About
The Safety Checklist Program provides information needed by schools to maintain safe classrooms, shops, and labs for teachers and students in career-technical education. This information can also be used by colleges and universities with occupational safety and health programs. The key to preventing injury and illness of school employees and students, and protecting the environment, is to establish a safety and health and environmental safety program.
Benefit to schools
The Safety Checklist Program can benefit schools by helping them do the following:
- Improve the safety and health environment in school
- Prevent injuries and illnesses among faculty and students
- Increase occupational and safety and health and environmental safety awareness in school
- Find out which Federal agencies regulate environmental safety and health in career-technical education programs
- Identify regulations that may apply to public secondary school career-technical classrooms, shops, and labs (only the regulations that pertain to settings on school grounds are addressed)
- Set up a checklist program that will help teachers do a safety and health hazard analysis for each classroom, shop, and lab (each checklist is designed to correspond to specific environmental, safety, and health regulations so teachers will also be able to determine whether they are in compliance)
- Prepare for and participate in safety and health inspections
- Help students learn about (1) the regulations pertinent to particular classrooms, shops, labs, processes, and activities and (2) the benefits of using checklists to determine compliance
- Detect areas that need improvement in the school's occupational safety and health and environmental health programs
- Find sources for more information about regulations, technical assistance, and educational materials
The Safety Checklist Program was modeled after a manual developed in New Jersey entitled Safe Schools: A Health and Safety Check.
Program materials
The program contains four chapters and several appendices. Each chapter builds on the preceding one to develop a workable plan for implementing a checklist program.
Disclaimer
The Safety Checklist Program does not represent official interpretations of regulations or the official policy of any enforcing organization or agency. In addition, reference to company names or products does not constitute endorsement by any participating individual, organization, or agency.
The information contained in these guidelines is believed to be accurate as of the date it was prepared. The guidelines are not intended as legal advice and should not be relied upon as such for any purposes, without consulting one's own legal counsel. The manual is a technical assistance resource and is only intended to provide guidance in meeting Federal and State environmental, safety, and health regulations that are potentially applicable to public secondary Career-Technical education programs and courses on school grounds. Since regulations are subject to change and interpretation, it cannot be assumed that the use of these guidelines will guarantee regulatory compliance. Nor can it be assumed that the use of these guidelines will guarantee that all environmental, safety, and health hazards are addressed. It remains the school's responsibility to ensure a safe and healthful classroom and to comply with relevant Federal, State, and local regulations.