ascip

Attempting to comply with hazard communication requirements, including chemical inventory, employee training, along with obtaining and ensuring employee-access to safety data sheets (SDSs) is a daunting task, so when ASCIP reached out to   Debbie Valentine, District Manager of Environmental Health & Safety for North Orange County Community College District to pilot an online resource designed to simplify the process, she welcomed the opportunity.

Initially, the tool seemed overwhelming because of its many features, but now Debbie says “I love it!  It frees up my time to do other things.  If there is a spill in chemistry, I can get quick access to the SDS and so can the site where the spill occurred.”  The chemical information can also be sent directly to a doctor if needed.  Debbie shares that “once I began really using MSDSonline, I discovered how valuable it is”.

Student safety is a priority for all of us.  But are you willing to knock on doors in your community, visit local businesses and attend City Council meetings to promote it?  Meet the “passionate about safety”, Laurie Bruneau, Director of Risk Management for the Fullerton School District (FSD), who has done just that to promote “Go Human” at her schools and in her community.  In an era of distracted drivers and fast-paced living, little “humans” walking to and from school are especially vulnerable.  Laurie shares “I have been concerned that schools have become commuter schools with parents blasting through parking lots without ever noticing” the students.   Laurie had been seeking a safety solution when she noticed a Go Human billboard, which humanized the pedestrian.

The Woolsey fire, dubbed the “unstoppable monster” was the most destructive fire in Los Angeles and Ventura county history burning 96,949 acres, destroying 1,643 structures, killing three people, and causing the evacuation of more than 295,000.  ASCIP member, Las Virgenes USD, was surrounded by flames with every facility in the fire’s destructive path.  During the fire, displaced community members were frustrated with the lack of detailed information about their homes and neighborhoods.  Local emergency services were deluged with calls and didn’t know how to contact affected individuals.  LVUSD, which has emergency contact information for a large part of the community, bridged the communication gap providing a social media knowledge sharing campaign to ease frustrations.