Table of Contents_______________________________

 

• Health and Safety Policy Statement_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 3

 

Health and Safety Policies and Procedures_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  4

 

• Health and Safety Committees_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _8

 

• NIOSH Safety Checklist Program for Schools (CD)_ _ _ 11

 

• Safety and The Law_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _12

 

Appendix A- Sample Student Safety Record_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 14

Appendix B- Generic Program Quick-Reference Checklist_ _ _ _21

Appendix C- Plant and Facilities Quick-Reference Checklist_ _ _26

Appendix D- Health and Safety Resources_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 28

Appendix E- Safety Credentials and Licenses_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _30

Appendix F- Laws and Regulations_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _31

Appendix G- Forms and Posters_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _37

 

• Health and Safety Policy Statement_________________________

The vocational-technical school is a special and uniquely important part of the educational system. Nowhere else is the education that young people receive so directly related to their future, since the skills, attitudes, and work habits developed will be with them the rest of their lives. In addition to wanting a safe workplace for themselves, teachers are concerned about the safety of their students. Teachers clearly understand the impact that they can have on future workers.
The personal safety of each student and employee of Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School is of primary importance. The prevention of occupationally induced injuries and illnesses is of such consequence that it will be given precedence over all other activities. To the greatest extent possible Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School woll provide all mechanical and physical facilities required for personal health and safety in keeping with the highest standards.
We will maintain a safety and health program that conforms to the best practices of similar vocational-technical school in the state and the country. To be successful, such a program must embody the proper attitudes toward injury and illness prevention, on the part of both students and staff. It also requires cooperation in all safety and health related matters between student and teacher, teacher and administrator, and also between each student and his/her fellow students. Only through such a cooperative effort can a safety program, in the best interest of all, be established and preserved.
This plan will undergo a comprehensive review process every two years in an effort to maintain its relevance and keep information up to date.

• Health and Safety Policies and Procedures_____________________

1)         General Instructor Responsibilities

• The instructor must provide adequate supervision in the classroom, shop/lab area or work site at all times when class is in session.
• The instructor must lock all doors and de-energize all circuits supplying power to all hazardous equipment when leaving the shop/lab (electrical panel must be secured).
• The instructor will perform regular inspections to ensure that all hand tools, portable power tools and stationary machines are in good working conditions at all times. Power tools and machines must be properly guarded, with the guards in place and in use whenever the power tools or machines are in operation.
• It is the instructor’s responsibility to make sure that all safety policies and procedures are being followed and ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
• The instructor will consistently demonstrate good safety practices at all times. As a role model, the instructor has a significant impact on the positive or negative safety attitudes and habits that students aquire.
• Instructors must exercise diligence and remain alert to the obstruction of safety emergency equipment and supplies including fire extinguishers, eyewash stations, emergency shut-off buttons, fire blankets, first aid kits, drenching showers and other safety items that could require quick access in the case of an emergency.
• The department Chairperson and the Vocational Director must be notified in writing of any unsafe conditions that cannot be remedied immediately by the instructor and they will coordinate and ensure remediation.

 

2)         General Student Safety

• No student is to operate any piece of equipment unless that student has been thoroughly and formally checked out on its use and function, including safe and proper operation. In addition, records must be kept on file in the shop/lab documenting scores of 100% in both written and performance testing.
• Junior and senior students must be given safety review lessons upon returning to school each fall. In addition, records must be kept on file in the shop/lab documenting student participation in the fall review lessons.
• The student’s level of proficiency in Duties/Tasks associated with safety should also be reflected on his/her individual competency profile record.
• Students must be supervised closely to insure that the equipment is operated correctly and that instructions are being followed meticulously.
• Safety procedures must be reviewed periodically during the school year with the entire class to prevent carelessness fostered by overconfidence and forgetfulness.
• Proper eye and face protection shall be worn at all times in the following shop/labs: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
• Students must wear appropriate eye/face protection whenever working with or handling chemicals while in any shop/lab.
• Clothing, including footwear, must conform to industry safety standards. Loose clothing may not be worn around moving machinery or when climbing on ladders or working on staging.
• Long hair is not allowed around moving machinery or food preparation.
• Loose jewelry may not be worn around moving machinery.
• Instructional spaces will be cleaned as needed to keep them from becoming cluttered with tools and debris.
• OSHA regulations prohibit the use of compressed air on the body. Therefore, compressed air cannot be used to blow dust, etc. off clothing. In addition, the air pressure to all air nozzles must be reduced to less than of 30 psi.
• Students who request restricted or limited duty because of medical reasons must bring a physician’s note to the vocational-technical director for evaluation.
• Students must be medically cleared by the school nurse, in accordance with OSHA standards, prior to commencing use of a respiration as most respiration place an additional physical burden that could adversely affect the health of the student wearing the respirator.

 

3)         Lock-Out/Tag-Out (LOTO)
            Lock-out/tag-out is an essential safety procedure that protects workers from injury while working on or near electrical circuits and equipment. Lock-out involves applying a physical lock to the power source(s) of circuits and equipment after they have been shut off and de-energized. The source is then tagged out with an easy-to-read tag that alerts other workers in the area that a lock has been applied. In addition to protecting workers from electrical hazards, lock-out/tag-out prevents contact with operating equipment parts: blades, gears, shafts, presses, etc. Also, lock-out/tag-out prevents the unexpected release of hazardous gasses, fluids, or solid matter in areas where workers are present. Lock-out/Tag-out procedures must be followed whenever a piece of equipment is being serviced or repaired in order to guaranty that the piece of equipment remains de-energized at all times. Please adhere to the following procedures when performing lock-out/tag-out on circuits and equipment:

• Identify all sources of possible energy release (electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, spring, gravity, etc.) for the equipment or circuits in question that must be disabled and Locked-out/Tagged-out before any work proceeds.
• Disable backup energy sources such as generators and batteries.
• Identify all shut-offs for each energy source.
• Notify all personnel that equipment and circuitry must be shut off, locked out, and tagged out. (Simply turning a switch off is NOT enough)
• Shut off energy sources and lock switchgear in the OFF position. Each worker should apply his or her individual lock. Do not give your key to anyone.
• Test equipment and circuitry to make sure they are de-energized. This must be done by a qualified person (see last bullet).
• Deplete stored energy sources by bleeding, blocking, grounding, etc.
• Apply a tag to alert other workers that an energy source or piece of equipment has been locked out.
• Make sure everyone is safe and accounted for before equipment and circuits are unlocked and turned back on.
• Note that only a qualified person may determine when it is safe to re-energize circuits and OSHA defines a “qualified person” as someone who has received mandated training on the hazards and on the construction and operation of equipment involved in a task.

• Accident/Injury Procedures
• Send for appropriate medical assistance immediately.
• Apply only immediate first aid that is essential and nothing further.
• If a fragment enters the eye, immobilize the eye by covering it with a sterile compress and obtain medical assistance immediately. Under no circumstances should anyone, except a medical professional, attempt to remove a fragment from the eye.
• If an acid or an alkali chemical has injured an eye, immediately irrigate with water for at least 15 minutes and obtain medical assistance.
• Notify lead teacher, department chair and administrator as soon as practically possible.
• If a student sustains a minor injury that requires immediate medical attention, send the injured student to the nurse’s office accompanied by a teacher or another student. Never send and injured student alone.
• If a student sustains a small splinter or insignificant cut, s/he may be sent alone (with a pass) to the school nurse for treatment.

 

• Accident Reporting and Investigation
• Instructors will report all injuries (to students, staff members or visitors) both major and minor, to the school nurse. Accident report forms must be filled out in quadruplicate and filed with the school nurse for processing. Final copies will be forwarded to the school nurse, business office, safety steering committee and the person completing the report.
• Instructors shall ascertain the cause of the accident, and after careful analysis of all known facts, make recommendations, to the safety steering committee, that will eliminate the possibility of a similar accident occurring in the future.
• The safety steering committee will review all accident reports and initiate investigations as necessary.
• School Nurse

The school nurse is the primary full-time medical professional and care giver on staff during school hours. All accidents, injuries and illnesses must be reported to her/him and s/he will record and keep records on file. In addition, the school nurse is responsible for regularly visiting all vocational-technical areas to replenish first aid supplies and inspecting all general safety systems to ensure that they are accessible, functional and in good repair (i.e. eyewashes, deluge showers, fire extinguishers, emergency power shut off buttons, electrical panel security locks and exit doors). S/he is also required to report any unsafe conditions or practices that s/he may observe to the appropriate administrator and the safety steering committee. S/he will keep a record on file of all supplies, inspections, and observations for each shop/lab. S/he is also responsible for performing student respirator use evaluations, in accordance with OSHA standards, for students who may be required to wear a respirator.
           

• Universal Blood Precautions

Universal precautions refer to the usual and ordinary steps all school staff needs to take in order to reduce their risk or infection with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, as well as other blood-borne organisms (such as Hepatitis B virus). They are universal because they refer to steps that need to be taken in all cases, not only when a staff member or student is known to be HIV infected. They are precautions because they require foresight and a bit of planning and should be integrated into all general safety and wellness guidelines.

• Treat blood with respect.
• Trained personnel will clean up all blood spills promptly.
• Inspect the intactness of your skin on all exposed body parts, especially the hands. Cover any and all open cuts or broken skin or ask another staff member to do the clean up. Latex gloves add another layer of protection but are not essential if your skin in intact.
• Blood spills will be cleaned with a 10% bleach solution (i.e. ¼ cup bleach into 1 gallon of water). Any materials (paper towels, etc.) should be placed in a red hazard bag (available from nurse) and discarded.
• Always wash your hands after any contact with body fluids. This will be done immediately in order to avoid c9ontaminating other surfaces or parts of your body (be especially careful not to touch your eyes before washing up).
• Other body fluid spills (urine, vomit, feces), unless grossly blood contaminated, need only be cleaned up in the usual manner. They do not pose a significant risk of HIV infection.
• Apply a covering of some sort (gauze, paper towel, etc.) before a student exits the shop/lab/class to prevent blood spillage.
• Record Keeping

Accurate and comprehensive record keeping is essential to a quality health and safety program. Records will be kept and maintained as follows:

• No student is to operate any piece of equipment unless that student has been thoroughly and formally checked out on its use and function, including safe and proper operation. In addition, records must be kept on file in the shop/lab documenting scores of 100% in both written and performance testing.
• Junior and senior students must be given safety review lessons upon returning to school each fall. In addition, records must be kept on file in the shop/lab documenting student participation in the fall review lessons.
• The student’s level of proficiency in Duties/Tasks associated with safety should also be reflected on his/her individual competency profile record.
• All accident reports (students/staff/visitors) filed with the school nurse.
• Hazardous substance inventory list and MSDS sheets on file in each shop/lab and also in the ________________________________________________
• Hazardous substance waste disposal records kept on file with the Director of Plant and Facilities and also in the ________________________________________________
• Agenda’s and minutes of all safety committee meeting kept on file in the ________________________________________________

• Training

Training and education is significantly important to the successful implementation and continued maintenance of any “Health and Safety Plan.” Every effort will be made to facilitate and encourage:

• Industry recognized health and safety certificates and/or credentials for instructional staff and students.
• Development of high quality health and safety curriculum and resources.
• Participation in training in the basics of occupational health and safety, first aid, CPR, Right To Know, fire extinguisher use, OSHA standards, hazardous substances, etc.
• The creation of a health and safety resource and reference library within the school.

• Floor Plan Layout

 

Each vocational-technical area will have a scaled floor plan showing the location of all equipment, workstations, electrical panels, air and/or gas shut-offs, emergency power shut-offs, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, fire alarms, eye wash stations, fire blankets, first aid kits as well as safe, unobstructed, and clearly marked passage aisles on file with the vocational-technical director. There will be no changes to the “Floor Plan Layout” without his written approval and the filing of the updated amended plan. All safety items shall be conspicuously located and clearly identified.

 

• Outside Visitors and/or Customers

 

All visitors must sign-in with the receptionist the main entrance of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School building. Visitors must conform to the eye protection requirements of the shop/lab being visited; they will remain in a designated are that is a safe distance from any work being performed. Under no condition, is it permissible for visitors to perform work in a shop/lab. Customers visiting automotive and the culinary dining room do not have to sign-in with the receptionist.

• Health and Safety Committees_________

Committees will set and prioritize objectives that are consistent with the general mission of vocational-technical and the mission of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School. These objectives should address such things as:

• Gaining and maintaining support for the health and safety program among students, teachers and administrators.
• Establishing annual and long-term goals with respect to health and safety in the school.
• Motivating, educating, and training all program members to recognize, report and correct hazards located in their clusters or departments.
• Engineering the control of hazards into the inherent design of machines, tools, and shop facilities.
• Establishing a program of inspection and maintenance for machinery, equipment, tools and shop facilities in order to ensure compliance to applicable standards.
• Incorporating hazard control techniques into school training and educational curriculum.
• Meeting and exceeding all relevant health and safety standards.
• Keeping the focus of the committee on the issue of occupational health and safety. Additional committees may have to be formed to devote adequate time and attention to other school-wide safety issues.

• Safety Steering Committee

 

The Safety Steering Committee will be comprised of key administrative personnel and will be responsible for overseeing and coordinating all aspects of the Health and Safety Plan including implementation, decision-making, the role of the Principal and Superintendent-Director, files and records, budgeting issues, evaluation inspections, and a health and safety resource library. This committee will meet once each month when school is in session and as needed when school is not in session and an agenda and minutes will be kept on file of all meetings. The Safety Steering Committee will track and review all accident reports and make every effort to recommend and implement actions that will prevent a recurrence of the accident when applicable. This committee will be scheduled to meet once per month.
Members:
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________