Safe Schools Newsletter

Transcription

1 Safe Schools Newsletter Prepared by the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute through a grant from the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Vocational-Technical, Career and Innovative Programs. Vol. 12, No. 1 May 2006 Required Structured Learning Experience Trainings Offered Over Summer The Safe Schools program will offer all five courses required for supervising SLEs this summer in central New Jersey for those who have difficultly getting release time: New Jersey Wage and Hour and Wage Payment Course (1 day: August 22 in Piscataway) New Jersey Child Labor Laws, Regulations and Hazardous Orders Course (1 day: August 23 in Piscataway) Federal Wage and Hour and Child Labor Laws, Regulations and Hazardous Orders Course (1 day: August 24 in Piscataway) OSHA 10 Plus (2 days: August 10 and 11 in Englishtown) Designing and Implementing Student Training Plans Course (3 days: July 12, 13 and 14 in Dayton) There will be a $75 dollar per day registration fee charged for all courses to cover expenses. For additional information or to register, please visit: eohsi.rutgers.edu/ss/sched1.html. 2-Hour Part of OSHA 10 Plus Course Now Online The OSHA 10 Plus course required for teachers supervising structured learning experiences consists of two parts: the 2-hour New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) Safety and Health Requirements course and the 10-hour OSHA General Industry course. If you have taken or plan to take the 10-hour OSHA course separately, you may now complete the 2-hour NJDOE Safety and Health Requirements course completely online. Please contact Barry Schlegel at (732) or schlegba@umdnj.edu if you would like to enroll. Safe Schools Manual Update #24 Mailed Safe Schools Manual Update #24 was mailed in October 2005 to those individuals who are on record as having the Safe Schools Manual. The update included the following sections: Training Handout Chapter 4 Checklist: Pesticides Chapter 4 Checklist: Food Preparation and Service Part 3 Chapter 4 Checklist: Food Preparation and Service Part 4 Chapter 4 Checklist: Food Preparation and Service Part 5 Chapter 4 Checklist: Integrated Pest Management (IPM) If you have a copy of the Safe Schools Manual but did not receive the update, please send Barry Schlegel (schlegba@umdnj.edu) your mailing information. The entire manual is also available on the Safe Schools Website: What s Inside Structured Learning Experience Questions Answered...p. 2 Structured Learning Experience Training Found Valuable...p. 3 Writing a Safety and Health Plan Course Registration...p. 4 Youth@Work-Talking Safety Course Registration...p. 5 Lost Youth: Four Stories of Injured Young Workers, A Review...p. 6 Report on Young Workers Death...p. 6 OSHA Focuses on Teen Worker Safety in Summer...p. 6 New NIOSH Guidelines on Use of Contact Lenses...p. 7

2 Structured Learning Experience Questions Answered Do you have questions about SLE? Sign up for the NJDOE Listserv by submitting your address at Below are recent questions and answers that were sent out via the NJDOE Listserv; answers were supplied by Anne Freeman, NJDOE. QUESTION: Can I work under another teacher s cooperative education coordinator or CIE certificate? ANSWER: There are no provisions in the teacher licensure code for cooperative education coordinators that permits one staff person in the district to work under another person's cooperative education coordinator s certificate. All staff who are placing and supervising students in external, paid or unpaid structured learning experiences, including cooperative education experiences, must personally hold the appropriate certificate and/or complete the required SLE training, as required by the teacher licensure code. The relevant teacher licensure and training code can be found in a handbook on our SLE website, entitled Structured Learning Experience Teacher Certification and Training Information, School Year Download the document at I hope that this information helps clarify things for you. QUESTION: How do I go about getting my certification since I have completed the 48 hours? I have tried several different people, but nobody seems to know what the procedure is, including the county superintendent's office. I have my paper signed by my supervisor, but I don't know who gets that paperwork. I know we were originally told to send the paper to you, but that information was corrected. ANSWER: The signed Structured Learning Experience Teacher Certification and Training Information form ( should be submitted to the county superintendent s office annually and filed as part of your district s professional development documentation. QUESTION: Does job shadowing require a training plan? ANSWER: Job shadowing is defined by the New Jersey Child Labor Regulation N.J.A.C. 12: as a process by which a student determines by observation, interview and study the pertinent information related to an occupation. Information can include such factors as qualifications for employment, functions performed, necessary skills and knowledge, equipment and material used and physical demands and working environment. Job shadowing does not 2 include any hands-on activities. Typically, job shadowing is conducted with a group of students as a oneday event. Job shadowing does not require a student training plan because there are no hands-on activities, and its purpose is primarily career awareness. QUESTION: Currently, I am pursuing my certification to place students in SLEs. Is there a special endorsement needed in order to place students in a hazardous SLE, such as HVAC/R, electrical work or carpentry? ANSWER: Yes federal and state child labor laws and regulations and DOE administrative code require that (1) the students are enrolled in a DOE-approved vocational-technical education program in the occupation in which the student would be placed and (2) the student is supervised by a vocational-technical education teacher holding an endorsement for the occupation in which the student will be placed and who has completed the required SLE courses or (3) the student is supervised by a teacher holding either the old CIE certificate or the new CEC-Hazardous occupations certificate. Safe Schools Newsletter The Safe Schools Newsletter is published by the Public Education and Risk Communication Division of the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute. Contributions and comments are welcomed. Please address correspondences to: Barry Schlegel, EdD, CIH Safe Schools Program c/o UMDNJ-SPH Liberty Plaza, 335 George Street, Suite 2200 PO Box 2688, New Brunswick, NJ (732) , fax (732) For more information on the Safe Schools Project, please contact Howard Garey, NJDOE, Safe Schools Project Officer: (609) EOHSI is a joint program of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

3 Structured Learning Experience Training Found Valuable In October 2005, the Safe Schools Program mailed a survey to 444 individuals who had completed one to four of the five courses required for individuals supervising structured learning experiences. One hundred and one surveys were returned for a response rate of 23%. Reasons for Taking the Required Courses From a list of 18 items, I m currently serving as a Structured Learning Experience teacher and I have to complete the required training, was cited as the most common reason (34%) for enrolling in the non-credit courses. This was followed by: I m enrolling in the courses for informational purposes/personal enrichment (29%), I m enrolling in the courses to fulfill a portion of my NJDOE-required professional development hours (23%) and I m currently serving as a Transition Coordinator and I have to complete the required training (22%). Knowledge Gained as a Result of Training A five-point scale (1=very low to 5=very high) was used to measure the level of knowledge on seven different content areas before and after completing the courses. Average knowledge levels prior to completing the courses ranged from 2.25 to 2.72 (low to moderate). After completing the courses, the average levels of knowledge ranged from 3.48 to 3.91 (moderate to high gain). Only five percent or less of those taking courses indicated no change in knowledge. Value of Training Using a five-point scale (1=strongly disagree, 5=strongly agree) focusing on eight statements regarding the value of the training, respondents averaged between agreed and strongly agreed (4.08 to 4.27) on items indicating that the training better prepared them for placing students, was valuable, should be completed by other teachers and benefited their students. As for the length of the trainings, respondents indicated, overall, that it was about right. awareness and exploration (64%), community service/ service learning (64%), partnering with communitybased organizations (63%), partnering with employers/trade organizations (62%), partnering with social service agencies (62%) and worksite mentor training (60%). Situations Where Training Was Helpful Thirty-eight respondents provided comments about situations where the training was helpful in handling SLEs. Twelve of the respondents described the training and forms for developing training plans as helpful or valuable in guiding the process and evaluating student placements. One person wrote, The paperwork and instructions I received through the Designing and Implementing Student Training Plans workshop has assisted with the entire process. I followed the suggested step-by-step procedure and found the experience very beneficial. Eleven of the respondents commented on how the training helped to identify safety issues at worksites. One person wrote, The OSHA training has helped me to better evaluate the safety of the placements for SLE s. Another person wrote, When teaching Basic Cooking, the hazards and safety has made a lot of things more noticeable. Six respondents indicated they were better able to address Federal and State child labor, wage and hour and hazardous orders. Two comments indicated the training was good reinforcement or a refresher to what had been learned earlier. Ted Goff Cartoon Additional Professional Development Needed When asked what topics respondents would like see offered for additional training, all selections received a relatively high percentage of interest. The following topics received the highest percentage of responses: recruiting and developing SLE sites (70%), career 3

4 Writing a Safety and Health Plan 9:00am to 12:30pm, Wednesday, July 12, 2006 UMDNJ-School of Public Health, Piscataway Safe Schools Training Registration Form Description: The New Jersey Department of Education requires all schools with vocational-technical education programs to have a written occupational safety and health plan. This workshop guides participants through the steps involved in developing a school's plan including applicable regulations, plan organization, general policy statements, plan objectives, the roles of responsible parties and a critique of a sample plan. Participants will also provide input into the development of a model Safety and Health Plan being developed for all schools in New Jersey. Recommended prerequisite: Safe Schools: A Health and Safety Check. Please bring your SAFE SCHOOLS MANUAL to the training. This workshop may not be used for credit towards the requirements for those supervising structured learning experiences. Target Audience: Safety and health designees, school administrators or others responsible for developing or revising a school or district occupational safety and health plan. This training opportunity is offered free of charge, but advanced registration is required. All registrations must be confirmed. You may register online at eohsi.rutgers.edu/ss/sched3.html, get directions and get instant confirmation. You may also mail or fax your completed registration form to: Fran Colditz, Safe Schools Registrar, UMDNJ-School of Public Health, 335 George Street, Liberty Plaza, Suite 2200, PO Box 2688, New Brunswick, NJ , PHONE: (732) , FAX: Only one person per registration form; make additional copies, as necessary. If you have any questions about your REGISTRATION, please contact Fran Colditz. If you have questions about the TRAINING, please contact Barry Schlegel at (732) or schlegba@umdnj.edu. SCHOOL ADDRESS Name: Job Title: School District: County: School Name: School Address: City: State: Zip: Phone: ( ) Fax: ( ) SUMMER ADDRESS (for registration information and changes) Home Address: City: State: Zip: Home Phone: ( ) Home 4

5 Safety Teaching Teens About Workplace Safety and Health 9:00am to 12:30pm, Friday, July 14, 2006 EOHSI, Piscataway Safe Schools Training Registration Form Description: This workshop will introduce participants to a revised expanded version of the Safe Work/Safe Workers Curriculum. The curriculum includes alternative lessons that have been developed for students with learning disabilities and has also been modified specifically to address New Jersey child labor laws. The approximately seven-hour curriculum is designed help prepare high school students for the workplace and teach them about common work injuries, hazard identification, hazard control, emergency response, job rights and speaking up about workplace health and safety problems. It contains interactive games and activities, as well as a 10-minute video. Participants will receive copies of the curriculum and the video. Upon completion of the training, participants will be able to use the curriculum to teach students about occupational safety and health. This workshop may not be used for credit towards the requirements for those supervising structured learning experiences. Target Audience: All educators involved in teaching high school students about occupational safety and health. This training opportunity is offered free of charge, but advanced registration is required. All registrations must be confirmed. You may register online at eohsi.rutgers.edu/ss/sched3.html, get directions and get instant confirmation. You may also mail or fax your completed registration form to: Fran Colditz, Safe Schools Registrar, UMDNJ-School of Public Health, 335 George Street, Liberty Plaza, Suite 2200, PO Box 2688, New Brunswick, NJ , PHONE: (732) , FAX: Only one person per registration form; make additional copies, as necessary. If you have any questions about your REGISTRATION, please contact Fran Colditz. If you have questions about the TRAINING, please contact Barry Schlegel at (732) or schlegba@umdnj.edu. SCHOOL ADDRESS Name: Job Title: School District: County: School Name: School Address: City: State: Zip: Phone: ( ) Fax: ( ) SUMMER ADDRESS (for registration information and changes) Home Address: City: State: Zip: Home Phone: ( ) Home 5

6 Lost Youth: Four Stories of Injured Young Workers A Review A new video now available for schools offers a very realistic approach to instructing students about occupational safety and health. Lost Youth: Four Stories of Injured Young Workers was developed with the cooperation of young Canadians who had been injured on the job. Lost Youth is not appropriate for all students; it is better suited for older students who think injuries could not happen to them. The teens injuries were recreated with help from the special effects crew of the hit TV show, The X-Files; as such, footage may be graphic and upsetting. The program also contains course language. You can request either the edited or unedited format, if the language would be an issue. Through dramatic reenactments and unscripted personal interviews, Michael, Jennifer, Nick and John discuss how their injuries have changed their lives. Each of the four teens suffered permanent disability from workplace accidents, including John, a former basketball player, who was 16 when he broke his back in a forklift accident and now walks with a cane. The overriding theme in the 17-minute, well-produced video, is that none of the students were properly trained in occupational safety and health. By realistically recreating their personal tragedies, these young people felt the theme would have the greatest impact and credibility with other students. Lost Youth was developed by the Communications Department of the Workers Compensation Board of British Columbia in partnership with the Youth Initiatives Unit of Human Resources and Development Canada B.C./Yukon Regional Office. The program is available on VHS and DVD format for $50 (Canadian); a discussion guide is available online to facilitate conversation. To view the video online, get ordering information and a copy of the discussion guide, please visit: www2.worksafebc.com/topics/youngworker/ Resources-YoungWorkers.asp. Other videos and information are also available. Report on Young Workers Deaths The Injury Prevention Service, Oklahoma State Department of Health, has issued a report on work-related deaths among young workers under 25 years of age in Oklahoma from 1998 to Sixty-eight deaths occurred over this time period with the leading causes of death attributed to motor vehicle crashes or being struck by motor vehicles. The following description was given for one fatality: A 17-year-old male was working alone baling wheat straw for hay when the baler became jammed with straw. The victim climbed on top of the baler to clear the jam with his foot. When it cleared, the victim s leg became trapped in the machinery and the belts that were spinning around the hay caught fire. The victim died at the scene from smoke inhalation and burns. He was a full-time student working for the summer; he had two years of experience working with his family on the farm. Source: Young%20workers%20color.pdf OSHA Focuses on Teen Worker Safety in Summer OSHA has launched a Teen Summer Job Safety Campaign to reduce the risk of summer injuries. Approximately 80 percent of U.S. teens work annually. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in 2004 there were more than 38,000 teen workers injured on the job and 134 fatalities. This year s focus will be on landscaping hazards. OSHA has prepared resource kits to educate young workers, parents, employers and educators on workplace safety. The kits can be downloaded from landscaping/landscaping.html#general. Numerous fact sheets and informational resources are available on heat stress, working outdoors in warm climates, reducing the risks of an amputation, slip and trip injuries, reducing the risk of lifting injuries, insects, noise, pesticides, electrical safety and eye protection. 6

7 New NIOSH Guidelines on Use of Contact Lenses In June 2005, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) issued guidelines for the use of contact lenses during work with chemicals. Since 1978, NIOSH has recommended that employees not wear contact lenses during work with chemicals that may present an eye irritation or injury hazard. Recently, several professional groups have issued guidelines removing restrictions in the industrial environment. NIOSH reviewed these guidelines, company policies on contact lens use and injury incidents, and the limited literature on contact lens use in a chemical environment. Injury data are lacking to indicate that contact lens wear should be restricted during work with hazardous chemicals. Thus, NIOSH recommends that contact lens wear be permitted provided that the following safety guidelines are followed: 1. Conduct an eye injury hazard evaluation, including a chemical exposure assessment and a review of information regarding contact lens absorption and adsorption for the class of chemicals in use. 2. Provide suitable eye and face protection for all workers exposed to eye injury hazards, regardless of contact lens wear. 3. Establish a written policy documenting general safety requirements for wearing contact lenses, including the eye and face protection required and any contact lens wear restrictions by work location or task. 4. Comply with current OSHA regulations on contact lens wear and eye and face protection. 5. Notify workers and visitors about any defined areas where contact lenses are restricted. 6. Identify to supervisors all contact lens wearers working in chemical environments to ensure that the proper hazard assessment is completed and the proper eye protection and first aid equipment are available. 7. Train medical and first aid personnel in the removal of contact lenses and have the appropriate equipment available. 8. Begin eye irrigation immediately and remove contact lenses as soon as practical, in the event of a chemical exposure. 9. Instruct workers who wear contact lenses to remove the lenses at the first signs of eye redness or irritation. Evaluate restrictions on contact lens wear on a case-by-case basis. Please consult the complete NIOSH guidelines for details at Number of Reported Accidents in 2005 Decreases Since 1998, the Safe Schools Program has analyzed the accidents reported to the New Jersey Department of Education. Any accident involving treatment by a doctor and associated with a vocational-technical education program must be reported. The following figure shows a continuing decline in number of reported accidents over the years. 7

8 Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute Public Education and Risk Communication Division c/o UMDNJ-School of Public Health Liberty Plaza, 335 George Street, Suite 2200 PO Box 2688 New Brunswick, NJ (732) , Fax (732) Safe Schools Newsletter May 2006 General support and production of this newsletter made possible by the New Jersey State Department of Education, Office of Vocational-Technical, Career and Innovative Programs. Safety Training Manuals Available for Landscape & Horticultural Services Kansas State University has developed safety training manuals on: tractors, motor vehicles, chipper/ shredders, skid steer loaders, tree trimming, aerial lifts and mowing and trimming. The training manuals, along with a supervisor and instructor manual, are available at: hortland_download.asp. Training materials are also available for fruit and vegetable preserving and specialty food manufacturing. Mold Web Course Available EPA has created a web course, entitled Introduction to Mold and Mold Remediation for Environmental and Public Health Professionals. Course topics: mold basics, mold growth, finding mold, remediation, containment, evaluation, communication and prevention. The course may be suitable for school safety and health or facilities maintenance individuals wanting more detailed information about mold. The course is available at NJ Child Labor Law Enforcement Advisory Board The New Jersey Child Labor Law Enforcement Advisory Board was established in August 2005 to advise the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development on the use of moneys from the Child Labor Law Enforcement Trust Fund and other issues concerning child labor. The board consists of the commissioner or his designee, serving as the chair, and seven members appointed by the commissioner: two from organizations of employers in industries with significant numbers of employees who are minors, two from labor unions in industries with significant numbers of employees who are minors, one from an organization of school administrators, one from an organization of school employees and one with expertise on the impact of excessive or hazardous work on the educational success, health and general well-being of children. The Board will issue an annual report, which may include recommendations to enhance the enforcement and publicizing of the provisions of P.L.l940, c.153 (C.34: et seq.). 8