Vocational and Art Classes
Do vocational/technical classes pose special indoor air quality problems?
Yes, often they do. Classes in woodworking, photography, printing, auto repair
and other vocational/technical subjects often employ processes and materials
that release chemical contaminants into the air, posing a threat to the health
of staff and students.
For example:
• Students in woodworking classes are exposed to formaldehyde vapors from
adhesives used in plywood and particle board. Exposure to formaldehyde can irritate
the respiratory system. It also causes cancer in animals and may cause cancer
in humans.
• Woodworking students may also use paints, stains, finishes and other
toxic materials and often are exposed to large quantities of wood dust, another
respiratory irritant.
• Exposure to photographic chemicals can precipitate asthma attacks in
sensitive people and result in chronic respiratory problems, dermatitis and other
health effects.
• Printing inks contain toxic solvents and pigments.
• Without appropriate protective equipment, repair work on auto brakes
may release microscopic asbestos fibers.
• Students in auto repair shops also may be exposed to high levels of carbon
monoxide when they run car engines unless the work area is equipped with a local
exhaust system.
What should be done to address these problems?
Vocational/technical classrooms should contain appropriate local exhaust equipment vented directly to the outside air, and the DOE should train teachers to minimize hazards through the selection of the least toxic supplies and the proper use of appropriate safety procedures and equipment. The union is seeing to it that the necessary training is offered.
What has the UFT done to improve air quality in vocational/technical classes?
The UFT conducted a shop survey and submitted a prioritized list of recommendations for investigation and repair to the Division of School Buildings. As a result of UFT pressure, the DOE installed new equipment in high school automotive shops that allows staff and students to safely repair car brakes without exposure to asbestos fibers. The DOE also agreed to provide ventilation equipment for four high schools where cars are sanded and spray-painted in unventilated shops; the project has been eliminated from the cash-starved capital budget, but the union wants it restored. This project remains at the top of the UFT’s priority list for projects to be implemented when construction money becomes available again.
What else has the UFT done to protect staff and students in vocational/technical classes?
The union secured a commitment from the Department of Education Division of
School Facilities to design and install dedicated ventilation equipment for
shops and science laboratories when modernizing a building.
To ensure that vocational/technical teachers are informed about environmental
health hazards in their shops and about steps they can take to protect themselves
and their students, the UFT has joined with the DOE to sponsor “right-to-know” training
workshops.
What do you mean by “right-to-know” training?
Under the state’s Right-to-Know Law, employers must ensure that staff members know about the hazards of materials that they work with, how to protect themselves from danger and how to cope with exposure if it occurs. Training must be conducted annually and explanatory material, such as chemical fact sheets (also known as material safety data sheets), must be readily available.
What about art classes? Is indoor air pollution a problem?
It can be. Gases from nitric acid etching, dust from clay, solvent vapors
from permanent markers, rubber cement, oil and alkyd paints, solvent-based
inks and solvent-based clean-up materials may be hazardous when inhaled in
sufficient quantities.
Continued