School Environmental Health & Safety Nancy P. Bernard, MPH Washington State Department of Health June 26, 2008

Environmental Health & Safety Issues in Schools  Clean & Dry  Indoor air quality  Pest Management  Acoustics  Lighting  Safe food and water  Safety in labs, art rooms, and shops  Safe use, clean-up, and disposal of chemicals  Injury prevention through design and modification

DOH School Environmental Health & Safety Program  Provide technical support & training  Local Health Jurisdictions (LHJs)  Schools  Authority RCW (2)(c) SBOH…Adopt rules controlling public health related to environmental conditions including but not limited to heating, lighting, ventilation, sanitary facilities, cleanliness and space in all types of public facilities including but not limited to food service establishments, schools, institutions, …

Chapter WAC Primary and Secondary Schools  030 Site Approval  040 Plan Review & Inspections  050 Buildings  060 Plumbing, Water Supply, & Fixtures  070 Sewage Disposal  080 Ventilation  090 Heating  100 Temperature Control  110 Sound Control  120 Lighting  130 Food Handling  140 Safety

A: General Procedures B: Building Maintenance & Operation C: General Safety D: Plumbing, Water Supply, & Fixtures E: Sewage Disposal F: Indoor Air Quality G: HVAC – Preventative Maintenance H: Sound Control I: Lighting J: Food Service K: Science Classrooms & Laboratories L: Career & Technical Education M: Blood borne Pathogens & Exposure Control Plan N: Playgrounds O: Animals in Schools P: Emergency & Disaster Preparedness Q: Pesticide Use in School R: Visual & Performing Arts Education S: Athletics K-12 Health & Safety Guide

HEALTH & SAFETY GUIDE  PURPOSE IS TO HELP PREVENT AND REDUCE INJURIES AND ILLNESS IN WASHINGTON SCHOOLS  Rule Revision – update required at least every 4 yrs Available on the DOH web site  THERE ARE REQUIRED AND RECOMMENDED ITEM  REQUIRED ITEMS – WACs, RCWs, etc.  RECOMMENDED ITEMS REPRESENT BEST PRACTICE

Status of Local Health Jurisdiction School Environmental Health & Safety Programs (2006)  Schools in all 39 counties in the state receive food service inspections, construction plan review and complaint response from their local health jurisdiction.  Nine identified Local Health Jurisdictions have school programs with periodic routine inspections, serving a total of 36.3 % of the state’s school students. *Based on October 2004 state enrollment data provided by Office of Superintendent for Public Instruction

DOH Fall School Environmental Health and Safety Workshops  Integrated Pest Management  Lab Safety  Hazardous Waste  Communicable and Emerging Diseases  Mercury Education Reduction Act (MERA)  Injury Prevention  Indoor Air Quality  Noise  School Rule Revision  All Hazards Planning, Pan Flu  Emerging Issues

DOH Fall 2007 School Environmental Health & Safety Workshops  Oct. 24, Wednesday ESD 171 Wenatchee  Oct. 25, Thursday ESD 123Pasco  Oct. 26, Friday ESD 101 Spokane K20 Video Con. available  Oct. 30, Tuesday ESD 112Vancouver  Oct. 31, Wednesday DOH Point Plaza East 152/ Israel Road SE Tumwater, WA  Nov. 2, Friday (TENTATIVE) Skagit County PUD  Nov. 5, Monday Puget Sound ESD K20 Video Conf. available  Nov. 6, Tuesday ESD 105 Spokane  Nov. 7, Wednesday ESD 114 Bremerton

State Board of Health Chapter WAC Primary and Secondary Schools Status Report on Rule Revision

Goals for School Environmental Health and Safety Rules  Proactively protect children’s health  Be based on the best available science  Ensure accountability between school districts, their communities and local health jurisdictions  Support and promote current school health and safety programs that work  Present the least burdensome regulatory structure  Be compatible and consistent with existing related regulations (such as building codes)  Be realistic about resource limitations of schools and local health jurisdictions

What is DOH’s role in the development of a proposed update to the School Environmental Health & Safety Rule?  Assist the State Board of Health  Obtain input  Link with other agencies  Provide technical expertise  Develop and present draft rules for public review & comment  Revise & develop final draft rules for board consideration and adoption

Some Issues  Site Assessment  Drinking Water  Mold — Prevention & Response  Playgrounds  Safety  HVAC M&O  Fall Hazards

EVOLVING TIMELINE  1 st draft – March 2006  SBOH new directions December 2006 Focus on students, performance based, no redundancy w/ other agencies, clarify roles and responsibilities  2nd draft rule to the SBOH – August 8, 2007  Public review of 2nd draft rule August – October 2007  Develop proposed rule and final Significant Analysis -January 2008  OOPS – Legislature involvement  6 new School Rule Revision Team Meetings April – June 2008 Discussions around intent, clarity, unintended consequences, policy  File CR-102 July final draft rule and Significant Analysis  Public Comment period July – August 2008  Public hearing with State Board of Health August 27 – Spokane, September 10 - Olympia  File CR Rule Adoption – October 8, 2008, Yakima  Proposed effective date of revised rules – in general, September 1, 2010

160 Labs & Shops - Construction  Emergency eyewashes & showers must have plumbed waste drains  Requires hand washing facilities  Central emergency shut-offs for gas & electricity  Magnetic switches on stationary equipment  Source capture for air contaminants  Appropriate source capture of contaminants  Non-recirculating ventilation systems No open plenums

165 Labs & Shops – O & M  Hazardous Materials control  Safety procedures for instructing students regarding use of hazardous materials  Provide and require use of PPE  Provide situation-specific protective equipment for demonstrations  Maintain equipment & exhaust ventilation  Provide hand washing supplies

School Laboratory Safety  EPA: Chemical Management for Schools – Policy Considerations for School Administrators, 12/06  L&I, WISHA – Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories, Chapter WAC, April 2006, F  NIOSH-CPSC Publication: School Chemistry Laboratory Safety Guide: pdf  Northshore School District Chemical Hygiene Plan Ed Specs for Science Labs

Mercury Vapor & Metal Halide Lights  The UV radiation from a broken bulb is so intense it can cause redness and burns to skin and eyes, as well as blurred or double vision, headaches, and nausea. Most symptoms will appear within 6-12 hours after exposure.  "T" type light bulbs have an internal mechanism that shuts off the light within 15 minutes after the light bulb is broken; may be used in either open fixtures or enclosed fixtures  "R" type mercury vapor light bulbs don't have the shut-off safety feature. The inner quartz tube can continue to emit intense UV radiation after the outer bulb is broken. Only install in light fixtures that fully enclose the bulb with a glass or plastic lens. 

Nancy Bernard, MPH Program Manager Indoor Air Quality and School Environmental Health & Safety Office of Environmental Health & Safety Washington State Department of Health PO Box 47825, Olympia, WA , fax: