Schools

Sonoma State University (SSU) has been fined $6,000 by the State after neglecting to follow safety rules and procedures while removing athletic tracks that contained asbestos (Gonzalez, 2018). Cal-OSHA cited SSU for seven violations including failure to provide workers with protective clothing and respirators and ensuring proper handling and disposal of the material. Thomas Sargent, [...]

Recently, asbestos has been causing havoc in schools around the country. Because of its durability and fire-resistant nature, asbestos-containing materials were commonly used in schools built between 1940 and 1970 (Dobbins, 2018). Since it is expensive and time-consuming to remove, schools often leave it concealed. As these schools start to deteriorate, asbestos can easily become [...]

We recently blogged here about the danger of asbestos-fiber release if a product containing the mineral is broken, crushed, sanded, cut or otherwise disturbed. Once released into the airstream, people can breathe in or swallow the fibers, which become lodged in the lungs and elsewhere in the body, creating the risk of eventually developing fatal [...]

The maintenance staff at Coos Bay School District was just finishing some routine work around the Harding School building before classes were scheduled to begin. Unfortunately, the District was notified that one of the maintenance employees had accidentally caused asbestos fibers to become airborne. Many school buildings contain some amount of asbestos, which is why [...]

Inadequate Care for Diabetic Students Leads to Class Action Lawsuit January 9, 2009 — In October 2005, the public interest organization Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of four children with diabetes and their parents. The suit was filed under federal disability civil rights and special education [...]