Asbestos has been used in the construction of elementary, middle, and high school ceilings, floor tile adhesives, pipe and structural beam insulations, science laboratory benches, wire gauss on ring stands, fume hood panels, general insulation, and more during the 1950s through early 1970s. Why? Primarily asbestos was selected because of its…

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created in 1970 to protect human health and the environment. The year 2007 marks 10 years of concerted Federal effort to address children's environmental health risks as mandated by Executive Order 13045, Protection of Children from Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks. Much of the agency's…

A "healthy and high performance school" uses a holistic design process to promote the health and comfort of children and school employees, as well as conserve resources. Children may spend over eight hours a day at school with little, if any, legal protection from environmental hazards. Schools are generally not well-maintained; asthma is a…

For generations, schools have routinely held fire drills. However, ensuring a safe learning environment is more complicated than staging an occasional drill. Schools and universities should have an integrated school safety plan, and it must address how to manage site hazards in science labs, kitchens and other building areas. It is essential for…

This study focuses on children's understanding of hazardous household items (HHI) and waste (HHW). Children from grades 4, 5 and 6 (n=173) participated in a questionnaire and interview research design. The results indicate that: (a) on a daily basis the children used HHI and disposed of HHW, (b) the children did not realize the danger of these…

THIS BULLETIN, ONE OF A SERIES ON SAFETY IN INDUSTRY, IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE THE BACKGROUND WHICH WILL ENABLE THE SAFETY MAN TO UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE PRINCIPLES APPLIED IN CONTROLLING CHEMICAL HAZARDS. IT WAS PREPARED IN THE OFFICE OF OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY, DIVISION OF PROGRAMING AND RESEARCH, BUREAU OF LABOR STANDARDS. TOPICS INCLUDE (1) WHAT IS…

The presence of asbestos health hazards in the schools is particulary serious since children exposed to asbestos are more likely to develop cancer than adults similarly exposed. Health risks of asbestos, scope of the problem, and asbestos testing are discussed. (DF)

The Natural Resources Defense Council in New York recently warned against hazardous art supplies in a report entitled "Children's Art Hazards." Potential hazards are discussed. Suggestions on selection of art materials and procedures to minimize risk are made. (MT)

This guide gives elementary school teachers suggestions for providing a safe environment for their students and covers general safety concerns in the science classroom. Information is printed in a flip chart format for easy reference. Safety areas covered include: (1) In Case of Accident; (2) Eye Protection; (3) Plants in the Classroom; (4) First…

This publication is a compilation of original and republished materials from numerous individuals and organizations working on pesticide reform and integrated pest management (IPM)--using alternatives to prevailing chemical-intensive practices. The manual provides comprehensive information on implementing school IPM, including a practical guide to…

Antimicrobial textiles can be categorized into two groups, biocidal and biostatic materials, according to their functions. Biostatic functions refer to inhibiting growth of microorganisms on textiles and preventing the materials from biodegradation and biocidal materials are able to kill microorganisms, thus eliminating their growth, sterilizing…

This article describes OSHA procedures for handling Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories. The Laboratory Standard requires a Chemical Hygiene Plan to address all aspects of working with hazardous chemicals. This includes dealing with chemical spills. Chemical spill kits or "spill crash carts" need to be available in case…

This paper is part of an on-going project to examine outdoor education related deaths in Australia since 1960. It records eleven incidents not included in previous papers in this series. A total of 14 students or staff died in the incidents. The paper reviews the incidents and identifies what further lessons can be learned about fatality…

A circuit board analysis of the atomic absorption spectroscopy, which is used to measure lead content in a course for nonscience majors, is being presented. The experiment can also be used to explain the potential environmental hazards of unsafe disposal of various used electronic equipments.

In the professional cleaning industry, green cleaning has been much discussed in the past few years. Usually, the information pertains to the many reasons why a green cleaning program should be started, the steps involved to get the program off the ground, and the potential benefits. However, although many facility managers and school…