Help make chemical safety part of your school's ongoing security audits and safety plan.
1) Talk with parents, educators and community leaders about making safety part of school culture.
2) Make safety part of the curriculum in science education, vocational education, occupational health and safety, community service, comprehensive school health and injury prevention, school security, emergency preparedness, environmental education, civic education, school maintenance, and operations.
3) Promote a sense of shared responsibility and accountability for student, employee and visitor health and safety in all school areas and activities.
"Parents can't take it for granted that schools are the healthy places and safe havens we expect them to be. Too many schools, old and new, have poor ventilation systems, bad sanitation, and extensive safety code violations. The US EPA estimates that nearly 33,000 middle and high schools have outdated or improperly stored explosives and other hazardous chemicals in maintenance closets, labs and classrooms. Yet it is rare to find a school where anyone takes responsibility to enforce basic health and safety standards. Healthy Schools Day reminds us to work together for healthy high performance schools and speak up to protect children from school conditions that threaten their health and education." Healthy Schools Day, April 11, 2011, Ellie Goldberg, MEd, www.healthy-kids.info