Safety watchdogs have said it is “not possible” to determine whether an explosive chemical being kept in at least three Aberdeen secondary schools is being stored correctly.
The Scottish Schools Education Research Centre (SSERC), which provides health and safety advice to science departments, raised questions after routine investigations of Granite City schools.;
It concerns 2,4 dinitrophenylhydrazine, which is explosive under certain circumstances.
In science labs it used to test for carbonyl functionality of a ketone or aldehyde as part of Brady’s test.
Late last year the substance, which must be kept damp to reduce the risk, hit the headlines after bomb squads visited a number of English schools to carry out controlled explosions to destroy stocks.
A controlled explosion was also carried out at Swansea University and a campus of Gower College in the Welsh city was evacuated.
One Aberdeen academy – which is not identified in the report – has the chemical in stock and has verified it is stored correctly.
But while two others stocked it, the report said, “it was not possible to determine if the chemicals held were stored correctly based on the inventories provided”.
A further six schools have still to submit their inventories.
Last night Paul Beaumont, the director of professional learning at the SSERC, said that 2,4 dinitrophenylhydrazine would only be used now for projects at advanced higher level.
He said: “It should not be allowed to dry out because there is a theoretical risk of explosion.
“It comes in a solid format but must be kept damp. The material used to be used a lot but that part of the curriculum has gradually been phased out.
“In general now there are few schools that retain it but it can be used at advanced higher level for specific projects. “
The report, which will be discussed by the audit, risk and scrutiny committee today, recommends a standardised chemical stock list is introduced across the school estate.
Committee convener Stephen Flynn said: “The report has been produced for the committee and I have no doubt that members of the committee will seriously question officers on the storage of this substance.”
A city council spokesman declined to comment on the report ahead of today’s debate.