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District outlines fixes after Labor Board review of custodial injury; free training scheduled
Summary
After a custodial fall prompted a Massachusetts Labor Board review, district facilities staff described required documentation, PPE upgrades and an on-site and online training program; a four-hour training for custodians is scheduled Feb. 17.
Auburn School Committee members heard Jan. 21 from district facilities staff about a civil citation tied to a custodial workplace injury and the district's plan to address the findings.
Mister Gregoire, who summarized the Labor Board review, said the incident began with "a fall from an a frame ladder." He told the committee that the Labor Board issued nonfinancial citations on Jan. 6 with a compliance deadline of Feb. 6, and that the board offered free training resources for the district.
Gregoire laid out immediate steps the district will take: ladder-safety training, written hazard assessments of custodial tasks, provision and documentation of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as goggles and acid-resistant gloves, updated SDS (safety-data-sheet) books for each building and a hazard-communication plan that lists chemicals and handling procedures.
He said the district will schedule a four-hour, in-person training session for custodians on Feb. 17 and will also make Labor Board online modules available. "Documentation," he said, "is the thing that we really lack" ' noting that written, on-site records and building-level SDS booklets must be current and accessible.
Staff also said they will hold quarterly safety meetings with building leads, review custodial responsibilities such as crossing-guard assistance, and seek to obtain additional PPE for closets across schools. Committee members asked follow-up questions about annual training lists and whether training materials would be centrally available; staff said a list is in progress and highlighted access to Labor Board boilerplate resources and on-site walkthroughs.
No formal vote was required; staff said many of the Labor Board training resources are free and that the district will return with progress updates.
