Chemical Management Resources

Chemicals can be very dangerous to you and the environment especially if they are not handled or stored properly. Chemicals are found in many locations throughout a school, including labs, custodial closets, and nurse’s offices. The key to chemical safety is proper handling, storage, and disposal. This section will help identify various chemicals within your school and chemical handling, storage, and disposal practices. It will start you thinking about safely handle chemicals, reducing the amount of chemicals stored in your school, and lowering the risk of an accident or spill.

Discovery and Inventory

In addition to completing the chemical section of the Green & Healthy Schools Assessmen , schools registering into the Green & Healthy Schools Program must keep a current inventory of all their chemicals and have Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for chemicals easily accessible (excluding household chemicals). Schools that store and use chemicals for laboratory exercises must also have a Chemical Hygiene Plan (boxed chemical kits exempt from this requirement). Use the following resources to help meet the registration criteria.

• Chemical Inventories List - Colorado Dept. of Health and Environment [exit DNR]
• Vermont School Chemical Inventory Guidelines [PDF exit DNR]

Action and Implementation

Schools qualifying to be a Green & Healthy School must meet the following requirements:

• chemicals are accurately labeled and properly stored,
• school has a chemical management and spill plans to promote safe storage, prevent accidents, and manage spills,
• chemical safety and awareness is included in the curriculum,
• students and staff wear appropriate personal protective equipment.

The resources below can provide you with ideas on how to meet these requirements.

Reaching Higher

If you choose to go further after your school becomes a Green & Healthy School, the following resources can also be used to help you meet the Reaching Higher requirements.

Teaching

Students should know the dangers of chemicals and how to store, handle, and dispose of them properly. The following Web sites contain chemical-related lessons and curriculum connections.

• Chemicals and the Environment Lessons - Middle School [exit DNR]
• Kids and Chemicals - Facts and Laws [exit DNR]
• Environmental Health and Science Ed. Resources [exit DNR]
• EPA Kids House Tour [exit DNR]

Chemical Storage and Labeling

All chemicals should be stored as instructed by the manufacturer to prevent accidents and dangerous reactions. See the following Web sites for guidelines and procedures on how to safely store and label chemicals within your school.

• Chemical Safety Manual [PDF exit DNR]
• Toxic Chemical Fact Sheets [exit DNR]
• Household Product Database [exit DNR]

Chemical Management Plans

Chemical Management Plans will help you manage your chemicals and develop policies and procedures to keep your school safe. The following resources provide some directions and examples on how to develop a Chemical Management Plan for your school.

• Guide to Chemical Management Plans [exit DNR]

Minimize Chemical Use

The most effective way to reduce exposure to and accidents caused by chemicals is to minimize the amount of chemicals your school uses. The following resources will give you some ideas on how to reduce your chemical inventories and replace some existing chemicals with less hazardous alternatives.

• Waste Minimization Strategies [PDF exit DNR]
• University of Wis - Milwaukee Chemical Minimization [exit DNR]
• Western Region Pollution Prevention Network [exit DNR]

Community Outreach and Chemical Management

Use what you’ve learned about reducing chemicals and how to safely handle, store, and dispose of chemicals in your school to educate your community. Here are just a few ideas on how to educate and involve your community: design pamphlets or posters identifying ways to reduce toxic chemical use and encourage proper handling, storage and disposal of chemicals, work with your community to help organize/promote a household hazardous waste collection event, or develop a chemical audit for community members so they can look at the chemical practices in their homes and businesses. Use some of the resources above to help you come up with ideas and try to come up with your own.