School employees who work in a laboratory area as part
of their normal work assignment are required to
participate in an ongoing chemical hygiene training
program.

Employees new to the District who possess records
certifying their participation in chemical hygiene training
with a previous employer are exempted from the general
introductory training, but must participate in training that
covers the specifics of the District's Chemical Hygiene
Plan and the Science Safety Handbook for California
Public Schools, 1999 Edition.

The precise nature of the training that a particular
employee receives is determined by the nature of the work assignment in the laboratory. For example, training for science teachers would include education on safe handling of chemicals
during experimental procedures.

The training approach is directed toward categories or groups of hazardous chemicals, rather than to the specific characteristics of many individual chemicals. The general contents of the Chemical Hygiene Plan and Science Safety Handbook for California Public Schools, 1999
Edition, training program includes:

• Review of the Science Safety Handbook for California Public Schools, 1999 Edition, Chapter 5, including the removal of the chemical reagents having an expired shelf life or having reached a retrograde condition
• State of California chemical hygiene standards, including the contents of CCR Title 8 Section 5191
• The contents of the District's Chemical Hygiene Plan and where copies of the Plan are located in each school building
• Safe practices for handling hazardous chemicals and transporting them within the facility
• Hazards of chemicals on the school site, including PELs or other exposure limits
• Procedures for requesting authorization to obtain and use chemicals considered too hazardous for general school laboratories
• Labeling and storage practices, and information to interpret labels, as outlined in the District's Hazard Communication Plan
• Information on concepts necessary to understand reference materials, such as PEL, TLV, LD50, and routes of entry
• Content of the MSDS, and the location in each school building of the MSDS for chemicals in that building, as well as the location and content of other reference materials on the properties, safe handling, storage, and disposal of hazardous chemicals
• Signs and symptoms associated with exposures to hazardous chemicals used in the laboratory
• Methods and observations to detect the presence or release of hazardous chemicals
• Appropriate procedures for responding to and reporting accidents involving chemical exposures. Selected employees may, at the District's discretion, also receive training in the use of specialized emergency response equipment. At least one employee per building will be trained in first aid techniques.

Science Safety Handbook for California Public Schools,
1999 Edition, training is a reimbursable component under
the "removal of chemicals fund" from the State of
California Mandates Program.

The specific training curriculum required under the Hazardous Materials Business Plan (HMBP) is developed for the District's employees involved in the operation and management of hazardous materials at school sites and District facilities.

The training includes the proper usage of the hazardous
communication program and hazard awareness. The training modules are designed to support the HMBP submitted to the Fire Department or to the County's Department of
Environmental Health on behalf of the school district.

MSES experienced Industrial Hygienists conduct the training sessions held at the District offices. A certificate of completion is issued to all participants that successfully complete the
training.

Return to Top