SECTION 5: HEALTH AND SAFETY
Alcohol and Drug Free Workplace Policy ADB
The school district is committed to providing a drug and alcohol free learning environment and workplace. Drug and alcohol abuse in the workplace or at school or in connection with school- sponsored activities on or off school grounds threatens the health and safety of our students and our employees and adversely affects the educational mission of the district.
No employee will unlawfully manufacture, distribute, dispense, possess or use any drug on or in the workplace. “Drug” means any narcotic drug, hallucinogenic drug, amphetamine, barbiturate, marijuana or any other controlled substance as defined by the act and regulation cited below.
“Workplace” means the site for the performance of work. That includes any school building or any school premises and any school-owned vehicle or any other school-approved vehicle used to transport students to and from school or school activities. It also includes off-school property during any school-sponsored or school-approved activity, event or function such as a field trip or athletic event where students are under the jurisdiction of the school district.
As a condition of employment, each employee will notify his/her supervisor of his/her conviction of any criminal drug statute for a violation occurring in the workplace as defined above. The employee must notify the supervisor no later than five days after such conviction.
As a condition of employment, each employee must abide by the terms of the school district policy respecting a drug-free workplace.
An employee who violates the terms of this policy will satisfactorily participate in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program approved by the board. An employee who fails to satisfactorily participate in such program will be subject to disciplinary action, including, but not limited to, nonrenewal, suspension or termination at the discretion of the board.
Staff Health Policy GBGA
The district will not initially hire any person to work in any public school or kindergarten until that person has been appropriately evaluated for tuberculosis according to guidelines approved by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. Any person applying for a position in any of the district’s schools, including kindergarten, will, as a prerequisite to employment, secure a health certificate from a licensed physician certifying that such person does not have tuberculosis in an active stage.
If the district has questions or concerns regarding the physical or mental capability of an employee to perform the essential functions of his/her position with or without reasonable accommodations, the district may require an appropriate health examination.
The district may reassign an employee with a chronic communicable disease to a position that limits student/employee contact. Alternatively, the district may place the employee on medical leave if medical judgment substantiates that said employee poses a significant health threat to students and/or other employees. The school board reserves the right to remove or exclude any employee whose physical condition would interfere with his/her ability to work or would expose other students or employees to infection.
Staff Welfare and Protection Policy GBG
The district is obligated by law to defend employees in legal actions resulting from acts done or omitted in good faith in the course of their employment. This requirement applies to civil or criminal actions or special proceedings in the courts of this state or of the United States.
Any employee needing legal assistance in a legal action arising out of his/her employment must submit a request in writing to the superintendent. The superintendent will bring the request to the board’s attention to determine whether legal assistance will be provided to the employee appropriate and consistent with the intent of the law.
Reporting Abused and Neglected Students Policy JLF, Policy GBE
Any employee who has reason to believe that a child has been or will be abused or neglected by a parent or guardian is required by law to report this information to Sumter County Department of Social Services or law enforcement. School administrators, guidance counselors, and district social workers are available to assist in suspected cases of abuse and neglect. Employees are also expected to notify the building supervisor that a report of possible abuse or neglect has been or will be made.
Worker’s Compensation Policy GBGD
All certified, classified, and substitute personnel are covered by workers’ compensation through the SC School Boards Insurance Trust. All accidents need to be reported to your immediate supervisor immediately. The Board of Trustees provides Worker’s Compensation Insurance coverage through the South Carolina School Board Insurance Trust (SCSBIT) for all district employees.
Volunteers who are not employees are exceptions to this policy. The SC Workers’ Compensation Law is designed to provide medical and monetary benefits for an employee who sustains an injury arising out of and during the course of his/her employment. The law provides medical care to bring about the earliest possible recovery from the injury, a percentage of salary lost during the injured employee’s disability, and in case of death, compensation for the deceased employee’s dependents.
Under the Workers’ Compensation Law, the school district has the responsibility to provide medical treatment for employees injured on the job. School employees must use those providers specified by the district/SCSBIT. The school district designates medical treatment providers in consultation with and upon the recommendation of the SCSBIT. The injury claim will be reviewed and considered for compensable benefits under the Worker’s Compensation Act. Filing a claim does not guarantee benefits. Your claims administrator will make a determination of compensability based on information obtained. The refusal of an employee to accept any medical, hospital, surgical, or other treatment when provided by the employer will bar such employee from further compensation until such refusal ceases, unless in the opinion of the SC Workers’ compensation Commission, the circumstances justified the refusal.
Available sick leave and Workers’ Compensation benefits will be coordinated to the extent such leave and benefits are available when an employee is absent from work as a result of accidental injury arising out of and in the course of his/her employment.
When an accident occurs, the injured employee or his/her representative will notify his/her principal or immediate supervisor and the district office immediately or as soon as possible.
Universal Precautions Policy GBGA
All employees will attend annual Universal Precautions and Bloodborne Pathogens training as required by OSHA. New teachers receive this training during their initial District orientation. Other employees will be scheduled for this training through their immediate supervisor. In addition, all employees will receive an update every year. Questions about the training and/or updates should be directed to your immediate supervisor or to the Personnel Office.
Precautions to Prevent the Spread of Infectious Diseases
The following precautions can be taken to help protect you from infectious diseases:
- Wash your hands with soap and water at regular times during the workday.
- Avoid punctures with objects that may contain the blood of others.
- Handle bodily fluids with gloves, and wash hands thoroughly with soap and running water after handling bodily fluids.
- Carefully dispose of trash containing sharp objects and bodily wastes. Use special containers with plastic liners for disposal of materials that contain blood or for any bodily fluids that may contain blood. For disposal of sharp objects, use containers that cannot be broken or penetrated.
- Promptly remove another person’s blood and bodily wastes from your skin by washing with soap and water.
- Clean surfaces that have blood or bodily wastes containing blood on them according to the guidelines provided by the district in accordance with OSHA guidelines. All school custodians have been trained in the proper method of this type of cleaning and should be used to facilitate the clean-up in these types of incidents.
Employees with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) should be under no work restrictions in the district, unless medical impairments exist which are so severe as to be a hazard for the employee, district students or other employees. Such employees present no appreciable infection risk to others under normal school working conditions.
The district will make decisions regarding appropriate placement of employees known to school officials to have AIDS or HIV infection (upon adequate documentation from the employee’s physician) on a case-by-case basis.
When an employee has been removed or excluded as provided above, the school board may require a satisfactory certificate from one or more licensed physicians that the employee’s presence is no longer a risk to the employee or to others at school.
This district will notify other staff and students of the existence of a communicable disease in accordance with regulations and guidelines propounded by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.
The district will not screen employees for AIDS or HIV infection as a condition for school employment. The identity of any employee with AIDS or HIV infection and any medical record for such an employee will be confidential.
Inclement Weather Procedures
During periods of unsafe weather conditions when it may be questionable to hold school, the school district has several options including closing school, opening schools one hour late, or opening schools two hours late.
Decisions for any of these options will be announced to the public no later than 5:00 a.m. on the day in question on the following local radio and television stations: WIBZ 95.5 FM, WKHT 93.7 FM, WICI 94.7 FM, and WDXY 1240 AM. The television stations used are WIS TV 10, WOLO TV 25, WBTW 13, WACH 6, and WLTX TV 19. Information will also be announced on the Sumter School District website, Facebook page, and Twitter page and via the district’s parent notification system.
Announcements are only made through the media if there is a delay or closing.