Analyzes several cases involving students with disabilities and assesses how courts determine the supervisory standard of care for disabled students injured on school premises. Explores the extent to which special characteristics of students with disabilities might affect the standard of care owed to such students. (MLF)

This study surveyed 100 parents and teachers to assess frequency and patterns of accidents among preschool children. Inappropriate uses of toys and other materials; falling due to ice, water, or objects underfoot; slipping in the bathtub; and inappropriate response to strangers were identified as common causes of accidents. Implications for the…

Findings of a Virginia study to determine if a need exists for statewide standards to ensure the safety of school playgrounds are presented in this document. Data were derived from a literature review, document analysis, and two statewide surveys: one to all school division superintendents (75); and one to the principals of 54 elementary schools.…

Parents generally expect public school districts to provide for their children's care and safety while they are at school. Although in the first half of the twentieth century common law tended to make school officials immune from suit, more recently public school districts, school employees, officers, and elected boards have been successfully sued…

The New Orleans Public Schools' Department of Planning has been concerned with school children as pedestrians for the past five years. The safety issues include the streets, the drivers, and the children. First, the streets contribute to the hazard because many major streets traverse residential areas; many streets serve as major commuter…

Describes events leading to a flood in the Wehr Chemistry Laboratory at Marquette University, discussing steps taken to minimize damage upon discovery. Analyzes the problem of flooding in the chemical laboratory and outlines seven steps of flood control: prevention; minimization; early detection; stopping the flood; evaluation; clean-up; and…

A self-awareness checklist is provided for teachers to assess the safety of their classroom environment. Aspects of school safety included in the checklist are: student behavior policies, teacher responsibility, facilities and equipment maintenance, and planning for emergency procedures. (FG)

Provides guidelines for physical educators who handle blood and body fluid spills, clean contaminated surfaces and equipment, and clean body fluids from students. The guidelines establish good health practices that can protect teachers and students against various infections and contagious diseases. (SM)

This paper presents a viewpoint on educator responsibilities toward helping youth develop the skills necessary to cope with life as well as consideration on how to present science in a safe environment. Discussions include safety in the learning environment, litigation, effective teaching, effective schools, the goals of science, and the mandate…

This report discusses the existence and prevention of major health and safety risks for children in day care and makes recommendations for the Federal Interagency Day Care requirements (FIDCR) concerning health and safety. Section I describes varying concepts of risk related to probability and to possibility of adverse events, and discusses…

Reports on a chemistry laboratory accident intervention study conducted throughout the state of Colorado. Addresses the results of an initial survey of institutions of higher learning. Discusses some legal aspects concerning academic chemistry accidents. Provides some observations about academic chemistry laboratory accidents on the whole. (TW)

A survey of 102 New Jersey secondary school science teachers, department chairpersons, and supervisors concerning their laboratory accident-rate was conducted during the 1981-82 school year. Results indicate that accidents occur on a weekly basis even among a sample of experienced teachers who were interested in safety. The number of accidents…

The legal briefs in this volume provide insights into operational problems for a practicing administrator. Fifteen briefs provide some general policy statements that appear to be sound practice for the areas covered. In addition, each section propounds questions that are commonly asked by school people. The author has attempted to attack each…

The ordinary conduct of school business is accompanied today by risks that were rare or unknown a few decades ago. School administrators are continually being challenged to develop new strategies to safeguard their districts' assets. Risk management is a coordinated effort to protect an organization's assets, both human and financial, from all…

Legal aspects of college teaching and administration are discussed. The faculty and college are liable by tort law for students in three ways: intentional acts or interference, strict liability, and negligence. Intentional acts include improperly installed or dangerous equipment, while strict liability cases usually occur where fault is not…