EMPLOYEESAFE Suite

Prepare Your Staff for a Safe 2012

With PublicSchoolWORKS (PSW), districts have an online management system to help ensure safe schools for staff and students. The EmployeeSafe Suite is designed to implement anything from training only, to a comprehensive school safety program that includes training courses, written plans, programs and procedures, checklists, inspections, MSDS and other tools. In addition, suite programs are customized to the requirements of individual school districts. The EmployeeSafe Suite features eight different modules, including:

• Staff Training
• Employee Accident Management
• OSHA 300 Reporting
• Compliance Task Management (non-training)
• MSDS Now!
• Staff Safety Reporting
• Staff Telephone Helplines
• Safety Document Management

To learn more about PSW’s EmployeeSafe Suite, email sales@publicschoolworks.com

STUDENTWATCH Suite

Bullying Prevention

In recent news, one Massachusetts school was honored by Northeastern University for its efforts in battling bullying. Robert Adams Middle School was one of five schools recognized at the Stand Up 2011 anti-bullying rally with a Stand Up Award for Outstanding Anti-Bullying Programs. The award was given to the Robert Adams students by former Boston Bruin Hockey player Bob Sweeney. Also in attendance at the event were more than 4,000 students from about 150 Massachusetts schools.

What positive steps has your district taken to combat bullying? Providing your staff with training on bullying prevention is a great first step in combatting bullying. With PublicSchoolWORKS Bullying Prevention - Basics for Educators course, school staff are provided with useful information and practical applications to recognize and respond to instances of bullying. The course covers what to do when you suspect bullying, what to do when you confirm that bullying has happened, intervention, monitoring, follow-up intervention and bullying prevention. To share what your district is doing, comment on our Facebook page.

EMPLOYEESAFE Suite

Chemical Safety

In Maple Grove, Minnesota, four students were taken to the hospital after their ninth grade science teacher Matt Anchor dropped a match into a jug of methanol. According to a recent article on CBS Minnesota online, the students were taken to Hennepin County Medical Center to be treated for burns, but it is not clear if the students suffered chemical burns or were burned by fire. Fifteen-year-old Dane Neuberger stated that his face was actually on fire. Neuberger was seated in front of the demonstration, along with three other students, when the incident occurred.

Incidents like those at Maple Grove can leave school staff, parents and students distressed and wondering, “How could this situation have been prevented?” When handling dangerous chemicals, it is important for staff to be aware of all potential hazards. PSW’s Chemical Safety Course focuses on the importance of classifying chemicals based on their hazards and to predict how they will react in any given situation in order to control potentially hazardous situations. Does your staff receive training on how to handle potentially harmful chemicals? Share your comments with us on Twitter@PSWORKS.

EMPLOYEESAFE Suite

Teacher Saves Student’s Life

In Bismarck North Dakota, a reading specialist at Dorothy Moses Elementary School came to the aid of a student who was choking. Ciearra McMahen, a fifth grade student at the school, was waiting for an after school reading program when she began to choke on a piece of candy. Her mom noticed that she was losing oxygen and called for help. At that time Sandy Fuller came to McMahen’s aid dislodging the candy from her throat with the use of abdominal thrusts, something she previously learned in a first aid course.

Fullers first aid training helped her assist a student in need. It is important for all staff to receive training like this so they can come to the aid of students and other staff when it is needed. With PublicSchoolWORKS’ First Aid course, staff can learn what do when faced with life threatening injuries and situations in the workplace, as well as the OSHA First Aid requirements. Are your staff up to date on necessary training to help intervene in critical situations? Has a member of your staff reacted to help a student in need? Share your stories with us on Twitter@PSWORKS.