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Unionists keep science labs safe
September 7, 2006 Carline Clark of the Yonkers Federation of Teachers tries on a hazardous materials suit with help from Catherine Henihan of the UFT. Just a half-cup of highly flammable pyridine was being used in a geology lab at the State University of New York at Binghamton. "It was in a glass jar and fell on the floor and broke," said Joseph Gallagher, one of 10 environmental health and safety workers for the university research center. "It was a small amount of chemical but the vapor pressure was high, so the odor went through the building quickly," he said. The parent compound of other derivatives used in the manufacture of drugs and vitamins, pyridine is also used as a solvent and for waterproofing. University police evacuated the building. Gallagher's hazardous materials team assessed the situation and called the Broome County Hazardous Materials team because of the nature of the potent material, said Gallagher, a member of United University Professions at SUNY. Planning such a response is what keeps schools safe. "Knowing what to do is half the battle," said Tony Silvestri, also a SUNY Binghamton environmental health and safety worker and UUP member. For example, it may be more dangerous to shut down electric and gas in case of emergency because certain experiments with toxic materials might require fans to run continuously. Preparing for a response to a chemical emergency means knowing exit routes, emergency action plans, and fire prevention. It means having the right protective gear and labeling all hazards. "Every school should have a safety shower if they have chemicals," said Catherine Henihan, a lab health and safety specialist for the United Federation of Teachers in New York City. If teachers or students are splashed, they need to stand under the shower for a 15-minute flush, participants learned at a Chemical Emergency Response training session this summer sponsored by the American Federation of Teachers and NYSUT. "These are OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) laws that protect the employee, and by doing it, students are protected, too," Henihan stressed. She emphasized that every school needs a safety plan in event of a chemical reaction, fire or other emergency. That means clear egress, checking all rooms and bathrooms. "If your name is on the (emergency) plan, do you know you're assisting limited mobility students? Are you covering for the floor warden who might be absent that day?" asked Henihan, who spoke to a dozen health and safety school and college employees at the conference. Questions to be asked for classrooms using chemicals:
The UFT's Lab Project has been successful in securing grants to survey junior high and high school science labs to assess needs and regulation compliance. After completing a survey of 73 schools, Henihan said, the project was able to secure safety showers, eye wash, drench hoses and ventilation systems for the schools. - Liza Frenette |
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