The Governing Board recognizes its obligation to provide a safe and healthy environment at school facilities for students, staff, and community members. The Superintendent or designee shall regularly assess school facilities to identify environmental health risks. He/she shall establish a comprehensive plan to prevent and/or mitigate environmental hazards based on a consideration of the proven effectiveness of various options, anticipated short-term and long-term costs and/or savings to the district, and the potential impact on staff attendance, student attendance, and student achievement.
(cf. 0200 - Goals for the School District)
(cf. 1312.4 - Williams Uniform Complaint Procedures)
(cf. 3516 - Emergencies and Disaster Preparedness Plan)
(cf. 3516.3 - Earthquake Emergency Procedure System)
(cf. 3517 - Facilities Inspection)
(cf. 4157/4257/4357 - Employee Safety)
(cf. 5030 - Student Wellness)
(cf. 5142 - Safety)
(cf. 7111 - Evaluating Existing Buildings)
Strategies addressed in the district's plan shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following:
1. Ensuring good indoor air quality by maintaining adequate ventilation; using effective maintenance operations to reduce dust, mold, mildew, and other indoor air contaminants; and considering air quality in the site selection, design, and furnishing of new or remodeled facilities
(cf. 3513.3 - Tobacco-Free Schools)
(cf. 5141.23 - Asthma Management)
(cf. 6163.2 - Animals at School)
(cf. 7150 - Site Selection and Development)
2. Limiting outdoor activities when necessary due to poor outdoor air quality, including excessive smog, smoke, or ozone, or when ultraviolet radiation levels indicate a high risk of harm
(cf. 3516.5 - Emergency Schedules)
(cf. 5141.7 - Sun Safety)
(cf. 6142.7 - Physical Education)
3. Reducing exposure to diesel exhaust and other air contaminants by limiting unnecessary idling of school buses and other commercial motor vehicles
(cf. 3540 - Transportation)
(cf. 3541.1 - Transportation for School-Related Trips)
(cf. 3542 - School Bus Drivers)
4. Minimizing exposure to lead in paint, soil, and drinking water
5. Inspecting facilities for naturally occurring asbestos and asbestos-containing building materials that pose a health hazard due to damage or deterioration and safely removing, encapsulating, enclosing, or repairing such materials
6. Ensuring the proper storage, use, and disposal of potentially hazardous substances
(cf. 3514.1 - Hazardous Substances)
(cf. 6161.3 - Toxic Art Supplies)
7. Ensuring the use of effective least toxic pest management practices
(cf. 3514.2 - Integrated Pest Management)
8. Instituting a food safety program for the storage, preparation, delivery, and service of school meals in order to reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses
(cf. 3550 - Food Service/Child Nutrition Program)
In developing strategies to promote healthy school environments, the Superintendent or designee may consult and collaborate with local environmental protection agencies, health agencies, and other community organizations.
(cf. 1020 - Youth Services)
The Superintendent or designee shall provide the district's maintenance and facilities staff, bus drivers, food services staff, teachers, and other staff as appropriate with professional development regarding their responsibilities in implementing strategies to improve and maintain environmental safety at the schools.
(cf. 4131 - Staff Development)
(cf. 4231 - Staff Development)
(cf. 4331 - Staff Development)
The Superintendent or designee shall notify the Board, staff, parents/guardians, students, and/or governmental agencies, as appropriate, if an environmental hazard is discovered at a school site. The notification shall provide information about the district's actions to remedy the hazard and may recommend health screening of staff and students.
(cf. 5141.6 - School Health Services)
Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
17002 Definition of "good repair"
17070.75 Facilities inspection
17582 Deferred maintenance fund
17590 Asbestos abatement fund
17608-17613 Healthy Schools Act of 2000, least toxic pest management practices
32240-32245 Lead-Safe Schools Protection Act
48980.3 Notification of pesticides
49410-49410.7 Asbestos materials containment or removal
FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL CODE
11401-12408 Pest control operations and agricultural chemicals
13180-13188 Healthy Schools Act of 2000, least toxic pest management practices
GOVERNMENT CODE
3543.2 Scope of representation; right to negotiate safety conditions
HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE
105400-105430 Indoor environmental quality
113700-114437 California Retail Food Code, sanitation and safety requirements
CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 5
14010 Standards for school site selection
CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 8
337-339 Hazardous substances list
340-340.2 Occupational safety and health, rights of employees
1528-1533 Construction safety orders; exposure to hazards
5139-5223 Control of hazardous substances
CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 13
2480 Vehicle idling
CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 17
35001-36100 Lead abatement services
CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 22
64670-64679 Lead and copper in drinking water
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 7
136-136y Use of pesticides
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 15
2601-2629 Control of toxic substances
2641-2656 Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 42
1758 Food safety and inspections
CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS, TITLE 40
141.1-141.723 Drinking water standards
745.61-745.339 Lead-based paint standards
763.80-763.99 Asbestos-containing materials in schools
763.120-763.123 Asbestos worker protections
Management Resources:
CSBA PUBLICATIONS
Indoor Air Quality: Governing Board Actions for Creating Healthy School Environments, Policy Brief, July 2008
Asthma Management in the Schools, Policy Brief, March 2008
Food Safety Requirements, Fact Sheet, October 2007
Sun Safety in Schools, Policy Brief, July 2006
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PUBLICATIONS
School Site Selection and Approval Guide, 2000
Indoor Air Quality, A Guide for Educators, 1995
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES PUBLICATIONS
Report to the Legislature: Lead Hazards in California's Public Elementary Schools and Child Care Facilities, April 1998
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY PUBLICATIONS
Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools, rev. 2007
Healthy School Environments Assessment Tool, 2007
The ABCs of Asbestos in Schools, rev. August 2003
Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings, March 2001
How to Manage Asbestos in School Buildings: AHERA Designated Person's Self-Study Guide, 1996
WEB SITES
CSBA: http://www.csba.org
AirNow: http://www.airnow.gov
American Association of School Administrators: http://www.aasa.org
California Air Resources Board: http://www.arb.ca.gov
California Department of Education, Health and Safety: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/fa/hs
California Department of Pesticide Regulation: http://www.cdpr.ca.gov
California Department of Public Health: http://www.cdph.ca.gov
California Indoor Air Quality Program: http://www.cal-iaq.org
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov
Consumer Product Safety Commission: http://www.cpsc.gov
National Center for Environmental Health: http://www.cdc.gov/nceh
Occupational Safety and Health Administration: http://www.osha.gov
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov
Policy FALLBROOK UNION ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT
adopted: September 6, 2011 Fallbrook, California