1.Administrative Roles   2.School Nurse Responsibilities  3.Instructor Responsibilities  4.Student & Parent Responsibilities  5.General Safety Recommendations    1.Internal General Building  2.External General Building  3.Specific Building  4.General & Specialized Classrooms   5.Playgrounds/Outdoor Areas    1.Routine Emergency Care  2.Emergency Preparedness Plan

Section I:  Introduction  Through the establishment of safety expectations for Missouri school district facilities, this guide intends to assist schools in minimizing safety and health risks for all students, employees, and visitors.  It provides a means for determining whether a school district is ensuring a safe learning environment and is intended for practical use by all school districts in the state.   This publication is not a set of stringent regulations;  it is a guideline that should be used to develop a customized overall plan for long-term safety improvement and maintenance.  Developed by an advisory committee of safety consultants across Missouri, this guide addresses the following areas of school safety: internal general building, external general building, specific building areas, general and specialized classrooms, and playground/outdoor recreation areas. While it addresses most aspects of school facility safety, primary emphasis is placed upon safety within the vocational and technology education laboratory areas. Under the provisions of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, this guide also includes safety implications associated with inaccessible buildings and facilities.

This guide does not address safety issues related to physical education, athletic facilities/activities, extracurricular activities, transportation, or the Safe Schools Act.  For more information about organizations that can help in addressing these safety concerns, refer to the Resources section in this guide.

Both the Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP) standards and the Missouri Show-Me Standards address the importance of providing and maintaining a safe school environment.  Standard 14.2 of the Missouri School Improvement Program states, “Facilities and grounds are periodically inspected by appropriate personnel for potential safety hazards; corrections are made to promptly ensure that local and/or state public safety requirements are met.”  This standard also states, “Staff members and students are trained in the safe and proper use of all safety and emergency devices where applicable.”
Missouri Show-Me Standard 4.7 states, “Identify and apply practices that preserve and enhance safety and health of self and others.” Again, this standard stresses the importance of minimizing risk through effective school safety policies.

Checklists included in this guide are designed to help you review the safety of your district’s facilities.  Sample forms and signs are also included to assist in  the development of a safety system in your school district.  Safety resource agencies listed in the back of this guide are intended to provide additional, more detailed information where needed.

Administrative Roles in Creating a Safe School
Support from school administration is necessary in order to use this guide successfully and create a safe school environment.   Adhering to the safety guidelines in this guide is much easier when a safety system is supported by the administration.    As indicated in a study of Missouri schools (Lemons, 1993), school laboratories are significantly more likely to have adequate safety equipment, laboratory enrollment within guidelines, and safe storage and disposal of chemicals when administrators are involved in the process.  Consequently, administrative support has more effect on adherence to safety guidelines than school size or instructor safety training.  An administrator can support school safety through the following measures:

• • Actively support funding of safety equipment and other safety requirements
  • Identify a registered professional school nurse or appropriate health care provider to be responsible for basic first aid and safety
  • Require annual safety inspections
  • Participate in annual (minimum) inspections
  • Participate in a general school or laboratory safety committee
  • Evaluate all school incident reports
  • Include a safety evaluation as part of the instructor performance process
  • Schedule safety workshops for faculty and staff
  • Assist in the formulation of laboratory safety policies
  • Assist in planning the proper disposal of chemicals
  • Communicate safe practices to students and staff

 
 School Nurse Responsibilities
The registered professional school nurse, or designated health care professional, is responsible for providing specialized health services for the school staff and students. To maintain a safe school environment, the primary responsibilities of the school nurse are as follows:

• • Establish and maintain a comprehensive school health program
  • Provide basic first aid for illness and injury according to written school policy
  • Implement nursing actions that promote, maintain, and restore health;, prevent illness; and affect rehabilitation
  • Educate staff, students, and parents about safe practices through appropriately designed and delivered health education programs
  • Collect information about the health and developmental status of students and use data to determine a nursing diagnosis
  • Collaborate with other school professionals, parents, and caregivers to meet the health needs of clients
  • Collaborate with members of the community in the delivery of health and social services
  • Assist in the formulation of laboratory and school safety policies

School nursing personnel can function in expanded roles with standing orders and protocols from physicians, thus enabling better management of illness and injury within the school setting.  Having a physician to consult regarding safety and health issues enhances the district’s ability to protect and maintain the health status of students and staff.  While physician services are often provided as a community service, districts may choose to employ or contract with the physician for a specified number of hours per school year.

Instructor Responsibilities
Within the classroom or laboratory, instructors are responsible for the safety of students.  In recent years, there has been increasing concern regarding liability related to student injury.  Instructors may be found  liable if they are determined to be negligent as a result of some action, or lack of some action.  The instructor is held to a high standard of care in ensuring that activities are conducted in a safe manner.

If a person is injured, there may be a personal injury suit for civil damages.  These lawsuits may be based on allegations of negligence.  According to Black’s Law Dictionary, negligence is defined as, “The omission to do something that a reasonable person, guided by those ordinary considerations that ordinarily regulate human affairs, would do, or the doing of something that a reasonable and prudent person would not do.”

The law requires instructors to be reasonable and to use common sense.  Instructors are required to exercise the skill and training that is expected in their profession.  This requires an understanding of all materials and equipment used in laboratories and classrooms. Ignorance is no defense.

For laboratory classes, students should be assessed on their knowledge of safety procedures after they have received instruction. Performance assessments should require a student to actively demonstrate the safe operation of any tools or equipment that will be used in class.  Although no laboratory or classroom activity will ever be risk-free, risks can be minimized through appropriate planning, instruction, and supervision.

Instructors are responsible for gathering the information needed to reasonably assess risks in all activities.  They are obligated to provide a healthy and safe environment for students and are entitled to the same.  Consequently, instructors are encouraged to evaluate the benefits of carrying liability insurance available through several instructors’ organizations.

Student and Parent Responsibilities
In order to create a safe environment for learning, students must adhere to school, classroom, and laboratory safety rules and possess a serious outlook on safe work habits.  Parents should encourage their children to maintain a serious attitude about safety by adhering to all school rules. Students and parents are also reSafe Facilities Guide
sponsible for becoming familiar with school policies and procedures regarding disease prevention/control and regulations regarding medication administration at school.

Cooperation of parents regarding school safety policies is essential.  Parents should be aware of the risks involved with any laboratory and/or classroom activities, tools, and/or equipment. Parents are responsible for speaking to their children regarding the seriousness of safe work habits.  Parents may visit the laboratory or classroom to see, first-hand, the equipment, materials, and/or tools that will be used for certain activities.  This guide contains a sample form that may be used to inform parents of activities and ask for their consent.

General Safety Recommendations
The following general safety guidelines for instructors and administrators will help to minimize risks and keep students safer.  Specific guidelines for specialized classrooms are outlined prior to each specialized area or classroom checklist in this guide.

1. Evaluate risks.  Understand possible school safety risks and take steps to reduce those hazards. Limit personal injury incidents by regularly evaluating safety concerns and implementing corrective actions.

2. Coordinate planning with local fire department and public safety organizations.  Contact local safety organizations for information regarding school safety measures. Involve the community in the effort to create safe schools.  Many fire departments offer fire extinguisher training courses.  See the resource section in this guide for a list of public safety organizations.

3. Be trained in first aid and CPR/obstructed airway procedures.  Every instructor and administrator should take a recognized first aid training program so that immediate care may be given to a person who has been injured, if no school nurse is available. The Missouri Good Samaritan Law (Section, especially 537.037, RSMo) offers limited protection from civil damages if the assisting person has been instructed in a recognized training program.  The Good Samaritan Law does not cover damages resulting from gross negligence or willful or wanton acts.

4. Be aware of students with medical conditions.  Contact the school nurse at the beginning of the year to get student medical information that may affect participation in certain activities.

5.. File written accident/incident reports as soon as possible.  Incident reports should be completed by a school nurse, instructor, administrator whenever there is an accident on school grounds or during school activities off-grounds.  Keep a copy signed by the principal for your records.  This guide includes a sample incident report form.

6. Ensure the safety of students with disabilities.  Building structures and equipment should be accessible to all students. In order for students with disabilities to respond quickly in emergency situations, accessibility is extremely important.  All emergency exits and equipment should be accessible to all students.
 

Source:  Lemons, J.L.  Missouri Secondary Science Safety Manual.  Jefferson City, MO:  Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 1997.