Green cleaning mandated in K-12

All schools will be required to use environmentally sensitive cleaning and maintenance products beginning September 2006, thanks to NYSUT-supported legislation recently signed by Gov. George Pataki. The effort was spearheaded by the New York-based Healthy Schools Network, of which NYSUT is a member.

There is a national movement to improve indoor environments, especially in schools, by substituting petrochemical cleaning and other products for ones that are non-toxic bio-based or less toxic. This is often referred to as "green cleaning." New York Teacher articles have featured school districts that have already changed to bio-based products and are having success.

Carl Thurnau, head of the State Education Department's Office of Facilities Planning, says: "It will be very good to identify products that promote clean, healthy environments and reduce environmental contaminants. We're happy to work with state agencies, school districts, NYSUT and other interested groups to craft guidelines that are easy to understand and implement."

Start Now

Districts can begin implementing "green cleaning" before the deadline. Here are some suggestions to get going:

•  Do an inventory of all cleaning products used. There are probably many more than you realize. Switching to green products can mean dropping from more than 20 chemicals to fewer than five. Inventory non-cleaning chemicals too, because fewer toxic alternatives are available for most uses.

•  Begin at the elementary level. Young children are more vulnerable to toxins because their immune systems are not fully developed. Start in the smallest school or the one where custodians are most open to change.

•  Get the district to adopt policies on acceptable products and on cleaning and maintenance practices, including cleanup under OSHA's bloodborne pathogen standard (see resources listed at end of article). Products in the policy should include: art supplies, carpeting, cleaning supplies, copying machine fluids, flooring, furniture, paint and laboratory supplies.

•  Train all staff about the changes and about school policies. Custodial and maintenance staff need additional training on "green" products and practices. An educational and public relations program is also needed for parents and the community.

What is a "green" product?

To be truly environmentally sensitive, a product should be bio-based where possible. A bio-based alternative is defined as "a renewable source that contains extracts and oils derived from fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, vegetable crops and plant matter" which meet or exceed the performance of their petrochemical equivalents. They don't contain any artificial perfumes or dyes.

Wherever and whenever possible, any product purchased and used in a school district must be third-party documented and certified for its environmental value and its impact on the overall indoor environment, especially its effect on children. "Third-party documented and certified" is defined as an independent, nationally acknowledged environmental testing laboratory. Examples of third-party labs are Environmental Choice, Green Seal and Scientific Certification Systems. If no third-party documentation or certification exists for a classification of products such as floor cleaning systems, dust mop treatments or urinal blocks, common-sense judgment must be used to protect and safeguard the health, safety and welfare of students and building occupants.

Resources available

NYSUT offers a workshop on green cleaning. The workshop gives more detailed information on complete green cleaning programs, with recommendations on successful implementation, using examples from districts that already use green cleaning.

To request a workshop, contact Jeannine Doggett at 1-800-342-9810, ext. 6249, or call your NYSUT regional office.

There are good resources on the Web. Baldwin Public Schools, which uses green cleaning, has a good indoor air manual on SED's Web site at www.emsc.nysed.gov /facplan/articles/IAQManual.pdf. Great Neck adopted policies for petrochemical product use, integrated pest management and organic ground care. You can download them at www.greatneck.k12.ny.us under "Policies" and "Facilities Development." A site dedicated to green cleaning can be found at www.cleaningpro.com, which includes a section on "Getting Started with Green Cleaning."

You can find lists of environmentally preferable products on the State of Minnesota site: www.moea.state.mn.us/ lc/purchasing/index.cfm, and Canada 's Environmental Choice third-party certification at www.environmentalchoice.ca/ index.cfm?fuseaction=main.dsp Products&cat=5.

FDA approves new whooping cough vaccine

The FDA has recently approved Adacel, a vaccine for single-booster immunization against pertussis, in combination with tetanus and diphtheria. Manufactured by Aventis Pasteur Limited, Toronto , Adacel is intended for use in individuals 11-64 years of age. To access the FDA Talk Paper, go to www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/ 2005/ANS01361.html. To access the prescribing information, go to: www.fda.gov/cber/label/tdapave061005LB.pdf .

Indoor air quality training

At a field trip to an Albany-area elementary school, participants of an AFT conference on indoor air quality held at NYSUT headquarters look for sources of air quality problems, as well as wasp nests clogging drain pipes. For information on health and safety, visit www.nysut.org and click on Health and Safety on the Resources menu. For information on the US Environmental Protection Agency's indoor air quality program for schools, visit www.epa.gov/iaq/schools .

Education and Learning Trust offers free workshops

NYSUT's Education and Learning Trust has partnered with NYSUT Health and Safety to offer up to 30 sessions of the following workshops:

•  Working with Students with Autism

•  Dealing with Difficult Students

•  Disability Awareness

•  Infectious Disease Control

•  Working Safe – Preventing Exposure to Blood

The workshops are provided to locals free of charge through a New York State Occupational Safety and Health Training and Education grant. They have been designed for school employees who work with physically or behaviorally challenged students. Training on these topics not only gives NYUST members valuable skills in helping students achieve their educational goals but also in preventing injury and illness to staff and students.

"This is a great opportunity, especially for small and rural SRP and teacher locals, to introduce these workshops to their members," said NYSUT Vice President Kathleen M. Donahue. They are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Contact the Education and Learning Trust at 1 (800) 528-6208, or e-mail at eltmail@nysutmail.org .

WEB RESOURCES

Workers with voice disorders have Web assistance

Teachers are 32 times more likely to suffer voice problems compared to non-teachers, according to a recent study.

A Web site recently launched by the University of Iowa 's Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology and the National Center for Voice and Speech will help teachers prevent and treat voice problems. The site, www.voiceacademy.org, is a set of virtual classrooms, including a "science center," where teachers can learn about voice research, and a "gymnasium" that provides voice health tips such as how to safely handle a glottal attack (a snap or click heard with words beginning with a vowel).

Precautions, resources on storm, flood cleanup spotlighted

Precautions for working safely during storm and flood cleanup, and resources for assessing and addressing potential cleanup risks, are spotlighted on the NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) Web page. Preventing injury, illness, and death from electrical hazards, carbon monoxide, and heat stress are among the issues highlighted.The storm and flood clean-up page can be found at www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/flood.

Help your school or college prevent laboratory accidents

Help prevent explosions and fires from both accidents and intentional acts. The Laboratory Safety Institute (LSI) has a new 2005-06 National Training Schedule of programs at www.labsafety.org/schedule.htm. LSI is an International Center for Safety in Science and in Science Education.

Go to the LSI Web site at www.labsafety.org to learn about LSI's resources for lab safety, chemical hazards and safety leadership for staff and teachers at all grade level. One of LSI's most popular publications is "Learning by Accident," a three-volume set that vividly demonstrates the urgent need for safety education in schools and colleges.

Web site offers tips on office work, safety and health

This NIOSH Web page offers information for workers in offices. It includes links to information on computers (video display terminals), stress, ergonomics and musculoskeletal disorders, indoor air quality, electromagnetic fields and noise and workplace violence. Find it at www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/officeenvironment/officeenvironment.html.

HEALTH CARE SHORTS

CDC offers information on disaster plans

The Hurricane Katrina disaster is a reminder to make sure emergency plans are up to date and drills or tabletop exercises are conducted to ensure affected employees know what to do and where to go. The following are resources from Centers for Disease Control about conditions that may be overlooked in emergency planning and response.

Healthcare Water System Repair Following Disruption of Water Supply:

Excerpted from the Guidelines for Environmental Infection Control in Health Care Facilities, 2003, Recommendations of CDC and the Health Care Infection Control Advisory Committee (HICPAC): www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/watersystemrepair.asp

Infection Control Prevention Guidance for Community Shelters Following Disasters:

Community shelters, which often include schools, provide housing for persons displaced by natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes.

In these settings, individuals share living space. Some individuals may have health problems, including acute or chronic infectious diseases. These recommendations provide basic infection control information that will help to prevent exposure to or transmission of infectious agents. Check out: www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/commshelters.asp

Long work hours may raise injury risk

Findings from a new study published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine suggest that working beyond the standard eight-hour day may raise the risk of job-related injuries, regardless of a person's occupation.

Among nearly 10,800 U.S. adults followed for 13 years, researchers found that those who worked overtime or on regularly extended shifts were at greater risk of on-the-job injuries. Muscle and joint problems were the most common complaint, followed by cuts and bruises.

The study found that longer work hours appeared to raise injury risk even when job type and other factors — such as a workers' age and gender — were weighed.

This strengthens the argument that long work hours make people more vulnerable to injury, said Dr. Allard Dembe, the lead author of the new study. Dembe, an associate professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Shrewsbury, said that stress and fatigue can make workers more prone to mistakes and mishaps.

(Reuters Health)

BULLETIN

NYSUT Katrina Relief

NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi has announced that NYSUT has set up the NYSUT Katrina Relief Fund to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Iannuzzi said that NYSUT President Emeritus Tom Hobart, who helped to spearhead NYSUT's and the AFT's relief efforts for the victims of last year's tsunami, will again lead the NYSUT initiative.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Federal: FDA withdraws rulemaking for safer sharps

In another giveback to industry, the FDA stopped all work on a regulation that would have set safety performance standards for needle-bearing devices such as syringes and IV catheters. This affects many NYSUT members, not only health care workers, but other school employees who are being asked to administer injections.

State: Governor vetoes health and safety legislation

Governor Pataki recently vetoed two health and safety bills. A. 3353 would have required specifications and contracts for public work to contain provisions requiring workers to be certified as having completed OSHA's 10-hour safety course.

S.5773 would have required all public employers to develop and implement programs to prevent workplace violence. In his veto message, the governor cited Department of Labor objections to the 120-day time frame in which it would have to develop rules and regulations to comply with the bill. He said this amount of time was inadequate to complete these responsibilities, even though a proposed regulation had been submitted to the Department of Labor two years ago.