COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

P.O. BOX 2120

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120

SUPTS. MEMO NO. 10

March 17, 2006

ADMINISTRATIVE

TO:	Division Superintendents
FROM:	Patricia I. Wright Acting Superintendent of Public Instruction
SUBJECT:	CTE House Construction Program Safety

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has been advised by the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry (VDOLI) that certain listed hazardous occupations within the Career and Technical Education (CTE) house construction programs may have certain tasks that are so potentially dangerous that they should not be attempted either in the school lab/classroom or at a construction site. Thus, with this communication, students are prohibited from engaging in the following activities:

• electrical "hot work" (i.e., work on live electrical parts or circuits);
• work around overhead high voltage lines with any piece of material, equipment, machinery, etc., that is capable of contacting or bringing the student within 10 feet of contact with an overhead high voltage line;
• trenching and excavation work operations in trenches that exceed 4 feet in depth at any point;
• work involving any fall hazard of 6 feet or more unless 100 percent fall protection is provided in the form of a personal fall arrest system, or, as provided in the VOSHA standards, guard rails and floor hole and wall opening covers/guards.

VDOLI has also asked that we communicate the following:

Of particular concern is roofing work where a student is exposed to a fall hazard of 6 feet or more. In a non-educational employment setting, minors (ages 17 and under) are prohibited from doing roofing work for pay by Virginia Code 40.1-100.A.6. VDOLI is responsible for enforcing child endangerment laws, including Virginia Code 40.1-103, which carries a criminal charge of class 6 felony.For any person employing or having the custody of any child to willfully or negligently to cause or permit the life of such child to be endangered or the health of such child to be injured, or willfully or negligently to cause or permit such child to be placed in a situation that its life, health or morals may be endangered.. Teachers are considered to have a custodial relationship with their students and are covered by 40.1-103. It is of paramount importance that any student engaged in roofing work be provided with 100 percent fall protection at all times during roofing activities.

Please remember that VDOLI offers a Virginia Occupational Safety and Health Act (VOSHA) Consultation Services program which provides free safety and health consultation to local school divisions as a means of identifying hazards for students and teachers. Please contact Warren Rice, VDOLI consultation program manager warren.rice@doli.virginia.gov, or (804) 786-6613 to make arrangements for this visit.

Please let us know if you have any questions concerning this very important issue. You may either contact Dr. Richard Ross, trade and industrial education specialist, Richard.Ross@doe.virginia.gov, or (804) 225-2828 or Elizabeth Russell, director of career and technical education, Elizabeth.Russell@doe.virginia.gov, or (804) 225-2847.

PIW/EMR/sgj