to ensure proper functioning during emergency. Laboratories serve as a
training ground for scientist and a means for discovering new knowledge and
testing hypothesis. “A school laboratory is an instructional facility for
helping pupils learn what science is and how the scientists work” (Archohold,
1977). In the study of biology, the equipments and facilities to which students
are exposed are very important. It is believed that students with rich
background in terms of exposure to many and varied equipment and facilities
have advanced intellectual developments than the less privilege ones (Fafunwa,
1984). Laboratory according to the world book encyclopedia can be defined as a
place equipped with scientific apparatus where scientist perform experiment to
test hypothesis. Science laboratory is not confirmed to a room with sink and
fitting for experiment but rather, it includes any place in the field, stream
near school, garden or workshop especially equipped and set aside for the
function it is intended to serve (Danazumi, 1992). Practical works and safety
practices run concurrently in laboratories. This is reflected in one of the
objectives of the adequate practical teaching in biology science, which is to
teach public how to handle safety materials that could be dangerous. Child
center or activity method is one of the recognized methods of teaching biology.
This method of teaching ensures a high degree of student participation. The
success of practical lesson and the realization of the positive goals of
teaching biology in secondary school depend on the measures taken to measure
the safety of both the students and teachers (Ahmed, 2001). Conclusively, many
lives can be saved if necessary safety measures are considered or taken
appropriate in the biology lessons or practicals. The indispensability of the
Biological Science Laboratory Apparatus to the teaching of biology cannot be
over emphasized. Science laboratory is an important component in the learning
of science subjects but it depends upon the degree to which it is efficiently
used, only the availability of Science laboratory is not a guarantee of
students’ performance until both the students and teachers actually use
Biological Science Laboratory Apparatus facilities efficiently (Lewin, 2000).

The
proper use of laboratory and demonstration of experiments are the indicators of
student performance. Science laboratories are important only when they are used
in the school setting. If Science laboratories are provided to schools, there
are three possibilities that they remain unused, used inefficiently and used
efficiently.  Furthermore, Science laboratories are provided to schools
with deficient quality and less quantity of equipments, apparatus, materials,
and chemicals owing to limited funds. However, Biological Science Laboratory
Apparatus may contribute to higher level of academic achievement if used
effectively and properly with national commitment. Hofstein  and
Mamlok-Naaman (2007) described the concept of the use of science laboratory in
these words: “Over the years, many have argued that science cannot be
meaningful to students without worthwhile practical experiences in the school
laboratory”.

Unfortunately,
the terms ‘school laboratory or lab and practical’ have been used, too often
without precise definition, to embrace a wide array of activities. Typically,
the terms have meant experiences in school settings where students interact
with materials to observe and understand the natural world. Some laboratory
activities have been designed and conducted to engage students individually,
while others have sought to engage students in small groups and in large-group
demonstration settings. Teacher guidance and instructions have ranged from
highly structured and teacher centered to open inquiry. The terms have
sometimes been used to include investigations or projects that are pursued for
several weeks, sometimes outside the school, while on other occasions they have
referred to experiences lasting 20 minutes or less. Sometimes laboratory
activities have incorporated a high level of instrumentation, and at other
times the use of any instrumentation has been meticulously avoided.

According
to Raimi (2002) and Adeyegbe (2005),  laboratory adequacy was reported to
affect the performance of students in biology. Likewise, about the use of
laboratory, Farounbi (1998) argued that students tend to understand and recall
what they see more than what they hear. Students see when they actually use
laboratories in the teaching and learning of science. Similarly, Adesoji and
Olatunbosun (2008) found that laboratory adequacy was also found to enhanced
achievement through attendance at Biology workshop.

Biological
Science Laboratory Apparatus is a very important resource input for teaching
science and is an important predictor of academic achievement. Throwing more
light on school facilities and moral guiding provision, Fabunmi (1997) asserted
that school facilities when provided will aid teaching learning programme and
consequently improve academic achievement of students while the models guiding
their provision to schools could take any form as rational bureaucratic and or
political model. Whichever model is adopted, according to him, there is always
a common feature of differing allocation of facilities to schools. In his
words, Ojoawo (1990), however, noted that certain schools are favoured.

1.2             
STATEMENT
OF THE PROBLEM