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From: Peter Zavon <pzavon**At_Symbol_Here**rochester.rr.com>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Beacon HS student burned in botched chemistry experiment awarded nearly $60M
Date: Jul 4, 2019 17:38 UTC
Reply-To:
ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
In-Reply-To: Re: [DCHAS-L] Beacon HS student burned in botched chemistry experiment awarded nearly $60M
When I ask about ventilation for an activity, checking ingredients of materials used, etc., the responses sound like they have a pretty good idea of what is needed. It helps that they get periodic EH&S support and reviews from full-time IH and Safety people employed by the local BOCES (Board of Cooperative Education Services, for those not familiar with New York's sometimes strange educational structure). So far, as a member of an advisory committee, I've not delved deeply into these questions outside committee meetings. I hope to do some of that in the coming year.
Training for the arts community? Yes. That is one reason I'm in your course next month, to refresh and expand my understanding of arts activities.
Peter Zavon
Penfield, NY
PZAVON**At_Symbol_Here**Rochester.rr.com
From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU] On Behalf Of Monona Rossol
Sent: Thursday, July 04, 2019 9:02 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Beacon HS student burned in botched chemistry experiment awarded nearly $60M
Peter,
So far, whenever I've asked a question about arts activity, the answers coming back have been pretty descent.
Please expand a bit. I'm not sure what that means.
And are you interested in doing some training for that arts community? Monona
-----Original Message-----
From: Peter Zavon <pzavon**At_Symbol_Here**ROCHESTER.RR.COM>
To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Sent: Thu, Jul 4, 2019 5:19 am
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Beacon HS student burned in botched chemistry experiment awarded nearly $60M
Debbie,
I don't run for my local school board. Since I have no children, that would be a political impossibility. However, I have been on the Health and Safety Advisory Committee to that Board for the last 5 years. The committee includes representatives of the school nurses, the principals, teachers, district administration, food service director, Assistant Superintendent for facilities, a designated member of the School Board and the insurance company (now a Safety professional but previously an Industrial Hygienist), among others. One of the parent members, who just rotated off, was also a Safety Professional and used to just "drop by" construction and major maintenance sites for several years, reporting back to the committee. Most of those concerns have been well internalized by the District now, one reason he felt comfortable leaving. We have also have the Chemical Safety Officer (a chemistry teacher in the high school) join us from time to time, and he coordinates with the science staff in the middle school.
Now that I am nominally retired, I hope to get more involved with the arts and theater side of activities in the coming school year, since I am pretty comfortable with how the science side (at least chemistry) is being handled. So far, whenever I've asked a question about arts activity, the answers coming back have been pretty descent.
Peter Zavon, CIH
Penfield, NY
PZAVON**At_Symbol_Here**Rochester.rr.com
From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU] On Behalf Of Debbie M. Decker
Sent: Wednesday, July 03, 2019 7:27 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Beacon HS student burned in botched chemistry experiment awarded nearly $60M
By way of perspective -
I'm President of my local school board. This sort of stuff keeps me up at night, as you might imagine.
Very early in my term on the Board (I've been on the board 2 and a half years), I championed a board statement on safety which supported policy already in place. But it truly isn't enough. I sit on the district safety committee which has representation from local fire and police, site administration and staff. We recently had a lockdown incident (tuned out to be a hoax) which exercised the procedures in place and the district collaboration with fire and police. All went well and the plan worked but there are some spots that need adjusting. Thankfully, site administrators have been practicing their safety plans pretty comprehensively across the district. But "safety" in the K-12 education context doesn't necessarily include science safety.
I'm currently working with the director of secondary education and one of the high school chemistry teachers to plan a half-day safety training for middle/high school science teachers before school starts this fall. That's taken some doing to get traction and I'm grateful to the science teachers who have pushed the issue. The teachers have had safety training over the years but it's been with a contractor and not particularly - engaging.
Because health and safety is my vocation and career, I feel I bear a particular burden to make sure training happens. I also believe colleges of education bear responsibility here, too. There just isn't anything in the credential curriculum that includes safety instruction for teachers seeking a credential in STEM.
I'm doing what I can but it seems a Sisyphean task. I feel like once I get my local district in better shape, then it's on to the County Office and then to the state school boards association. And I certainly don't feel supported, necessarily, from the health and safety community. When have any of you offered your support and help to your local school district or - even better - your friendly neighborhood school board representative? How many of you have run for school board? School boards need other voices, as Lynn points out below.
Thanks for listening,
Debbie
Debbie M. Decker, CCHO, ACS Fellow
Past Chair, Division of Chemical Health and Safety
Councilor and Programming Co-Chair
University of California, Davis
(530)754-7964
(530)304-6728
And -
President, Board of Trustees
Representative, Area 5
Woodland Joint Unified School District
Woodland, California
Birkett's hypothesis: "Any chemical reaction
that proceeds smoothly under normal conditions,
can proceed violently in the presence of an idiot."
From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU> On Behalf Of paracelcusbombastusvon**At_Symbol_Here**juno.com
Sent: Wednesday, July 3, 2019 2:07 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Beacon HS student burned in botched chemistry experiment awarded nearly $60M
To begin I am not defending the BoE in any way.
But as I read the account and numerous responses I thought I would take a look at the makeup and background of my local school board. There are nine members whom are elected from various sub-districts. Two had degrees in education and experience in general education one who has a PhD in education. Three had degrees in social science or social work experience. One is a prosecuting attorney. One is an accountant (CPA). And one works as a business human resources/public relations. The last did not list a biography.
None had any science/safety experience noted in their bios.
Most expressed concerns in "getting along with each other" and addressing "differences".
So much for STEM and safety.
Lynn Knudtson