An estimated 339,000 workers were employed in foodservice operations in the nation's elementary and secondary schools. While news stories often focus on so-called "lunch ladies," the school foodservice workforce encompasses employees ranging from front-line cafeteria workers to chefs and food preparation staff to administrators and…

The Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) program provides cash benefits to federal, state, and local law enforcement officers; firefighters; employees of emergency management agencies; and members of emergency medical services agencies who are killed or permanently and totally disabled as the result of personal injuries sustained in the line of…

As the United States considers reopening schools after the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, policymakers and administrators need to consider how to reopen in a way that keeps students and staff safe. This brief provides insight into health and safety guidelines and social distancing strategies used in other countries that have successfully…

Policy makers confronted with the need to introduce health and safety regulations often wonder how to value the benefits of these regulations. One way that a monetary value could be placed on reductions in health risks, including risk of death, is through understanding how people are compensated for the different risks they take. While there is an…

Drawing on testimony presented at hearings before the Subcommittee on Health and Safety of the House of Representatives conducted between February 28 and June 12, 1984, this staff report addresses the general topic of video display terminals (VDTs) and possible health hazards in the workplace. An introduction presents the history of the…

This hearing addressed the issue of whether the delays in producing a proposed National Institute for Occupational and Safety Health (NIOSH) study on the possible health hazards associated with video display terminals (VDTs) are due to concerns about scientific methodology or unwarranted interference by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).…

Discusses scientific and technical information as related to the regulatory process. Examines information uses, role of the courts, current values issues in regulatory policymaking (considering funding sources, choice of projects, reporting of results, access to results and confidentiality, and separating technical and regulatory decisions), and…

Explains schools' responsibilities in complying with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Bloodborne Pathogens Standard. Describes exposure determination plan, protective equipment, housekeeping practices, labeling of waste, training employees, hepatitis B vaccinations, postexposure evaluation and medical follow-up, and…

Intended to help reduce the number of school eye injuries in New Jersey, this document begins with a brief review of existing legislation regarding eye protection in educational institutions and a list of elements essential in an eye safety program. Second, eye protection equipment is examined in terms of: the advantages of safety spectacles over…

This workshop explored the complex issues involved in scientific measurement of environmental risk. Specific purposes were to articulate policy issues that concern the use of scientific data in environmental risk assessment and to contribute to the dialogue from which better policy might emerge. Viewpoints of workshop participants from the…

This publication has been prepared to provide scientific divers with guidance on safe practice under varying experimental and environmental conditions. The Code offers advice and recommendations on administrative practices, insurance, terms of employment, medical standards, training standards, dive planning, safety with different breathing gases…

This report discusses a federally mandated standard concerning establishment of a program to reduce exposure to blood and other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) in Iowa schools and education agencies. The standard includes the following components: introduction, scope and application, definitions, exposure control, methods of compliance,…

Wisconsin law requires school compliance with the eye safety code. Administrators or coordinators should hold monthly inspections, as well as annual meetings to explain the program and assign responsibilities. Safety coordinators should analyze activity hazards, and faculty should communicate the information to students. Eye equipment must meet…

In response to a Congressional request, the General Accounting Office examined issues related to pesticide safety for children in agricultural settings. Pesticides can cause acute, chronic, or delayed-onset illnesses. Children may be exposed to pesticides through farm work; eating pesticide-treated foods; or contact with drift from pesticide…

Studies suggest that computer work stations may induce high levels of physical and psychological stress. Advises school districts to take a proactive stance on ergonomics. Cites laws and pending litigation regulating computer use in the workspace and offers guidelines for computer users. (MLF)