Bus stop safety

An average of 33 school-age children die in school bus-related crashes each year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Most of the casualties are pedestrians hit at the bus stop by a passing car or the bus itself.

Bill Barnett of the Pupil Transportation division of the Georgia state department of Public Safety offers these tips to protect children from bus stop accidents:* children should arrive at the bus stop five minutes before the bus arrives, so they don’t run for the bus
* children should wait for the bus off the road
* children should start for the bus after it stops completely and the red light turns on
* children should use the hand rail to enter the bus and take one step at a time
* children should cross in front of a bus, far enough out so the driver can see them
* if children have to cross the street to get the bus, wait for the bus driver to signal to cross the road

Handling dangerous chemicals

Dangerous chemicals found in schools, from paint solvents used in art classes to chemicals used in science and photography classes to cleaning supplies used by the maintenance staff, must be carefully controlled to avoid injury.

Schools must follow OSHA’s Hazcom Standard to identify potentially hazardous chemicals and prevent physical hazards, such as fires and explosions, and health hazards, such as dizziness and chemical burns.

Information about chemicals can be found on the warning labels and the Material Safety Data Sheets that come with the chemicals. The MSDS provides product information about the chemicals and instructions on what to do in the event of fires or chemical spills.

Proper procedures must be followed to handle, store and dispose of chemicals. Information on how to do this can be found in the MSDS.

Every school must make a special effort to comply with the OSHA Hazcom Standard to avoid chemical accidents that could harm students and staff.