You can prevent explosions in your school.

Help make chemical safety part of your school's ongoing security audits and safety plan.

1) Talk with parents, educators and community leaders about making safety part of school culture.  Does everyone feel safe speaking up?  Don't go it alone. Find allies. If school staff or other parents are fearful or unresponsive, keep reaching out to others. Contact your local or state public health department, your local fire/life safety team, homeland security office or emergency preparedness center.  Your persistence could save lives.

2) Bring the Lessons to Your School Make safety part of the curriculum in science education, vocational education, occupational health and safety, community service, comprehensive school health and injury prevention, school security, emergency preparedness, environmental education, civic education, school maintenance, and operations.

3) Promote a sense of shared responsibility and accountability for student, employee and visitor health and safety in all school areas and activities. Does everyone feel "ownership" for a safe school?  

See Leadership Needed. What opportunities for leadership exist in your school?  Use these resources to update your school's values and technical skills for 21st century citizens. 

• Dangerous Chemicals You Don't Want to See in a School or Child Care Center (ppt)

• Lab Safety Videos  Four short videos provide information on managing hazardous laboratory chemicals, responding to spills, properly storing and labeling chemicals, and disposing of chemicals safely and legally when they’re no longer needed. King County, Washington Local Hazardous Waste Management Program

• Least-toxic chemistry labs This collection of fully-scripted, least-toxic chemistry labs is ready for use by high school chemistry teachers.  The set includes student and teacher guides and meets the Washington State Educational Learning Requirements

• When Good Chemicals Go Bad (Lab Out Loud podcast)

• No More Methyl Something (ppt)

• A Case Study of Environmental, Health and Safety Issues Involving the Burlington, Massachusetts Public School System. Tips, Suggestions, and Resources for Investigating and Resolving EHS Issues in Schools, Dresser, Todd H.,  (Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC; Burlington Board of Health, Burlington, MA, 1998)  http://www.epa.gov/region7/education_resources/teachers/ehsstudy/