Safety Considerations
in the Family Studies Classroom
(revised July 2006)
General Overview
Revised and Updated by
Lisa Efstatheu
Maggie Rose
Reviewed by
Sue Dalton
Suzanne Robertson
Edited and Managed by
Michelyn Putignano
Family Studies Lab Safety
General Overview
Mission
The purpose of this health and safety document is to provide guidelines for Family Studies teachers in developing and operating a program that will prevent and control incidents. Such a program will protect students and increase the effectiveness of instructional methods and facilities.
Rationale
This classroom-ready document is designed for the classroom teacher. It is the expressed intention of the Ontario Family Studies Leadership Council (OFSLC) that this document be implemented by Family Studies teachers with specialized technology and equipment as a means of demonstrating our commitment to leadership and to protecting the safety and health of staff and students.
Objectives
▪ To gain and maintain support for health and safety in Family Studies programs
▪ To provide motivation, education, and training for teachers and students
involved in Family Studies courses with lab components and support the
recognition and development of best practices in the labs/facilities
▪ To incorporate health and safety practices into program and course design
▪ To provide some rigor in program inspection and maintenance for machinery,
equipment, tools, and facilities
▪ To incorporate hazard control into school teaching and educational
techniques and methods
▪ To establish compliances with other established health and safety
standards
Responsibilities of Health and Safety Programming
Why have a health and safety program? Much of the following suggestions are conveyed in provincial documentation that has a formalized health and safety program for industrial arts teachers (MBEY, 2003). A good Family Studies health and safety program can reduce incidents, injuries and illness. Such a program demonstrates commitment to leadership and the well-being of teachers and students. A good program also provides both an internal and an external motivation for continual improvements, as standards and technology change, and allows for autonomy in the designation of roles and responsibilities at the school-site level.
In Ontario, in The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA, 1990), every worker has the right to a safe and healthy work environment. This would extend inclusion of teachers and others who are employed in technology labs. It should be recognized that only sufficiently informed workers are empowered to think, act, and be responsible.
Responsibilities of School Administrators
Support and commitment from school administration for health and safety programming is essential. Family Studies teachers are encouraged to discuss current health and safety programs pertaining to specific school board districts and school-site obligations. Communication should include responsibilities regarding existing policies and procedures. It is also the responsibility of school administration to ensure that essential information, facilities, tools, and equipment are made available for conducting safe and effective programming. Promoting and supporting on-going professional development and safety initiatives for Family Studies technology curriculum should also be encouraged. The following general checklist exemplifies Family Studies education that includes a strong emphasis on safety. Use this checklist as guide to providing “best practices:”
□ Develop, teach, implement, and enforce safety rules in teaching about cooking,
sewing, housing, parenting, consumerism, and family life.
□ Promote injury prevention in skills related to home and family life.
□ Include a specific safety component to the teaching of all Family Studies skills
that use specialized technology and equipment.
□ Ensure that Family Studies spaces, equipment and facilities meet or exceed
safety standards.
□ Hire Family Studies teachers and support staff trained in injury prevention, first
aid, and CPR, as well as provide on-going staff development.
Responsibilities of Family Studies Teachers
Teachers are professionally obligated to protect and educate those entrusted in their supervision. Both the school administration and the teachers carry a shared commitment to fostering a safe and healthy learning environment. In specialized technology and equipment labs, Family Studies teachers are expected to demonstrate and model safe work procedures. Safety instruction, care and handling are also educational responsibilities of the Family Studies teacher. Demonstrating an active interest and participation in school health and safety policies and procedures is essential. It is also the teacher’s responsibility to supervise and evaluate student performance with regards to methods of work and safe behaviour. Investigating, correcting misconducts or potentially hazardous incidents, or reporting to persons who can take corrective actions, are additional expectations in the lab settings. In general, primary health and safety education should foster the development of a positive student safety attitude in labs, classrooms, school, home, social and workplace environments.
Responsibilities of Supply Teachers
When supply staff is in the Family Studies classroom, personnel supervising any classroom with students using technology must know how to operate equipment. In most cases supply staff will not be involved in the implementation of lab activities. These activities are best conducted with the classroom teacher. The classroom Family Studies teachers should have the manufacturer’s operating instructions readily available for all the technologies and easily available for supply staff.
Responsibilities of Students
The students are responsible for making wise health and safety decisions and compliance to safety facility practices helps in the prevention of injury and equipment damage. Students are responsible for interpreting and demonstrating to the satisfaction of the teacher all safe operating procedures regarding materials, tools, equipment and personal safety. It is also the responsibility of the students to recognize and report potential hazards or unsafe work practices to the teacher. Students are expected to use safety equipment and technology as they were designed.
Responsibilities of Maintenance
Planned preventative maintenance and care for electrical systems, equipment, and tools is essential in reducing incidents in the school lab/facility. Those involved with maintenance and care of equipment and facilities should collaborate regularly to prevent abnormal deteriorations, loss of services, or health and safety hazards.
Responsibilities of Parents
Parental support and understanding for health and safety programming strengthens and enhances the efficacy of education. Parents play a crucial role in complementing and re-enforcing the value on health and safety while their children are outside of the school setting. Parents are responsible for informing the school of any health concerns that may impact performance expectations in the lab facilities. Parents are encouraged to review this material to understand the commitment to classroom safety and support the teacher and the school administration for adhering to consequential disciplinary actions should non-compliance to health and safety practices concern.
PRACTICE FOR ACCIDENT PREVENTION
Teachers and students perform a range of tasks that many cause bodily harm. Examples of possible injuries and illnesses that may occur are listed to assist in providing information and protection prior to an accident or sudden illness. These include:
· Cuts and possible amputations from the improper use of power equipment and sharp items.
· Injuries caused by the breakage of equipment and flying parts.
· Burns from hot surfaces such as irons.
· Slips and falls in wet or cluttered areas.
· Soreness and body pain may occur from repetitive work and improper posture.
· Burns and skin disorders may result from exposure to chemicals, solvents, etc.
· Allergies resulting from the inhalation of dust, fabric, fibers, and/or chemical treatments.
In the case of an emergency situation of an injured or suddenly ill person, objectives of First Aid are to:
▪ Preserve life
▪ Prevent injury or illness from worsening
▪ Promote recovery
Students need to be aware of the proper procedures for dealing with accidents and emergencies. For example, in case of accidents, medical help shall be obtained. In an emergency, the office shall be called for assistance. Both accidents and emergencies must be reported and filed at the office. Accidental policies need to be discussed with school-site administration, as the procedures will vary at each school. First aid treatment should be accessible in the lab but, again, this may be a shared kit with other facilities in the school, so this too should be outlined and discussed with students before beginning a lab.
The following list includes recommended First Aid Kit contents that should be identified and explained to students:
First Aid Kit containing as a minimum
▪ A current edition of a standard St. John Ambulance or Red Cross First Aid Manual
▪ 24 safety pins
▪ 1 basin, preferably stainless steel
▪ two/three boxes of first aid gloves, vinyl or equivalent (avoid latex for allergens)
▪ dressings consisting of:
- 48 adhesive dressings, individually wrapped
- 2 rolls of adhesive tape, 1 inch wide
- 12 rolls of 1 inch wide gauze bandage
- 48 sterile gauze pads, 3 inches square
- 8 rolls of 2 inch gauze bandage
- 8 rolls of 4 inch gauze bandage
- 6 sterile surgical pads suitable for pressure dressing, individually wrapped
- 12 triangular bandages
- splints of assorted sizes
- 2 rolls of splint padding
- 1 stretcher
- 2 blankets
Suggested for Fashion Lab First Aid Kits
Adapted from (HCDSB, 2005) Safety Guidelines Procedural Document
Emergency Contact Form
Emergency Contact Numbers
Main Office ContactBefore and After Hours Contact
Emergency Community Contacts
Source: Halton Catholic District School Board (2005) Safety Guidelines Procedural Document
Appendix I
Welcome to Ontario’s Public-Sector Workplace Health and Safety System
This booklet was created to help clarify the roles of Ontario’s occupational health and safety system partners and to explain how they fit together. Three major components make up the system; the Ministry of Labour, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board and the province’s health and safety associations. These organizations are sometimes referred to as the “three pillars” of occupational health and safety. They have been in existence for many years, but did not always work together as a system. The passage of Bill 99, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, in 1997 marked the beginning of a new era in occupational health and safety in Ontario. This legislation encouraged these organizations to develop a more unified approach to improving the health and safety system through consensus. In January 1998, the Ministry of Labour gave further impetus to this process by publishing a strategy document entitled Preventing Illness & Injury: A Better Health and Safety System for Ontario Workplaces. Since that time, great strides have been made in bringing system partners together. A number of significant initiatives have been developed to capitalize on the collective expertise of the partners and to focus on areas identified as system priorities. Some of the developments that reflect this collaborative approach include:
Sector Inter-Agency Groups (SIGS):
Advisory groups formed by the staff of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, the Ministry of Labour, Human Resources Development Canada, and the health and safety associations from different sectors. Their prevention initiatives focus on health and safety concerns that are common to each sector.
Client Service Health and Safety Councils:
Regional councils provide system partners an opportunity to plan and manage activities on a regional level.
Health & Safety Way:
A trade show exhibit featuring the 22 system partners listed in this booklet. The roles of the partners that make up the prevention system in Ontario will continue to evolve. What will not change is the dedication to ensuring that Ontario remains one of the healthiest and safest places in the world in which to work.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(only those relevant to the Family Studies classroom have been included in this resources)
CCOHS – Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety
ESAO – Education Safety Association of Ontario
FSA – Farm Safety Association Inc.
HCHSA – Health Care Health and Safety Association
IAPA – Industrial Accident Prevention Association
IWH – Institute for Work & Health
MoL – Ministry of Labour
MHSA – Municipal Health and Safety Association
OEA – Office of the Employer Adviser
OHCOW – Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers
OSSA – Ontario Service Safety Alliance
OWA – Office of the Worker Adviser
SCF – Safe Communities Foundation
WHSC – Workers Health and Safety Centre
WSIB – Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
How We Reached the Health and Safety Way: A Chronology
CCOHS – Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety for Occupational Health and Safety
OUR CLIENTELE: Employers and workers in all sectors, health and safety professionals, across
Canada
FOUNDED IN 1980
CCOHS is Canada’s national occupational health and safety information resource, dedicated to being a global innovator and expert in making the workplace a healthy and safe environment. With a mandate to promote occupational health and safety, CCOHS encourages the application of knowledge and methods, which help foster improvements in the workplace. We are governed by a tripartite council, which includes employer, labour and government representation, ensuring that we provide impartial and accurate health and safety information for the workplace. Our unique products and services include a free, confidential, person-to-person Inquiries Service which provides you with information on your health and safety concerns and a Web collection of 3,000 answers to your OSH-related questions. We also provide some of the world’s leading electronic health and safety resources, a database of over 200,000 current material safety data sheets and many print publications providing practical, authoritative workplace information.
250 Main Street East Person-to-person Inquiries Service 1-800-263-8466
Hamilton, Ontario
L8N 1H6 CCOHS Client Services 1-800-668-4284
http://www.ccohs.org
ESAO – Education Safety Association of Ontario
OUR CLIENTELE: Employers and workers in school boards, colleges and universities, museums, libraries, and art centres
FOUNDED IN 1997
ESAO’s mission is “to inspire people in the education sector to work safely by providing innovative and effective programs and services”. Our core businesses are workplace injury and illness prevention, and healthy lifestyle promotion. Our business model, developed to serve our unique clientele in the most effective and efficient manner, is based upon a small head office in Toronto, with ten Field Consultants working from their home offices in communities across Ontario. We consult with our clients to equip them to meet their responsibilities, and we provide services and products in the most cost-effective way possible. We work cooperatively with the other members of the prevention system, and with our clients. Our Phase Two Certification program, developed by ESAO staff, is delivered by our Field Consultants at community colleges across Ontario, through an alliance with Humber College. ESAO provides content and delivery, while Humber and the college system provide the entire infrastructure to support the learning experience – both focusing on our core businesses. On our web site clients and visitors can obtain free, downloadable forms and documents, participate in discussions, post questions, and view products. Many of our products and services are available in English and French, including the ESAO web site. Our annual conference, in May in Toronto, hosts five hundred delegates.