Risk management is a huge task that requires diligent oversight to avoid penalties, fines, or lawsuits. Add in the burden of limited resources that schools face today, and the challenge of meeting the required training, reporting, compliance, and other administrative issues associated with a safety program is almost insurmountable. Despite an…

A Virginia school district has developed a curriculum of school bus safety objectives for each grade level (K-6). Produced as a complete package, the curriculum contains a lesson plan, expected outcomes, a listing of instructional aids, defined activities, and required student materials. Lists bus safety rules that are taught and those posted on…

School districts can expect to see significant increases in insurance renewal premiums. Advice is offered on safety and loss control procedures, dealing with an insurance broker, and bidding for insurance coverage. (MLF)

Describes the School Bus Driver Training Project in New York. (MLF)

To improve school bus safety it is important to improve school bus data collection. Includes discussion of danger potential of older bridges and the importance of school bus drivers. (MD)

Describes a Wisconsin school bus accident in which the driver was killed and students injured, and the school district's response. Suggests ways to cope with school bus accidents. (MCG)

Responding to schools' need for disaster preparedness, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offers a week-long course at its Emergency Management Institute (the Multi-Hazard Safety Program for Schools). FEMA recommends that school officials identify likely hazards, mitigate against them, develop response and postdisaster coping plans,…

The majority of school bus fatalities occur to children who must walk in front of the school bus upon discharge. Drivers must be educated about this startling fact and know which passengers are more susceptible to fatal accidents. Children must be taught safety precautions. (MLF)

Students need training at home, at school, and on the bus concerning their own actions while traveling on school buses. The training needs to focus on the dangers, on how students can help to save their own lives, and on developing a positive attitude toward safety and the driver. (MLF)

Adequate staffing for pupil transportation provides for the following: (1) drivers are appropriately instructed; (2) school buses meet the highest standards of construction and maintenance; (3) discipline is uniformly administered; (4) instruction in safe riding practices is provided; and (5) salary and fringe benefits retain the best qualified…

Loss control activities can help a school district avoid certain risks and reduce others. (MLF)

Comparing the safety record of school buses to that of automobiles does not account for the nonschool time when automobiles are used. Experiences where seat belts are installed in school buses show that students use them, insurance is not a problem, and cost is slight. (MLF)

An analysis of school district student injury reports revealed that 62 to 80 percent of all elementary school injuries were occurring on the playground, and that students were the major cause of injury. After a series of student-orientation rules and staff-orientation programs, injuries as a pilot site decreased by 78 percent for the year. (MLF)

Discusses the "Right-to-Know Laws" passed since 1980 that protect employees from hazardous materials in the work place. Outlines Massachusets' law and the employee training materials developed for use by schools in that state. (MD)