Why
   Develop
              a
       Program?
A chemical cleanout and prevention
program will:

•  Protect the health and safety of
   children and school personnel
•  Prevent fires and spills
•  Prevent school closures
•  Protect the environment
•  Save money, reduce liability

Successful cleanout and prevention
programs are customized to meet the
specific needs of the school district.
Several elements are common to all
successful programs. These elements
include:

•  On-site technical assistance
•  Education and hazard awareness
   training for school personnel
•  School commitment to ensure
   proper chemical management
•  Adequate funding for chemical
   disposal
•  Partnerships with other organiza-
   tions to achieve program goals
                                                                                              K-12 Schools
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                                       111
                                       Z> LU :
 What's
      Stake?
From elementary school mainte-
nance closets to high school chem-
istry labs, schools house a variety of
chemicals. Every year, throughout
the country, hundreds of thousands
of dollars are spent on K-12 school
accidents involving chemicals,
which in some cases have been
unused for decades. When improp-
erly used or stored, chemicals can
put students, staff, and others at
risk from spills, explosions, or other
accidental exposure.
         Chemicals
                Found
             in Schools

         Explosives  Picric Acid
         Corrosives  Acetic Acid
       Flammables  PaintThinner
       Toxics  Lead and Merc

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         What
                    Can
            You  Do?

     School leaders play a pivotal role in
     keeping schools safe from chemical
     accidents. You can help schools devel-
     op a chemical cleanout and prevention
     program and assemble a team of
     teachers, facilities staff, and administra-
     tors with technical expertise to assess
     chemical safety issues and  set policy.
     Some important team roles are out-
     lined in this brochure.
Working to keep children
and school personnel safe:
The Schools Chemical
Cleanout Campaign
To learn more please visit:
   www.epa.gov/sc3
         School
         Administrators
  Provide training for teachers and
  staff

  Develop and implement policies for
  proper purchase, inventory, use and
  storage

  Budget for a chemical inventory
  and periodic removal of chemicals
         Teachers
  Learn about chemical hazards and
  safety practices

  Plan classroom activities using
  the smallest amounts of the least
  hazardous chemicals possible

  Purchase only the amount of
  chemicals needed

  Ensure that your lab or classroom
  is equipped to handle potential
  mishaps associated with chemicals
         Facilities and
         Maintenance
         Staff
   Comply with state and local
   purchasing, storage and disposal
   guidelines

   Become involved in policy
   development associated with

   chemicals
o
Nurses

   Educate students and school
   personnel about chemical
   exposure risks

   Eliminate use of mercury containing
   equipment
                                                                                                    Parents
   Contact your school district to be
   sure a program is in place to
   address potential issues
  In the News:

  Chemical  Fire

 in High School

Fire caused by chemicals led to
injuries and a costly cleanup due
to the destruction of a storage
room and smoke damage to two
classrooms in a public school.
Several chemicals mixed and
ignited in a chemical storage
room causing a fire that involved
at least 113 chemicals stored in
the room, including oxidizing
agents, flammable liquids and
cyanide salts.
The fire caused everyone in the
school to be evacuated and
caused injury to 3 people; one
person was taken to the hospital.
Fortunately, this incident occurred
during the summer when there
were few people in the school.
This scenario might have caused a
greater number of injuries had it
occurred during the school year
when students and staff would
have been present.
For more information on other Healthy School Environment issues visit: www.epa.gov/schools

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