Stroud Chems Schools

"Building a successful
program to address
chemical risk in schools"
Linda M. Stroud, Ph.D.; NRCC-CHO,
MESH, Adv. Safety Certification,
Bloodborne Pathogen Instructor,
OSHA General Industry
Outreach Trainer

© Copyright Science & Safety Consulting Services, Inc. 2007. All rights reserved.

What Does It Take?

Raise awareness of chemical
issues in schools and promote
sustainable solutions

© Copyright Science & Safety Consulting Services, Inc. 2007. All rights reserved

Safe Schools

School Administrators
Never Understand
School Safety
Is More Than:

Guns
Knives
Intruders
Drugs
Bullies

S&SCS pg. 1


Problem – Unnecessary / mismanaged chemicals

33,000 (75 percent) middle and high schools

Across the Curriculum
•  Science classrooms & labs
•  Chemical storage rooms
•  Art classrooms
•  Swimming pool areas
•  Janitorial
•  Vocational education classrooms
•  Maintenance shops

Laws, Codes, Regulations, Professional Standards
Safe and Healthy Learning Environments
•  National Science Education Standards
•  State Standard Course of Study- 2 strands
Science Inquiry and Safety
•  OSHA State-Plan State vs. Federal OSHA STATE
•  Safe Schools Act
•  OSHA Laboratory Standard - 29 CFR 1910.1450 (1991)
•  OSHA Hazard Communication Standard - 29 CFR
1910.1200
Stakeholders
•  OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens - 29 CFR 1910.1030 (1991)
Must •  100+ OSHA Regulations
Understand •  EPA – 40 CFR
•  DOT – 49 CFR
•  State Elementary & Secondary Education Act
Eye Protection; Erection of School Buildings; Provision
of Equipment for Buildings
•  State Board of Education Safety Policy
•  State Mercury Laws
•  Building/Fire Codes/Regulations-ICC, NFPA, UL
S&SCS pg. 22


Where
Does It
“say” I
Have to
do
This???
??

S&SCS pgs.16-19

© Copyright Science & Safety Consulting Services, Inc. 2008 All rights reserved.

Chemical Management
System

S&SCS pgs. 93-195


The Chemical Management System

Handling

Procurement

Storage

Inventory

S&SCS pg. 93
Waste Disposal

S&SCS Chemical Inventory System

S&SCS pgs. 134-135

Purchasing Chemicals – One Person
•  Work from inventory
•  Small amounts (microchemistry) (all sciences)
•  Green Chemistry
•  Store no more than one year’s supply
•  Never exceed the shelf life of a chemical

S&SCS pgs. 99-100


Educational Value vs. Risk
•  Why do I need this chemical?
•  What are the hazards?
•  How can I minimize potential harm?
(PPE? Storage? Containment? Ventilation? Special
handling? Training? Disposal?)
•  Can I substitute another chemical that poses less
risk?
•  Can I use less / produce less waste by doing micro-

?
scale experiments or green chemistry?

S&SCS pg. 99


Chemical Waste Disposal

Remove inappropriate, outdated,
unknown, and unnecessary chemicals
from K-12 schools

S&SCS pgs. 166-189


No One Is Managing the Chemical Orders
Mercury thermometer with
the bulb painted red
(finger nail polish) to give
the initial appearance of
an alcohol thermometer.

Hg Recycling Program –
ERTCO (Fisher Science
Education)

Pictures: Larry Cockrell NCDPI Insurance Section


CESQG Waste
•  Landfill on Household Waste Collection Day
•  Assist Secretary of a Dept of Natural and
Environmental Resources said for schools to take
their waste chemicals to landfill.


A Common Issue
•  Highly reactive or potentially explosive
chemicals are more common that you
would think

•  In a state wide cleanout of 971 school
buildings, 153 of the buildings required a
bomb squad or Reactive Materials Team to
stabilize expired or old chemicals

•  Equates to 15% of the labs where High
Hazard materials were present


Costs of Chemical Clean-up
Arsenic $3000
Ethyl ether $5000
Uranium acetate $4000
Strontium nitrate $5000
Per School Clean out $4 -7000
LEA Clean out $22000

For every $1 spent to purchase a chemical, it is
estimated to cost $14 to dispose of it by a
hazardous waste disposal company.

Costs given by Professional
Waste Disposal Companies


SC3 and Exemplary Chemical
Management Programs

Cooperative Project in Removal of Chemicals as
in SC3
•  US EPA
•  State Departments of Environmental
Resources
•  State Departments of Public Instruction
•  Hospitals
•  Businesses
•  Parent – Teacher Organizations
•  Science Education Organizations
NCSTA, NCSLA, Local Chapter ACS, Sigma Xi

SC3 Collaboration –Most Exemplary (the Model)

•  Tennessee Dept of Environment and Conservation
programs
-Office of Environmental Assistance
Green Schools Program
-Division of Solid Waste Management
Household Hazardous Waste Mobile Collection Service
Collaborating to provide schools with:
-A safe and financially feasible way of removing school lab
chemicals & mercury thermometers
-On-site chemical management assistance
-Chemical segregation
-Disposal cost assistance (School cost calculated on sliding
scale based on economic index of their respective county

Disposes of its waste in El Dorado, Arkansas
Cynthia Rohrbach

Example 1

Tennessee - 2005

•  School employees disposed of lab
chemicals in the trash the
resulting fire

•  Cleanup and lab cleanout costs
were $80,000

Example 2

Tennessee

•  Old chemicals were removed from a
school lab and taken in the back of a
truck to a warehouse

•  Leaking chemicals began to burn and
then exploded. Cleanup costs were
$190,000

Alabama
Own waste disposal facility – Emelie, AL
Program - ADEM

2007-2008, collected 8,640 lbs waste in 36
schools

2009 budget - $1300 / school for 13 schools

Summary
Prevent future chemical mismanagement through:

Training
Curriculum change in all sciences
Long term management solutions

S&SCS pgs. 166-189 © Copyright Science & Safety Consulting Services, Inc. 2007. All rights reserved

Chemical Management System - Policy
•  Chemical Inventory
•  Compatible Chemical Storage
- Centralized secure store room
- Supervision by one person
•  Lab Curriculum review and modifications
–  Standard experiments using non toxic chemicals
are available
–  Microchemistry and Green Chemistry experiments
•  Chemical Purchasing Plan
–  Just in time ordering and delivery of small amounts
–  Purchase only premixed solutions & reagents
–  Scrutinize all chemical orders
•  Budget for Annual Chemical Disposal
•  Audit labs, Repair & Replace Safety Equipment
•  Review & Update CHP Annually

Science Safety Training
•  Science methods course for all science education
majors at the college/university

•  Novice science teacher certification process

•  All administrators certification

•  In-service training for veteran teachers (OSHA)


Can Change Occur?
Ventilation in chemical storage area

Changes:

NCDPI School Planning Section

Wake County Assist. Supt. of Facilities

S&SCS pgs. 5-8

2808 Rue Sans Famille
Raleigh, NC 27607
919.881.0282 ph
919.789.4477 fax
LMSTROUD@sciencesafetyconsulting.com
www.sciencesafetyconsulting.com


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