Auxiliary Adviser

"Providing Services That Power Education"
Volume 1, Issue 8
August 2001

August 8 Staff Meeting
Superintendent Bill McNeal

The 2000-2001 school year was filled with lots of hard work and many accomplishments by all of you. We want to celebrate you and your dedication to the education of Wake County's children. Thank you for your commitment.

On Wednesday, August 8, 2001, from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Entertainment and Sports Arena (ESA), we will have a countywide staff meeting for every employee in the system. Our theme is "Silver to Goal," celebrating not only this year's accomplishments, but 25 Years of Excellence since the Wake County and Raleigh City school districts merged in 1976.

We will have a keynote address by former Governor Jim Hunt, lots of entertainment and a few surprises. Mark your calendar! Remember, this is a staff meeting, not an optional activity. I look forward to being with each and every one of you on August 8!

Look Out for Number One
Joe Desormeaux

People are our number one resource. Safety has the highest priority when it comes to protecting this resource. A supervisor that realizes this and acts accordingly will have great success in getting the job done. There is nothing more important. There is no emergency work order, important deadline or great prize that is more important than first making sure your people are safe. Safety goes beyond the work site - it follows everyone home each night, over the weekends and on vacation.

As a supervisor, you need to tailor your safety briefings for work and home-related issues. It does not matter how safe someone is at work if they go home over the weekend, do something unsafe and have a severe accident. You have still lost your number one resource.

All supervisors should ask themselves the following five questions:
1. Do you conduct weekly safety briefings (work and home-related)?
2. Are all your people up-to-date on their safety training?
3. Does everyone have the proper personal protection equipment?
4. Is safety the first thing you look at when you visit a work site?
5. Is there maximum participation in your safety committee meetings? If you answer no to any one of these questions, then your priorities as a supervisor are wrong. Please get your priorities in order before it is too late.

Fueling High Scores
Elaine Hunt

There is so much going on in Child Nutrition Services (CNS) at this time of year. This was the second year that CNS offered complimentary breakfast to all elementary and middle schools students on end-of-grade testing days. The numbers increased this year with 41 elementary schools serving 27,682 students breakfast and 10 middle schools serving 9,655. It would be interesting to see if the test scores are higher in the schools that chose to participate. The approximate direct cost to the CN department to provide the service was $20,430.

Marilyn Moody has been offered the assistant director's position for CNS. Marilyn is currently a supervisor in the Wilson County Child Nutrition Department. She taught school for 16 years and worked with the child nutrition program for five years. She has a master's degree from East Carolina University. Marilyn is married and has two sons. The family hopes to relocate in the Wendell area, and Marilyn's first day with Wake County will be August 1, 2001.

June 16 was a big day for recruitment. Human Resources held a job fair at Southeast Raleigh High. CNS interviewed and made job offers to 17 pre-selected applicants. Additionally, more than 50 "walk-ins" filled out applications and received information about working with Child Nutrition. On June 1, based on retirements, resignations, and projected enrollments, there were 80 positions CN would need to fill prior to school opening. That number has already been reduced to 58! Thanks to Meg Strong's help we continue to interview each week for the positions.

We have placed our first order and completed our first inventory using the SNAP system. Yes, there were lots of "bumps," but we are working at reducing the number of "bumps" each day. Our goal is to utilize the year-round schools to work out the majority of the problems. Next week we will do the training for year-round managers on Oracle time entry.

Thirty CNS staff attended the North Carolina School Food Service Annual Conference in Greensboro the week of June 20. Once again we came home with many of our people evolving as leaders of this state. Joyce Powell, one of our training specialists, will chair the state culinary arts program and contest next year. Gretchen Wilson, area supervisor for high schools, was elected vice president of the state association. The progression for Gretchen is vice president, president-elect and then president. What an honor for Gretchen as well as Wake County!

At the state Culinary Art Show, Joy Wellons, manager of Baucom Elementary, won top honors with her sandwich plate for Best in Show (Ralph Eaton Award). Mary Ann Wortham, assistant manager at Fuquay Elementary, won first place in self-serve meals. There were more than 300 entries for these awards - the most prestigious ones given at the show. We are very proud of Joy and Mary Ann.

We Keep Growing and Growing…

The Wake County Public School System has experienced tremendous growth over the years and shows no sign of stopping in the near future. Wake County's Planning Department projects WCPSS enrollment to reach 101,590 students for the upcoming 2001-2002 school year - an increase of over 4,000 students (Jan. 2001 report).

Looking out to 2010-2011, the department projects Wake will serve almost 135,000 students. If this is the case, WCPSS will have grown by almost 79,000 students since 1984-1985. The influx of students paints a glowing tribute to the educational offerings, fine teachers and support staff in this county.

The Dirty Dozen: OSHA's Top 12 Violations
Robin Pace

Year after year, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) cites employers for failing to comply with safety and health standards that protect you and help eliminate life-threatening mistakes. Although the list varies slightly each year, the 12 most cited violations are:
1. Lack of a written Hazard Communication Program
2. Lack of employee information and training regarding hazard communication
3. Lack of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
4. Lack of an Energy Control Program
5. Lack of machine guarding
6. Lack of exposure adjustment
7. Lack of identification of hazardous materials
8. Lack of medical services and first aid
9. Lack of appropriate hazard warnings
10. Lack of guarding of pulleys
11. Lack of personal protective equipment
12. Lack of guarding for point of operation on machinery

This month we will look at the first six violations. Next month we will discuss the final six. All of these, as well as many other OSHA standards, are important as they provide for the safest work environment possible.

1. Lack of a written Hazard Communication Program
 OSHA has developed a Hazard Communication (HazCom) Standard to make sure information regarding potentially hazardous materials reaches the employees whose safety depends on it. HazCom violations are responsible for five of the 12 most cited violations. These five violations happen to be the five main categories of OSHA's HazCom Standard:
· Identifying hazardous chemicals
· Product warning labels
· Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
· Written Hazard Communication Program
· Employee training

Many chemicals used in the workplace can be dangerous. Knowing what these hazards are helps workers recognize the dangers of certain chemicals and the importance of handling them safely.

You have the right to know the dangers of any hazardous chemical with which you work. And you have the right to be trained how to protect yourself from these dangers. That's why a written HazCom Program must be developed, implemented and maintained by your employer. This program describes how the criteria for labels and other forms of warning, MSDSs, employee information and training will be met.

Make sure you read and understand the WCPSS Hazard Communication Program.

2. Lack of employee information and training regarding hazard communication
OSHA requires that you be trained on the hazardous chemicals in your work area. Training should include:
· Methods and observations that may be used to detect the presence or release of hazardous chemicals in your work area
· The specific physical and health hazards of chemicals in your work area
· Measures that people can take to protect themselves, including work practices, emergency procedures and personal protective equipment
· The details of the HazCom program including an explanation of the labeling system and the MSDS

You must also be informed of any operations in your work area where hazardous chemicals are present - as well as the location and availability of the HazCom Program.

3. Lack of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
The MSDS spells out how to avoid potential problems and work safely with hazardous chemicals. There are five major points you need to remember about using MSDSs:
· Know where the MSDS for each chemical is located
· Be familiar with the most important points for each material you use
· Know where to find emergency response information quickly · Check the MSDS whenever you are not sure or need more information
· Follow the safety procedures for each chemical

4. Lack of an Energy Control Program
Hazardous uncontrolled energy can be controlled through lockout/tagout, but not having procedures and a program in place for doing so is one of OSHA's top violations.

Lockout/tagout devices, within a facility, are to be standardized for color, shape or size. Every worker should be able to immediately recognize the devices and their importance. Use lockout/tagout procedures whenever you are performing service or maintenance around any machine where the unexpected start-up or release of stored energy could cause injury.

Lockout/tagout procedures ensure that any machine or equipment being repaired or maintained will be isolated from its energy source - making start-up impossible. Make sure you follow the WCPSS Lockout/Tagout Program to the letter.

5. Lack of machine guarding
OSHA standards requiring machine safeguards are regularly being violated. In fact, four of the top 12 violations concern machine guarding! Crushed hands and arms, severed fingers, blindness - the list of possible machinery-related injuries is as long as it is horrifying. Safeguards are essential for protecting workers from needless and preventable injuries.

A good rule to remember is: Any machine part, function, or process which may cause injury must be safeguarded. Where the operation of a machine or accidental contact with it can injure the operator or others in the vicinity, the hazard must be either eliminated or controlled.

6. Lack of exposure adjustment
The most applicable example of this situation at WCPSS is the bench grinder. Exposure adjustment safety guards protect operators who stand in front of an opening to an abrasive grinder. These guards need to be constructed so they can be adjusted as the grinding wheel's diameter decreases. Remember, guards must be on bench grinders, as well as cylindrical grinders and any other abrasive wheels.

Stay Informed

The Auxiliary Adviser is e-mailed to subscribers in the school system and the community; and posted on the Intranet, Internet, and Auxiliary Services Tao bulletin board. A hard copy of the Adviser is also posted on bulletin boards in the Maintenance and Facilities Buildings, placed in each maintenance shop's box, and one is sent to the head custodian and child nutrition staff at each school.

To have the newsletter e-mailed to you directly, simply send an e-mail with "subscribe" in the subject line, to kwood@wcpss.net.

Auxiliary Services Division
Vision
Providing Services That Power Education

Mission Statement
Provide quality facilities and support services to ensure safe, healthy, inviting and optimal learning environments.

Goals
1) Recruit and retain qualified employees
2) Secure funding to provide quality facilities and support services
3) Provide a safe and comfortable working environment