HELP - Chemical problems

[coxy]

A desperate friend is in need of advice and assistance. She is new to the job, trying to clean up, and get rid of some really old chemicals.

Some of those she has, include: Chloroform, Pot. Chromate, Mercury, Antimony, etc. She wants to get rid of these but the HT won't let her. So many of the chemicals are dated from 1974 to 1995. Still not allowed to dispose of ANY. What can she do? She has spoken in turn to her HT, her Principal (who backs the HT, and also asked her to put all the chems into DG separate boxes, then to give him an estimate of the prices involved.) She has also contacted the OH&S committee - no help there either.

She has also been asked to clean out the Flammable cupboard (when you open the door of it, the fumes would knock you backwards) which has rusted interior doors, fumes are unbelievable, and bottles are so old and dirty. I told her to leave it all alone, and request a new cupboard.

She would also like the rules/regulations for proper ventilation of a Flammable cupboard.

What can we do to help

[coxy]

Sorry, I forgot, she also has a bottle of what some of the older teachers think..... could be Napalm???? Still not allowed to dispose of it.

Sue

[Voice]

Call the Union that this woman belongs to so that all areas of achieving success may be looked at. She could also ask the Union to get a Workcover inspector to come to the school to check out any OHS problems that might be occurring. The Workcover inspector could audit the school!
Now, because she is new to her job, and let's face it, wants to keep her job, it might be best if someone from outside the school got Workcover involved, if possible.
Make sure she emails and keeps records of all communication between her and those above her regarding this issue. And always, always ask for monies, from the budget each year, to dispose of these chemicals. It is very difficult when you are new to the job.
And let's face it, a lab. tech. job is a very lonely one in the sense no one really thinks about what we do.
She must try to stand her ground.
I have only just moved schools after many loooooong years at my other school. The first day I got on a chair to get something down. I told the Co Ordinator that I would not be doing that again. I required a safety ladder like that which I have had at my 2 previous schools. I have got my ladder! After only 2 weeks!
But I have loads of experience and confidence in what I am doing. Plus, I am 59 and not prepared to risk my neck.
Stick with the health and safety angle.
But she is going to need much luck with the neanderthals around her.
Good Luck
Maree

[sunray18]

Perhpas she should ring Hazchem for assistance - they will come out and assess the situation and remove chemicals - at a price of course.... BUT if the fumes are that bad and the chemicals are that dangerous - napalm - this is soooo dangerous I would be getting HOD to call Hazmat - or fire brigade... there is NO way we get paid enough to put ourselves at risk like this....
AND it sounds like a HUGE risk .. what does our esteemed Robb think?

[ELIZABETH]

Her HOD and Principal sound like a couple of bullying dills! I'm so cross that this sort of thing is still happening that I could spit!!!!! However, I agree, call in the Union and the Deptatment; also have the aforementioned dills read the CSIS document which has been around for TEN YEARS!!!!!!
LIZ

[lizzieb]

This is the position I was in here, too.
I was casual for the first 3 years in this job.
I had more confidence once I became permanent, and got myself onto the OHS committee.
But things still didn't change until we had got a new principal who is Science trained, and I brought up my chemstore concerns yet again through OHS, and was so given the go ahead to clean out last year.

However, it was the right thing to do, and in the end has been the best thing (though not necessarily the easiest). I set out to educate myself.
I have learnt so much - my rights, how to stand up for myself, 'dealing with difficult people' while still maintaining my integrity (wasn't about to lower my standards to theirs).

It's been a huge learning curve, but so worthwhile. Good comes out of bad.

Please tell your friend to contact the PSA. It's most important that she be a member. Tell her to keep her chin up, square her shoulders, keep asking for help in every possible way. Just keep the requests simple and to the point - which is her health & safety.

Maree's advice is very good.

What got me through that time more than anything was this wonderful site - the advice and support gained here, particularly from Richard, was so empowering & encouraging.
Your friend is not alone.

I'm happy to correspond privately with her - please encourage her to join Chemtalk.

Blessings to all,

[coxy]

I have copied all your comments and am emailing them to her now. Thank you all so much. I will let you know what eventuates.
Sue

[ELIZABETH]

If she needs a hand cleaning up, when the dills realise they're in the wrong, I'd be happy to go to Port to help - not a long way from Armidale and there's the beach at the end of the day!
LIZ

[Judy R]

If your friend is at a school in NSW they have to conform with the CIS handbook.It is all there as to what stays and goes and all the nasties need to be disposed of by professionals.
The HT and Principal need to do some reading and in all cases the buck stops with the Principal.If that chemical is napalm then at the very least Hazmat is needed .

[Slartibartfast]

If a quick result is wanted and needed - notify the media confidentially as even Workcover can drag their heels on big issues. She doesn't need to be the one to do it so it's less pressure on her. It will be sorted within days.

You did not hear that from me! And yes, I can delete this!!!

[Ocker]

Now Richard how do you delete an incriminating post from the forum?
And how much can the goat be blackmailed for?

[Sassi]

I really do feel for your friend! I am so very lucky to have a HT who, although is not always very understanding, at least she agrees to get ridd of anything that I do not want. Been spending any spare moment with her sorting through the chemicals, and getting ridd of anything dated past 2001, she says if it has been here for this long it has not been used and thus we do not need it, and should the teachers want it we can get new stuff then, lucky me!

the even better thing is that now she is doing the chemical sorting with me, she has realized that after half an hour in the chem store you get a head ache and a foul taste in the back of your throat, which I have been telling her for a while, but she never belived me as you generally dont smell much just walking in there. But now she knows and says she does not want me working in those conditions and is trying to get the wheels turning but the maintenance guys and principal now think I am an idiot cause they cant smell it, oh well its gonna be a long wait for something to change... HT said that when we have finished cleaning out the chemstore we are shutting down shop until something is done about the smell... Maybe your friend should invite her HT to come and work with her in the chem store for 30min, when it (the HT aka the idiot, hence 'it') smells the chemicals it may change its mind...

Sassi

[Loopy]

Gee beauracracy can be ignorant! When they built this school my HT had to go through hoops in hell to get them to understand that the vents in our chemical storerooms must remain on always, not turned off at 3.10pm when the bell goes...They really had trouble grasping the point that chemicals don't stop releasing fumes just because the school day is over! I mean how dumb is dumb?
Lou.

[lizzieb]

I'd get headaches that lasted for weeks just working in the Prep Room, the beginning of each term. Our Chemstore is a converted cleaners store, and because it didn't all fit in there, the overflow lived in here! But I've sinced cleaned the nasties out of here, and now that I have an open window it's better, though not perfect yet.

No chemical storage cabinets in Chemstore, and the vents only work intermittently, on a set timer. No louvres to outside. Inadequate shelving - the list goes on ...

BUT ....... yay........ things are happening at last.

New Principal has passed the problem onto Assets Management - we/re now waiting for them to get back to us with a plan. I do think the 2 local AM honchos were slightly shocked when I showed them through recently.


At least this waiting's a much happier period than the situation this time last year

[coxy]

Thanks for all your support, suggestions and stories. At this stage, the HT has agreed that some chemicals can be disposed of, and has gone through them with her; and appears to be supportive of her problems at this stage. She feels that her SAM is also being supportive (at this stage) and hopefully the problem may just go away when the excess chemical go. Thank you all once more. THis site is great.
Sue