By Dorothy Wigmore Indoor air quality. Mold. Toxic chemicals. The pandemic. Most school staff face occupational health and safety (OHS) hazards, affecting their physical and mental health, spirits and job…
Use the science, and basic principles By Dorothy Wigmore What does “safe” or “healthy” mean for students and staff and their communities during a pandemic? As of press time, it…
By Dorothy Wigmore The times are fascinating, scary and overwhelming, as the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps around the world. Like many other workplaces, schools are closed, and it is not clear,…
Good contract language increases your rights for action By Dorothy Wigmore School may be out, but the pandemic has taught us many things. One is that governments are sometimes slow…
What’s happening, what to do By Dorothy Wigmore For many years, asbestos, the “magic mineral” was used in thousands of products found in homes, workplaces and schools. Starting in the…
Especially for youth By Dorothy Wigmore The numbers are disturbing, and they’re getting worse. Millions of middle and high school students in the U.S. now are using e-cigarettes, just as…
Whatever it’s called, it doesn’t work By Dorothy Wigmore Who cleans your school? Who drives the buses in your district? Who’s preparing and serving meals in the cafeteria? Why does…
By Dorothy Wigmore The stories about New Jersey’s widespread problems with toxins in drinking water can be scary. Some contaminants—such as well-known lead and the newer poly- and perfluoroalkyl (PFAS)…
Part One: Identifying the hazards By Dorothy Wigmore Tap water is just fine, usually. However, it can be polluted by industrial, household, commercial, military, agricultural and pharmaceutical sources. Systems themselves…
What are the options? Synthetic turf, or not—that is the question. By Dorothy Wigmore Government agencies, schools and parents want to know what harm artificial surfaces can cause. Present in…