Pennsylvania public school systems are
not regulated by the OSHA hazard communication standard (29 CFR
1910.1200). Public schools must comply with the state's
more stringent Worker and Community Right-to-Know Act by doing
the following:
- Obtain and post the Workplace Right-to-Know in the work areas.
- Obtain Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for every product and chemical in the facility and make these available to employees in their work areas.
- Annually (by March 1) complete a Hazardous Substance Survey Form (HSSF) which lists the chemicals found within the facility. This must be posted in the workplace.
- Annually train employees on the Right-to-Know requirements and the chemical hazards in the school.
- Assure that all containers, tanks, and pipes are labeled as to their content and hazard in accordance with the state's requirements.
High Safety Consulting can help your school meet any one or all of these requirements by conducting physical surveys of chemical use, updating MSDS's, completing the HSSF, and providing training for your staff.
In addition, we can
assist by performing a Chem-Check,
which will recommend which hazardous chemicals to remove completely
from your school. After removal, we will issue a letter
certifiying that the school is safe from hazardous chemicals for
your faculty, students, and guests.
While helping schools in these areas, we identified that chemicals such as methylene chloride, arsenic, lead and similar highly toxic components are being used in school art and industrial arts rooms. In industry, use of these chemicals would require extensive air monitoring and in some cases, testing of the blood or urine of individuals exposed to ensure that chemical uptake is controlled.
Since public school systems are not regulated by OSHA, these monitoring requirements do not exist. However, these chemical hazards may exist where it is not warranted in the school system. High Safety can review your MSDS collection to determine if any chemicals are present in your facility that may pose more serious hazards. We can also assist the School District in establishing a chemical purchasing system, that will reduce the need for MSDS's while improving chemical safety within the schools.
We also provide consultation and review of occupant complaints against specific chemical substances in the facility to determine if compliant issues can be connected to a specific substance.
