Sireci Michael P, Levenstein Charles, Gibson Sarah
Massachusetts Teachers Association, Auburn, MA, USA
University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA, USA.
New Solut. 2016 May;26(1):72-82. doi: 10.1177/1048291115623056. Epub 2015 Dec 29.
The Massachusetts Teachers Association's Environmental Health and Safety Committee is using a number of approaches to evaluate and improve the enforcement of the U.S. Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act legislation intended to ensure the proper management of asbestos in public buildings, including schools. The committee first approached state regulators directly concerning enforcement concerns, with limited success. Next, the Massachusetts Teachers Association developed an organizing strategy and a curriculum focusing on the requirements of the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act and on building a membership-run health and safety committee infrastructure in local unions. Five trainings took place throughout Massachusetts over a 2-month period in 2015. The committee implemented follow-up procedures and support for locals to continue to engage in this ongoing effort. This work illustrates that the passage of the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act in 1986 was insufficient action to remediate school asbestos exposures. It is necessary for unions representing school employees to systematically hold regulators and school districts accountable for enforcement and compliance.
马萨诸塞州教师协会的环境卫生与安全委员会正在采用多种方法来评估和改进对美国《石棉危害应急反应法》的执行情况。该法案旨在确保对包括学校在内的公共建筑中的石棉进行妥善管理。委员会首先就执法问题直接与州监管机构进行接触，但成效有限。接下来，马萨诸塞州教师协会制定了一项组织战略和一门课程，重点关注《石棉危害应急反应法》的要求，并在地方工会中建立由会员管理的健康与安全委员会基础设施。2015年，在两个月的时间里，在马萨诸塞州各地开展了五次培训。委员会实施了后续程序，并为地方提供支持，以继续参与这项持续进行的工作。这项工作表明，1986年通过的《石棉危害应急反应法》不足以解决学校石棉暴露问题。代表学校员工的工会有必要系统地要求监管机构和学区对执法和合规情况负责。
