Safety
Cecil County Public Schools' safety program includes activities and training designed to ensure a safe and healthy environment for students and staff.
Asbestos
As required by AHERA, re-inspections are conducted every six months. An in-depth, three-year re-inspection is conducted at each site. Inspection results are available at each site and the George Washington Carver Education Leadership Center. The Asbestos Emergency Hazard Response Act (AHERA) of 1986 required that schools be inspected for asbestos and that management plans be developed and implemented for each school.
Custodians and maintenance personnel receive training to make certain that asbestos-containing materials remain in good condition until their eventual removal from buildings. Designated Facilities personnel are receiving annual instruction and testing to keep up with the latest in asbestos regulations, research, and maintenance. They are licensed by the Maryland Department of the Environment to inspect, remove, repair and manage asbestos-containing materials (ACM).
Bloodborne Pathogens
Coaches of hard contact sports, nurses, nursing students, bus drivers, head custodians, and other designated employees who handle blood and blood product waste receive training in Bloodborne Pathogens. These employees are protected by engineering controls, personal protective equipment, vaccination, and administrative procedures. The program follows State and Federal guidelines and provides medical evaluation for those employees who encounter contamination from a contaminated sharp, Class One Exposure.
Emergency Preparedness Procedures for Utility Related Emergencies
Cecil County Public School, in cooperation with the Maryland State Department of Education, has developed plans for utility-related emergencies. Utility system emergencies are defined as follows:
- Electrical system emergencies are caused by power outages.
- Water system emergencies are a result of (a) boiler breakdown or malfunction or (b) water main, line break and/or pumps or valve failure or hot water overheating.
- Gas system emergencies are the result of a line leakage or break.
- Fuel oil, propane or natural gas emergencies which result from a link, pump or valve failure.
Each facility in the Cecil County Public Schools is represented by its own emergency plan, which includes a floor plan, indicating the location of the shut-off valves and switches. Facilities personnel are contacted by the school as needed to assist with coordination of restoration of the facility.
Hazardous Chemicals
Hazardous chemicals are those which pose either a physical or health hazard. Cecil County Public Schools make every effort to use chemicals that are not harsh or harmful. All chemical spills are reported to the Safety Officer. No employee may bring any chemicals on-site without a Safety Data Sheet (SDS). Employees may bring chemicals in the form of personal hygiene, cosmetics, and medicines without a Safety Data Sheet (SDS). No employee may share such chemicals as discussed in the above paragraph with students or other staff.
Indoor Air Quality
Cecil County Public Schools has an award-winning Indoor Air Quality Program. In 2005, CCSP was one of six school systems in the United States awarded the "IAQ Excellence Award". The program is based on suitable ventilation, air conditioning, elimination of condensation on cold pipes, pipe leaks and water intrusion from the outside. The control of water in the school environment ensures that mold does not have an opportunity to grow in this environment. The program includes training of maintenance and administrative employees, specific temperature controls, use of equipment to detect Carbon Monoxide, Carbon Dioxide, temperature, and relative humidity, and a response system to investigate and correct complaints.
School Drinking Water Testing Program
In response to new Maryland Regulations (COMAR 26.16.07), the CCPS Facilities Department began testing drinking water at schools for the presence of lead in 2018. These regulations require all schools that receive their water from a public utility to conduct periodic testing of drinking water outlets in order to minimize the risk of exposure to lead.
The regulations define a “drinking water outlet” as “a potable water fixture that is used for drinking or food preparation.” This includes outlets such as drinking fountains, kitchen sinks, ice machines, sinks in home economics classrooms, teachers’ lounge sinks, nurse’s office sinks, sinks in special education classrooms, and any other sink known to be used for human consumption. CCPS has made the decision to go beyond those requirements, and also test the water in all classroom and bathroom sinks.
Collection of water samples is being completed by CCPS Facilities personnel in accordance with the regulations and is being tested by an independent state-certified laboratory. The initial phase of water testing at CCPS schools that are supplied water from a public utility was completed during the 2018-2019 school year.
As we receive testing results from the laboratory, they will be made available on this page. For any drinking water outlets that show elevated results (above the action level: 5 ppb), the outlet will be removed from service, and parents/guardians and staff will be notified. Water outlets with elevated results that are not used for consumption purposes will in some cases have “non-drinking water” signage posted. Remedial measures will then be implemented and the outlets will not be returned to service until follow-up testing confirms the corrective actions have lowered the test results below the action level.
As required by COMAR, testing will occur at a frequency of every three years unless the school has been granted a waiver by the Maryland Department of the Environment.
Additional information regarding testing for lead in school drinking water can be found on the Maryland Department of the Environment’s website at https://mde.maryland.gov.
