Vice President Kathleen Donahue, right, listens to the discussion.

Spotlight On: Health and Safety Task Force

For many years, NYSUT's Health and Safety Task Force has been shaping NYSUT efforts to protect its members from workplace hazards. New task force members were appointed for three-year terms last fall and are now planning projects.

Purpose

Task force members provide a field-based perspective from the reality of the settings and job titles they represent: K-12 teachers, BOCES, higher education, School-Related Professionals and health care. Members also serve as an "early warning system" to raise awareness of issues and concerns in the field; identify emerging issues that NYSUT should address; inform local leadership about the work of the committee; participate on sub-committees with staff and other committee members; and periodically represent NYSUT at meetings held by organizations or associations.

"I am delighted that the task force incorporates the skills and experiences of so many members from throughout the state," said NYSUT Vice President Kathleen Donahue, liaison to the task force. "They are focused on being proactive and preventive, something sorely needed in an environment that too often ends up reacting to problems after they happen."

Doug Cody

Activities

In recent meetings, the group worked on reviewing health-and-safety-related resolutions for the upcoming NYSUT Representative Assembly and discussed issues such as the threat of pandemic influenza and pending legislation. It is also working on putting together the 2007 statewide health and safety conference, to be held March 9-10 in Albany.

Chairman Doug Cody of Nassau Community College Federation of Teachers, ED 39, foresees the task force reaching out to local leadership and individual activists as the eyes and ears for NYSUT on health and safety issues. He also envisions a broader role, saying: "At the national level, it's my interest and hope that the NYSUT Task Force takes a leadership role in AFT health and safety efforts."

Other Task Force members include:

Sheridan Burleigh, Saratoga Adirondack BOCES EA, ED 10; Mark A. Chavel, Frontier Central TA, ED 1; Deb Crosby, Chappaqua CT, ED 15; Lawrence D'Addona, United Federation of Teachers, ED 24; Andrea Domst, United University Professions, ED 40; Jerome Goldman, UFT, ED 24; Christina Hepburn, UFT, ED 24; and Pamela Katz, North Babylon TO, ED 20.

Also, David Kotelchuck, Professional Staff Congress/CUNY, ED 37; Nancy Pasquale, Solvay TA, ED 7; Raymond Pitcher, Herkimer FA, ED 12; Robert Rees, UUP; ED 40; Theresa Samuels, UFT, ED 24; Margaret Sergent, Rochester TA, ED 5; Sean Tvelia, FA of Suffolk CC, ED 39; Richard Volpe, Half Hollow Hills TA, ED 47; and Robert Wurman, PSC/CUNY, ED 37.

Workers' Memorial Day — Important for NYSUT members

By Darryl Alexander
Program Director,
American Federation of Teachers
Health and Safety

Each April 28, since 1989, the unions of the AFL-CIO observe Workers Memorial Day as a day to remember those who have suffered and died on the job. April 28 was chosen because it is the anniversary of the passage of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the day of similar remembrance in Canada. Every year, people in hundreds of communities and at worksites recognize workers who have been killed or injured on the job. April 28 provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the need to rededicate ourselves to improving health and safety in the workplace.

Unions have long organized around the issues of workplace health and safety. A study of workers' attitudes towards their jobs conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates for the AFL-CIO in 2001 found that health and safety issues ranked highest among their priorities, with 98 percent of respondents citing a "safe and healthy workplace" as an essential or very important right at work.

Let's not forget to recognize the toll of work-related illnesses and injuries on the lives of NYSUT members. As dedicated professionals, they strive to meet the challenging demands of their jobs. In the process, many suffer serious injuries and illnesses — most totally preventable. This Workers Memorial Day, it's important to redouble our efforts to work for stronger protections and better contract language to protect our members.

In New York, the rate of lost-time work-related injuries and illnesses for health care workers and public school employees is higher than the entire private sector. Approximately eight out of every 100 public school employees (K-16) and 16 of 100 health care workers in public institutions sustained a work-related injury or illness in 2000, the latest year for which statistics are available. That compares with 3.9 out of 100 for all private-sector workers in the state. (US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Incidence rates of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses by industry and selected case types, 2000.)

Data by occupation are not kept in the public sector, but we do know our public- sector members have jobs comparable to those in the private sector with the most work-related injuries and illnesses. Of the 10 private-sector jobs with the highest number of work-related injuries and illnesses, janitors and cleaners come in at No. 5, cooks are at No. 8 and registered nurses are No. 10.

Back injuries and repetitive strain injuries top the list of injuries to NYSUT members, including custodial and maintenance workers, librarians, special education teachers and paraprofessionals, health care workers, school secretaries, food service workers and school bus drivers.

On average, 149,000 school employees are victims of workplace violence every year. Some of the highest rates are found among special education teachers and staff (68.4 incidents per 1,000 workers) and junior high school teachers and staff (58.4 per 1,000). According to the U.S. Department of Justice, school special education staff has the third-highest rate of non-fatal assault victimization, trailing only mental health workers and law enforcement personnel. Bus drivers, including school bus drivers, have an alarming rate of 38 incidents per 1,000 workers.

Hazards in health care are made worse by severe staff shortages and mandatory overtime. In New York, the rate of lost-time injuries and illness of nurses and hospital employees is more than twice the average of other private-sector employees. Not only do nurses and other health care workers suffer more injuries from patient handling, they also suffer more illnesses like infectious diseases and latex allergies.

We know the impact of poor indoor air quality on staff. One national survey shows that teachers and nurses suffer higher rates of adult-onset asthma than the general population. Each year, thousands of teachers leave the profession because of chronic voice disorders. Noise and stress have led to a high rate of depression among counselors and kindergarten teachers.

While the problems are many, NYSUT and the AFT are committed to reducing the number of preventable work-related injuries and illnesses and to achieving the goal of a safe and healthful workplace for every member. Our students, patients and clients benefit from this goal as well.

Find Workers Memorial Day activities in your area by calling your area Labor Council or Federation or call your NYSUT regional office.

You can order WMD materials like posters, stickers, and workplace safety suggestions on the AFL-CIO Web site at www.aflcio.org/issues/safety/memorial/ or by calling (202) 637-5042.

LI/NYC Emergency Management Conference to focus on hurricane preparedness

Long Island and the New York City metropolitan area have fortunately avoided being hit by a major hurricane the last few decades. However, given the predictions of severe hurricane seasons for some years to come, the likelihood of a New York impact should be of concern to NYSUT members living and working in hurricane-prone areas.

The 13th Annual Long Island/New York City Emergency Management Conference will be held May 31 – June 1 at the Huntington Hilton, Melville. The conference, "Back to Basics: Learning from the Gulf Coast Experience," will examine what happened when one of the ultimate natural disasters — a hurricane — struck three times in the course of several weeks. How did emergency teams respond? What kind of planning must be re-examined?

The conference will attempt to analyze the lessons learned and assess the missteps in order to provide participants with proven strategies to plan for, respond to and manage natural disasters in New York State’s hurricane-prone areas. To get more information and to register, go to www.linycemconference.com.

Web Resourses

EPA helps schools and child care facilities reduce lead in drinking water

EPA has released a specialized toolkit to encourage school officials and child care facilities to reduce lead in their drinking water. The "3Ts for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water at Schools and Child Care Facilities Toolkit"contains materials to implement a voluntary training, testing and telling strategy. Steps in the program include collecting information on school drinking water and identifying who can help to implement a school lead control program; developing a plumbing profile; developing a drinking water testing plan; testing the facilities’ drinking water for lead; and correcting problems when elevated lead levels are found. Go to www.epa.gov/safewater/schools/guidance.html.

Certification for designing and building to eliminate mold risks

The Greenguard Environmental Institute announced the first-ever certification for mold risk reduction for design, construction and ongoing operations at www.greenguard.org/DesktopDefault.aspx.

The program, for newly constructed, multi-family and commercial properties, ensures that buildings use industry best practices for safeguarding against damage and losses attributed to mold, the report said.

New readiness checklists prepare for an influenza pandemic

Recognizing that home health care providers will play an important role in caring for the sick during an influenza pandemic, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has developed a checklist to help these organizations assess their readiness. HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said, "Home health care providers will provide critical services during an influenza pandemic. Their ability to care for people at home and help reduce stresses on overburdened hospitals will be a key element in effectively dealing with a pandemic."

While the checklists were designed with a pandemic in mind, they could be helpful in other types of emergencies.

A copy of the "Home Health Care Services Pandemic Influenza Planning Checklist," along with other checklists and pandemic planning information is available at www.pandemicflu.gov.

OHDEN: The Occupational Health Disaster Expert Network

An informative Web site — ohden.sph.unc.edu/pandemic/index.htm — provides:

1. Links to instructive materials and smart reference sites regarding either Avian Influenza H5N1, or to the concepts of pandemic influenza.

2. Aspects pertaining to care and prevention of worker issues regarding these topics. This means special workforce situations (e.g. poultry and health workers).

3. Organizational needs regarding public health aspects or population concerns, including contingency management plans for major absenteeism and illness.

4. Plans and programs created by other professionals responsible for cccupational and environmental health issues. Plans, spreadsheets, flow-charts, essays, ideas, commentary are collected.

Dental infection control educators and trainers toolkit now available

The Organization for Safety and Asepsis Procedures recently announced the availability of an OSAP Dental Infection Control Educators and Trainers Toolkit, a CD-ROM-based resource.

The toolkit is designed to aid in the development and delivery of successful, high-impact infection control and safety training programs and presentations. It addresses everything from program creation and promotion to delivery and audience evaluation and includes easy-to-follow templates and checklists.

Divided into nine sections, the toolkit is a compilation of tips, advice and presentation materials gathered from the experts in dental infection control and safety. The 60-page CD-based workbook addresses adult learning psychology, presentation planning and delivery techniques, infection control lesson plans, memory games, technology, advertising and promotion, travel tips and more. Sample forms (i.e. course evaluation, certificate of participation, etc.) training logs, attendance records and an extensive resource list are also included and can easily be printed as needed.

The toolkit is a resource for infection control educators, not an infection control program. While it provides tips and materials educators will find useful in the development of a curriculum, it is not designed to serve as the curriculum. To order, visit www.OSAP.org or call (800) 298-6727.

Bulletin

Training opportunities

The American Federation of Teachers is offering two outstanding training programs in July that NYSUT members should take advantage of. An indoor air training titled, "Clearing the Air: Indoor Air Quality in Schools, Colleges and Offices," will be held July 10-14 at the George Meany Campus in Silver Springs, MD. A four-day training on Chemical Emergency Response will be held July 17-20 at NYSUT headquarters in Albany. AFT has scholarships for the course.

The training is for science teachers, vocational or career technical teachers, lab specialists, maintenance workers and others who work around chemicals or who respond to spills.

Anyone interested in registering for either program can call the AFT Health and Safety Program at (800) 238-1133, ext. 5677.

Legislative Update

New York State

Provides for re-inspection of school buildings where an annual certificate of occupancy would be denied. Referred to Ways and Means

A2253 (Englebright):

Adds a list of items, including certain quality air-conditioning systems, to the requirements for approval of new or remodeled school buildings regarding health and safety; requires health and environmental conservation departments to report information on environmental hazards relevant to school buildings to the education department and school districts. Referred to Education

A9691(John)/S6441(Spano):

Requires public employers to develop and implement programs to prevent and minimize workplace violence. Referred to Labor

S984 (Lavalle)/A7541 (Lupardo):

Requires establishment of a plan implementing rules and regulations to ensure the safety and health of personnel and students during renovation and construction projects in facilities of higher education. Referred to Higher Education

A1467A (McEneny):

Provides for annual school lead-copper tapwater testing; requires the publishing of reports of contamination and abatement of such contamination; requires school districts to provide potable water to school children attending affected schools. Referred to Health

Health & Safety is a newsletter published periodically for New York State United Teachers' Health and Safety committee members. NYSUT locals and staff have permission to reprint all Health & Safety content.

President
Dick Iannuzzi

Executive Vice President
Alan Lubin

First Vice President
Maria Neira

Second Vice President
Kathleen M. Donahue

Secretary/Treasurer
Ivan Tiger

New York State United Teachers
800 Troy-Schenectady Road
Latham, NY 12110-2455
(518) 213-6000
(800) 342-9810
Contact: Wendy Hord

Representing more than 525,000 teachers, school-related professionals, academic and professional faculty in higher education, professionals in education and health care, and retirees. For more, see www.nysut.org.