Safety Checklist Program for Schools

October 2003
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 2004-101
School Checklists logo

Emergency Action Plan (Template)

Disclaimer: Some of the additional resources listed below were provided by other organizations; they are intended to supplement the occupational safety and health information in this product. NIOSH is not responsible for the contents or accuracy of material obtained from these organizations. Furthermore, mention of any company or product does not constitute endorsement by NIOSH. In addition, citations to Web sites do not constitute NIOSH endorsement of the sponsoring organizations or their programs or products. Also, NIOSH is not responsible for the content of these Web sites.

Agricultural Safety—Simple Solutions: Ergonomics for Farm Workers
Provides simple ergonomic solutions for farm workers to prevent backaches and pain in the shoulders, arms, and hands. Practical solutions are included for forming worker-management ergonomics teams to discover simple solutions. The “tip sheets” in this booklet show how to make or order inexpensive new tools or to modify existing ones to reduce the risk of pain. (NIOSH Publication No. 2001-111) For additional information about agricultural safety, visit the NIOSH topic page

Agricultural Safety—Trac-Safe
A facilitator’s manual for a community-based program to reduce injuries and deaths from tractor overturns. (NIOSH Publication No. 96-108)

National Agricultural Safety Database (NASD)
Provides a link to an on-line database that contains NIOSH publications on the following topics: Accident Causes and Prevention; Animals; Back Safety/Lifting/Slips/Trips/Falls; Chemicals/Pesticides; Child Safety; Electrical Safety; Ergonomics; Farming With Disabilities; Federal and National Materials; Fire Safety; First Aid; Fruit and Vegetable Crop Handling/Harvesting/Storage; General Safety and Health; Grain Handling/Harvesting/Storage; Hearing Conservation; Heat/Cold Illnesses; Skin Cancer; Home Safety; Ladder Safety; Lightning; Machinery Safety; Manure Pits/Farm Ponds/Wells; Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); Personal Safety and Health/Stress; Sanitation/Hygiene; Standards/Regulations; Safety Programming; Supervising for Safety; Workers’ Compensation.

Asbestos in schools

  • EPA Asbestos in Schools Rule
    Provides the EPA rule on asbestos in schools, which includes inspection, management plan, and follow-up inspections.
  • EPA Asbestos Publications
    Provides numerous links to Internet publications concerning asbestos at school, work, and home; also provides asbestos management guidelines.

Best Practices for Public Schools
A management document for schools. (26 pages; compiled by the State of Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, Division of Safety and Hygiene; used with permission.)

Biohazards
Biohazards are organisms and products of organisms that present a risk to humans. This resource provides information about transmission of infectious biological agents, symptoms of exposure, treatment, and prevention methods.

Construction Risk Control Integration Guide
A training curriculum for identifying construction hazards and safety controls. Covers all phases of residential construction, light-building construction, commercial and industrial construction, highway construction, concrete and masonry technology, and soils, excavations, and mining. (Developed by University of Wisconsin/Stout, The St. Paul Companies, Construction Safety Council, and Construction Industry; used with permission.)

Conversion Calculator for ppm and mg/m3 Air Concentrations
A useful calculator for converting ppm to mg/m3 and mg/m3 to ppm. The molecular weight of the chemical substance can be obtained from the Periodic Table at this location. Since atomic weight is necessary for determining the ppm or mg/m3, a Periodic Table of the Elements is provided. Periodic Table (courtesy of Los Alamos National Laboratory).

DOT 2004 Emergency Response Guidebook
The Guidebook is intended for use by firefighters, police, and other emergency services personnel who may be involved in a hazardous material incident.

Electrical Safety—Safety and Health for Electrical Trades—Student Manual
Part of a safety and health curriculum for secondary and post-secondary electrical trades courses. The manual is designed to engage the learner in recognizing, evaluating, and controlling hazards associated with electrical work (NIOSH Publication No. 2002-123). A PDF Version is also available.

Electronic Library of Construction in Occupational Safety and Health (eLCOSH)
Provides a link to an on-line database that contains training programs for construction safety and health; Masonry Information Bulletin: Good Scaffold Practices 1—From the Ground Up; 28 discussion guides for tailgate/toolbox talks and meetings; 31 worker pocket cards/brochures; and 5 additional documents in construction safety.

Emergency Action Plan (template)
Contains ready-to-fill templates for designing an emergency action plan for a facility that covers the following: emergency personnel, evacuation routes, emergency phone numbers, utility company emergency contacts, emergency reporting and evacuation procedures for medical, and fire emergencies, extended power loss, chemical spill, structure climbing/descending emergencies, bomb-threat checklist, severe weather and natural disaster emergencies. (Developed by Lewis Payton, Auburn University, AL; used with permission.)

EPA Model Training Course for Lead
MINIMIZING LEAD-BASED PAINT HAZARDS DURING RENOVATION, REMODELING, AND PAINTING(EPA 747-B-00-005/6) September 2000
Provides simple strategies to reduce or eliminate the creation of hazards during renovation and remodeling activities that disturb lead-based paint. The course materials include a teachers’ manual and a students’ manual. The course was developed in a modular format so that it could be provided in one day or over several days.

EPA Office of Children’s Health Protection
This Web site provides links to information about children’s environment and health.

EPA Schools Chemical Cleanout Campaign
Every year, throughout the country, hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent on school incidents involving chemicals such as spills and fires. These incidents involve potentially dangerous chemicals which, in some cases, had been unused for more than thirty years. In addition to financial costs, these spills may also cause school closures that result in a loss of valuable education time. The Schools Chemical Cleanout Campaign (SC3) seeks to address this issue by not only cleaning out excess, legacy, unused, and improperly stored chemicals but also by going a step further and implementing preventive mechanisms in schools.

EPA Website for Schools / HealthySEAT Program
EPA’s new software tool can help school districts establish and manage comprehensive school facility self-assessment programs. The Healthy School Environments Assessment Tool (HealthySEAT) contains a fully integrated environmental health and safety checklist and is designed to be easily customized to reflect state and local requirements and policies.

Ergonomics
Provides practical information about reducing stress and eliminating potential injuries and disorders occurring at computer workstations and in laboratory and industrial settings. Also includes an Ergonomics Primer. (CDC information).

Eye Safety
Overview of eye hazards and injuries, types of eye protection, safety for prescription lens wearers, and first aid.

How to Involve Your Employees in the Safety Process
Provides a set of workplace guidelines to assist management and employees. Includes a 10-step business plan. (40 pages; developed by GatesMcDonald and Company for the State of Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation, Division of Safety and Hygiene. Recommended by the National Federation of Independent Business/Ohio Chapter; used with permission.)

ILO Hazard Datasheets by Occupation
Provides an overview of the various hazards faced by workers in over fifty trades. Recommends preventative measures. They are available on the International Labor Organization (ILO) Web site.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Tools for Schools
Provides a link to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) IAQ for Schools Web site that contains information about the following:

Injury Prevention Safety Exercises
Provides a link to the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center (KIPRC), where the following safety exercises can be found:

  • Farm Machinery Roll-Over Protection
    Provides a link to Richard’s Risk, an exercise designed to help reduce the risk of injury associated with farm machinery.
  • Construction-Related Training Exercises
    Provides a link to six short stories. The stories are presented for students and workers to learn about job hazards and their consequences, solutions, and ability to test their learning on-line. The lessons include Bob’s Builders (working short-handed on a job, good body mechanics, coaching inexperienced workers); Roger’s Remodelers (communication and clutter); Smitty’s Drywall (poor planning, fatigue, improper lifting); Off to a Late Start (organizing work assignments); The Deck Dilemma (cluttered worksite); and Up on the Roof (fall protection).

Laboratory Safety/Chemicals
Provides a general science-safety checklist, as well as chemical purchasing, labeling, and disposal procedures. Also provides accident guidelines and precautions when using plants and animals in the laboratory. Gives guidance on personal protective equipment to be used in the laboratory and information about Federal safety mandates. (15 pages, Council of State Science Supervisors; used with permission)

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs)
Provides a link to 180,000 Material Safety Data Sheets; provided by Safety Information Resources on the Internet (SIRI).

Molds in the Environment
Provides information about the types of common mold, symptoms of exposure, and steps for remediation and reduction of mold growth. (CDC, National Center for Environmental Health)

NIOSH: Occupational Safety and Health Databases
Provides a source of occupational safety and health information and emergency response for the industrial hygienists or safety and health and environmental professionals. The following databases are included:

  • NIOSH Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLHs)
    IDLHs document the criteria and information sources that have been used to determine these concentrations for workers. The IDLH list is for 387 chemical substances for use in selecting respiratory protection equipment.
    (PB-94-195047) The most recently updated version of this database is located on the NIOSH Website.
  • International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSC) (WHO/IPCS/ILO)
    Summarizes essential safety and health information about 1,195 chemicals for use by workers and employers in factories, agriculture, construction, and other workplaces. The most recently updated version of this database is located on the NIOSH Website.
  • NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods (NMAM)
    NMAM is a collection of methods for sampling and analysis of contaminants in workplace air and in the blood and urine of workers who are occupationally exposed. The most recently updated version of this database is located on the NIOSH Website.
    (NIOSH Publication No. 94-113)
  • NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards
    A source of general industrial hygiene information about 677 chemicals/classes for workers, employers, and occupational health professionals. It presents key information and data in abbreviated or tabular form for chemicals or substance groupings (e.g. cyanides, fluorides, manganese compounds) that are found in the work environment. The information can help users recognize and control occupational chemical hazards. The most recently updated version of this database is located on the NIOSH Website.
    (NIOSH Publication No. 2002-140)
  • NIOSH Recommendations for Chemical Protective Clothing
    Provides recommendations for chemical protective clothing for many of the chemicals listed in the NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards. The most recently updated version of these recommendations is located on the NIOSH Website.
  • NIOSH Specific Medical Tests Published for OSHA-Regulated Substances
    Lists the medical tests that have been published in the literature for specific OSHA-regulated substances. The most recently updated version of this database is located on the NIOSH Website.

NIOSH Small Business Resource Guide
Provides numerous resources useful to owners of small businesses. Included are Web sites, telephone numbers, and addresses of occupational safety and health organizations. (NIOSH Publication No. 2000-148)

O*NET
Provides a link to three occupational databases developed by the U.S. Department of Labor:

  • O*NET Database v 9.0
    A very useful Web site for teachers and career counselors. Describes more than 900 occupations across the economy. Catalogs the requisite skills, principal tasks, and working environment and links directly to earnings potential. It is compatible with the new Standard Occupational Classification System.
  • O*NET Career Exploration Tools Database
    Provides a link to self-assessment instruments to help people understand themselves more clearly in relation to today’s workplace.
  • O*NET Online
    Provides a link to a web-based resource for up-to-date occupational information.

OSHA and EPA Regulations
Provides links to OSHA and EPA Web sites.

OSHA Industry Sector Quick Start
Provides a step-by-step guide, helping to identify many of the major OSHA requirements and guidance materials that may apply to your workplace. Small and new businesses may find Quick Start helpful as an introduction to the compliance assistance resources on OSHA’s website.

OSHA Respiratory Protection Advisor
Provides information about how to comply with the new OSHA respirator standard. Provides instruction on the proper selection of respiratory protection and the development of change schedules for gas/vapor cartridges. (Developed by George B. Flynn, Colorado-OSHA; used with permission.)

OSHA Teen Workers
Provides detailed information on safety standards, technical advisors, compliance assistance, and many other materials.

OSHA Toxicologic Review of Selected Chemicals
Provides a literature review of the toxicological basis for the exposure limits of more than 400 chemicals.

Physical Hazard Control
Occupational hazards and problems are identified and possible solutions are offered. (32 pages; compiled by Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation; used with permission.)

Promoting Safe Work for Young Workers—A Community-Based Approach
Provides useful information about forming partnerships with schools; developing teen peer education programs; involving parents; linking with job training programs; including health care providers; working with employers; reaching the broader community; forming partnerships with schools; child labor laws; agencies and organizations; and resource materials. (Developed in collaboration with Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Education Development Center, Inc.; University of California at Berkeley Labor Occupational Health Program; and University of California at Los Angeles Labor Occupational Safety and Health Program. (NIOSH Publication No. 99-141)

Safe at School
Provides numerous links to resources for being safe at school and reducing injuries from sports and violence and on the playground. (CDC information)

Safety Curricula for Engineering Schools
Nine NIOSH-funded publications containing instructional modules on the following topics:

Safety Discussion Guide
A guide containing 14 topics for discussion by leaders of safety meetings to increase employee safety awareness. Includes short quizzes. (38 pages; compiled by the State of Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, Division of Safety and Hygiene; used with permission.)

Safety Guide for Career-Technical, Trade, and Industrial and Technology Education
An informational safety document for trades containing chapters on General Safety, Hazardous Materials, Auto Paint and Body, Auto Mechanics, Commercial Foods, Construction Trades, Drafting, Graphics, Metals, Welding, and Safety Checklists. (459 pages; illustrated; developed by Superintendent for Public Instruction, State of Washington; used with permission. Updated September 2002)

Safety Process Guide
Provides steps for developing and implementing an effective safety and health program. (83 pages; developed by Wausau Insurance Companies and GatesMcDonald and Company; used with permission.)

School Chemistry Laboratory Safety Guide
A sixty page safety guide for high school science and chemistry laboratories. Provides practical safety information in a checklist format useful to both groups to reduce chemical injuries in a laboratory environment. (NIOSH Publication No. 2007-107)

School Health Guidelines to Prevent Unintentional Injuries and Violence
This report summarizes school health recommendations for preventing unintentional injury, violence, and suicide among young persons. The report also includes occupational safety and health recommendations. (CDC publication MMWR 50 (RR22) 1-46, December 2001.)

Schoolplace/Workplace Violence

Stress at Work
A publication that discusses causes of job stress, provides a comprehensive approach and steps toward prevention, and includes examples of intervention (18 pages) (NIOSH Publication No. 99-101) For additional information about stress at work, visit the NIOSH topic page

Training Intervention Effectiveness Research (TIER)
Provides a model for research on training effectiveness. (NIOSH Publication No. 99-142.)

U.S. Department of Labor YouthRules!
YouthRules! Strives to educate teens, parents, educators, employers, and the public on Federal and State rules regarding young workers. This website provides links to printed materials, departmental sites, and information about outreach events, training seminars, and partnering activities.

Young Worker Safety Resources
A compilation of 11 pages and more than 40 Web site links containing resources for obtaining occupational safety and health curricula and teachers’ guides; industry-specific curricula, including farm safety; educational resources for teens; resources for employers and school-to-work programs; State-specific resources for employers and school-to-work programs; educational resources for parents and others; and reports and guidelines for professionals. (Compiled by the Young Worker Safety Resource Center, 2001; used with permission.)

Acknowledgments

NIOSH Acknowledgments
Acknowledges reviewers and contributors to the project. Provides background information about the origins of the Safe Schools Project.

Safe Schools Acknowledgments
Lists staff involved in the development of the New Jersey Safe Schools Project (on which the NIOSH program is based).