To avoid California schools' experience with Occupational Safety and Health Administration fines, principals should comply with safety regulations, establish quick-response procedures, take care of chemicals, prepare site personnel for state OSHA visits, inform safety personnel about procedures for appealing citations, keep good records, and work…

The average biotech catalog contains a dizzying array of kits offering tried-and-true protocols in molecular biology and biochemistry. Prepackaged experiences, ranging from DNA fingerprinting to protein purification, are now available to high school students. Although commercial kits designed for education provide excellent hands-on experiences in…

There is a growing concern about the connection between many chemical exposures and learning and other developmental disabilities (LDD). National and local groups are developing new programs around the country that are making this connection--and taking action with regard to policy, education and research efforts. They are working towards reducing…

A team of researchers who just finished analyzing 20 years of data from locales around Los Angeles said that particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter poses the greatest risk of causing early death as it can penetrate deep into the lungs and sometimes even enter the bloodstream. Such particles are often found in smoke, vehicle…

Five days a week, more than 55 million children, teachers and employees spend the majority of their waking hours in the U.S. school buildings. Besides being exposed to science, history and math, children and teachers are exposed to hundreds if not thousands of potentially hazardous chemicals and pollutants. Because children spend so much time in…

In this article the author discusses how inadequate ventilation, poor air quality, mold and other conditions can have a detrimental impact on the health of students and school staff. She states that, these unsafe environmental conditions can cause a negative effect on students' health as well as their achievement. Furthermore, she discusses…

This publication presents changes and modifications for 2007-2008 to the "International Rules for Precollege Science Research: Guidelines for Science and Engineering Fairs." It is written to guide fair directors, teachers, scientists, parents, and adult volunteers as they pursue their work of encouraging students to explore and investigate their…

This paper reports on a study of pupils' knowledge and understanding of atmospheric pollution. Specifically, the study is aimed at identifying: 1) the extent to which pupils conceptualise the term "air pollution" in a scientifically appropriate way; 2) pupils' knowledge of air pollution sources and air pollutants; and 3) pupils'…

The Accelerated Reduction/Elimination of Toxins (ARET) Challenge was a voluntary program initiated in 1994 by the Government of Canada. Unlike the U.S. 33/50 Program, ARET involved industry partners in negotiation and cosponsorship of the program, with the intention that early involvement would yield stronger commitment to voluntary reductions. We…

"Child Care Health Connections" is a bimonthly newsletter published by the California Childcare Health Program (CCHP), a community-based program of the University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing, Department of Family Health Care Nursing. The goals of the newsletter are to promote and support a healthy and safe environment…

The written certification exam that accompanies the Gearing Up for Safety-Agricultural Production Safety Training for Youth curriculum was designed to partially meet the testing requirements of the Agricultural Hazardous Occupations Order (AgHOs) Certification Training Program. This curriculum and accompanying assessment tools are available for…

Chemical demonstrations can and do enhance an otherwise potentially dull subjects--the properties of hazardous materials. This book contains the recipes for presenting several chemical demonstrations. Demonstrations are designed to be relatively easy to perform and present minimal hazards if done properly. The book contains an introduction, safety…

The manufacturing process used to produce printbands for International Business Machines, Inc. involves a photolithographic process in which the stainless steel panels are chemically machined using strong ferric chloride etching solution containing hydrochloric acid. The waste material that results from this chemical reaction is a solution…

Despite federal law requiring that art and craft materials be labeled, many products continue to be sold without adequate identification of their contents. This report summarizes the findings of the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) which conducted an investigation in June and July 1991 to determine how art and craft manufacturers comply…

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are concerned about the increased risk of developing lung cancer faced by persons exposed to above-average levels of radon in their homes. The purpose of this pamphlet is to help readers to understand the radon problem and decide if they need to take…