Why
Develop
a
Program?
A chemical cleanout and prevention
program will:
Protect the health and safety of
children and school personnel
Demonstrate community leadership
Improve your local schools
Protect the environment
Prevent fires and spills
Successful cleanout and prevention pro-
grams are customized to meet the specif-
ic needs of the community. You can be a
key player in a program's success by:
Raising community awareness of
chemical problems in schools
Providing safe chemical use and
management training
Offering technical assistance for these
programs
Assisting schools in arranging
for and carrying out proper
disposal
Partnering with other organizations to
achieve program goals
Community Partners
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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 improperly used or
stored, chemicals can put students,
staff, and the community at risk from
spills, explosions, or other accidental
exposure.
Chemicals
Found
in Schools
Explosives « Picric Acid
Corrosives ••* Acetic Acid
Flammables Paint Thinner
Toxics « Lead and Mercury
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What
Can
You Do?
Organizations like yours, local business-
es, and government, shape the commu-
nity. You can be a leader by partnering
with organizations such as emergency
response teams and your local school
district to help create safer schools. You
can develop a school chemical cleanout
program with these goals in mind:
Removing dangerous chemicals
from K-12 schools
Preventing future chemical,
environmental health and safety
issues
Raising awareness of the issues
related to dangerous chemicals
in schools
Working to keep children
and school personnel safe:
The Schools Chemical
Cleanout Campaign
To learn more please visit:
www.epa.gov/sc3
o
Chemical
Suppliers
• Provide technical assistance
Provide full service chemical
management
Waste Handlers
w
• Offer cost-effective waste analysis
and handling solutions
Fire, Police, and
Emergency
Response
Learn about chemical risks in schools
Assist schools in developing chemical
management and emergency
response plans
Establish effective communication
with schools
Colleges and
Universities
Work with schools in assessing
chemical cleanout, management
and disposal issues
Offer courses and training in
environmental health and safety
for teachers and school district
employees
Environment,
Health, and
Education
Agencies
Fund school chemical cleanout and
prevention programs
Provide technical assistance to
schools in conducting chemical
inventories and cleanouts
In the News:
School
Partnerships in
Rhode Island
Rhode Island (Rl) formed the
Chemical Safe Schools
Committee, which includes Rl
Departments of Health, Labor,
Education and Environmental
Management; Brown University;
Rl Committee on Occupational
Safety and Health; Community
College of Rhode Island; and
Miriam Hospital. They are work-
ing together to help schools min-
imize the health, safety and envi-
ronmental risks associated with
chemicals in schools.Through
the efforts of this committee
more than 800 hazardous chemi-
cals are no longer allowed in
schools.The committee created a
handbook on laboratory safety,
reviewed chemical inventories,
conducted training, and helped
clean out a number of schools.
For more information on other Healthy School Environment issues, visit: www.epa.gov/schools
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