SCHOOLS AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
C A S L E
Citizens for A Safe Learning Environment
CASLE now has its own website. Please visit:
http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Education/CASLE/
CASLE
287 Lacewood Drive, Unit 103, Suite 178
Halifax, Nova Scotia, CANADA, B3M 3Y7
phones: (902) 457-3002, 861-1851, 443-6237, 885-2395
e-mail: President am077@chebucto.ns.ca
WHO IS CASLE?
CASLE is an information-based, registered, non-profit, Provincial organization that works hand in hand with parents, government, school boards and others to improve the condition of school buildings and the products and practices used within, so that school
children and school staffs have safe and healthy places in which to spend their days.
OUR MISSION
With solid information, respect, and persistence as our primary tools we can effectively encourage environmentally healthy improvements in products, practices, and the condition of our Province's schools.
FIVE YEARS OF SUCCESS
In five years, CASLE has grown into a network of parents and parent/teacher groups from across the Province, and has been making a significant contribution to school Environmental Health and Safety. In the beginning founding members worked to make their own children's schools safe and accessible to their own environmentally disabled children, but they were surprised and shocked to learn of the poor condition of many
schools, and that all of the children were at risk to some degree, not only from the more newly recognized Environmental Health concerns, but also from well established and regulated health & safety concerns, like asbestos, moulds, silica, PCBs and more. This fact is now widely accepted by most involved with school Health and Safety, and much effort is currently going into progress on all levels, from the Departments of Labour, Education, Environment, and Health through to the parents and staffs of individual school sites. CASLE is pleased to be part of that progress. THERE IS MUCH YET TO BE DONE.
WHAT DOES CASLE DO?
- We are constantly working to stay up to date with new information on
children's Environmental Health and Safety.
- CASLE provides networking and resources for those wanting to improve the
conditions in their schools. (One thing we can't do is clean up people's
schools for them, but whenever possible, CASLE provides personal advice and
guidance on the bureaucratic maze, how to interpret air quality test
results, and more.)
- CASLE provides:
- a Resource Package to new members,
- talks in schools and other organizations
- newsletters to Contributing Members,
- provides presentations to boards, departments and others
- CASLE lobbys on School Environmental Health Issues to appropriate
political community bodies.
- sends information packages to Government Departments, School Boards and
Maintenance Managers.
- provides presentations to boards, departments, and others
- and frequently serves as a resource for Government Departments, the
various Media, workers unions, and all major political parties.
CASLE's ROLE on the Board Level:
CASLE played a significant role in the implementation of the following:
- Safe Work Practices for removal of moulds, asbestos, carpets, etc.
- Policy of no chemical deodorizers in school washrooms
- No-Carpet practices
- Low VOC paints and other less toxic building and maintenance materials
- In the Halifax schools, CASLE was instrumental in the removal of toxic
cleaning materials which contained carcinogens, mutagens, ant teratogens,
and which were also scented products.
- CASLE encourages parental representation on school Joint Occupational
Health and Safety Committees (JOHSC).
- CASLE executive serve on the Halifax Regional School Board which wrote
the Policy on Anaphylactic Responses, and the pending Scent-Free Policy.
CASLE's ROLE on the political and departmental level :
CASLE played a strong role in activating Joint Occupational Health and
Safety Committees in schools and to have parents serve on these JOHSCs.
(Contact CASLE for information on parent's roles.)
- CASLE is a resource for several Government Departments on issues of
school Environmental Health and Safety.
- CASLE made the opening address to "set the tone" for the two day
Provincial Indoor Air Quality conference on Schools, sponsored by the
Department of Education.
- We are currently working with the Departments of Education and Public
Works to help ensure that the new schools being built around our Province
meet current Environmental Health and Safety recommendations.
- In 1998, CASLE made presentations, on the request of the Department of
Education, to the NS School Boards Association, the maintenance managers
for the seven provincial school boards, Labour and Health Inspectors, and
the construction consortiums that will be building the Province's new
schools.
CHILDREN ARE MORE VULNERABLE
It is known that children are some of the more vulnerable members of
society. Until recently there has been remarkably limited knowledge in
general use about children's Environmental Health and Safety.
IT IS WISE TO EXCEED EXISTING INDOOR ENVIRONMENT QUALITY STANDARDS WHERE CHILDREN ARE INVOLVED.
If changes are to be significant and lasting, principals, teachers,
custodians, board members, maintenance managers, officials of various
government departments, politicians, and other parents have need of more
information, and encouragement to do what is necessary. Health, behaviour
and learning are all influenced by school Indoor Environment Quality. The
message is becoming clearer that clean air and a comfortable, healthy
environment are as important to education as are a good curriculum and good
teaching.
LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE ALL SCHOOLS IN THE PROVINCE ARE SAFE AND HEALTHY PLACES TO BE
Yes, I want to join CASLE's efforts to make schools healthier places for our children and staff.
NAME_________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
POSTAL CODE_________________________
PHONE_______________________________
(FAX)_________________________________
email________________________________________________
SCHOOL(S).____________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
CASLE Info Package only.....................$ 10.00
CASLE Membership and package..... $ 15.00
Donation to CASLE ..............................$_______
Total................................................. .......$_______
(Check payable to Citizens for A Safe Learning Environment)
To continue this important work, financial help is always needed.
Your donations are appreciated.
Return to EHN's page C, Children - Students
http://www.ehnca.org/www/ehnlinx/childstu.htm
Return to EHN's page H, Halifax
http://www.ehnca.org/www/ehnlinx/h.htm#Halifax
