WORTHINGTON SCHOOLS

Worthington City Schools Procedures for Addressing

Life-Threatening Allergies

These procedures are designed to assist school staff in developing and providing a safe school environment for all students including students with known life-threatening food allergies. The intent is:

1. To protect the student with allergies from allergen exposure at school.
2. To provide educational information and training to staff regarding students with life-threatening food allergies.

Introduction

There are many causes of life-threatening allergic reactions. Some can be attributed to food allergen ingestion. Accidental ingestion of a food at school by a child with a known food allergy can result in a life-threatening, emergency situation. To avoid a reaction it is critical for the child with food allergies to avoid, to the extent necessary for the individual child, all known foods or suspect products that might contain the food allergen. However, even with an avoidance plan in place, accidental ingestion or exposure can occur.

Symptoms of a life-threatening allergy can occur within minutes or several hours following an exposure. The child’s teacher(s), health office staff, other staff in contact with the child and the bus driver(s) must be able to recognize the symptoms of a life threatening allergic reaction, called ANAPHYLAXIS.

These are general procedures. The procedures below will be provided to the extent required by law, but will only be used if a student or students in a building require such procedures. The procedures will not apply if no student requires them.

These procedures regarding life-threatening food allergies can be adapted, as appropriate, to other life-threatening allergies such as insect bites, medications and latex allergies.

Parent/Guardian Responsibilities

          1. Notify school principal, school nurse, extra-curricular activity staff and bus driver of child’s allergy.

          2. Provide written medical documentation and instructions for allergy management and emergency procedures (FARE form). Provide prescribed emergency medication and self-administration authorization forms (if applicable) to  the school.

           3. Update Emergency Medical Information on Infinite Campus and provide school with parent and physician emergency contact numbers.

           4. It is suggested that the parent provide the child with a medic alert bracelet or necklace.

           5. Refer to the extra-curricular section of this document if the child participates in any school-sponsored before or after school activity. Parents should initiate a meeting with the activity coordinator to discuss any needed accommodations. 

           6. Continue to educate their child in the self-management of his/her food allergy to include:

               a. Child’s selection of “safe” foods at school

               b. Strategies child can use to avoid unsafe foods at school

                   1) At school parties only eat snack foods sent in or approved by parent/guardian.

                   2) Do not share/trade food at lunch/snack times.

                   3) Rapid self-identification of symptoms and notification of school personnel of a possible allergic reaction including but not limited to:

                         • Hives, itchy red rash 

                         • Tightening in throat or difficulty swallowing

                         • Swelling of lips/face/tongue/throat Difficult breathing   

                         • Gut reaction; nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach ache

                     4) Teach child to read food labels for ingredients. (age appropriate)

                     5) Child should know not to eat foods with unknown ingredients.

District Level Administrative Responsibilities

        1. Assure that all staff who interact with life-threatening food allergic students on a regular basis understand the allergies, can recognize symptoms, know what to do in an emergency and work with the other school staff to provide  reasonable accommodations to eliminate the use of allergens in the allergic student’s meals and other food, educational tools, arts and craft projects or other school activities.

        2. Provide online training (Public School Works) annually for all employees. Training will include:

             a. How to identify symptoms of an allergic reaction

             b. Risk reduction procedures specific to the job

             c. Allergens that cause life threatening allergies

             d. Symptoms of allergic reactions

             e. Emergency procedures including appropriate access to or notification to emergency medical services

             f. Epinephrine auto-injector (Epipen, Auvi-Q, etc...) administration

         3. Enforce a "no eating' rule on school buses. Exceptions will be made as required, to accommodate students with disabilities or health care needs. This is a requirement of OAC 3301-83-08 as the general rule for student behavior  on buses.

         4. Follow federal/state/district laws, policies and regulations regarding sharing medical information about the student.

         5. Support building administrators in enforcing applicable harassment laws, policies and student code of conduct provisions.

Building Level Administrative Responsibilities

If there are students in the building who have life-threatening food allergies, the building principal is responsible for assuring, to the extent required by law, that the following are addressed for food-allergic children:

        1. Create a school environment with an awareness of severe allergies.

        2. Request that the parent provide up-to-date written medical information from the student’s doctor on the child’s food allergy and treatment.

        3. Complete annual Public School Works online training for severe allergies.

        4. Monitor and ensure completion of staff training of Public School Works.

        5. Provide risk reduction strategies for life threatening allergies.

            a. Encourage hand washing before and after lunch when necessary and reasonable.

            b. Designate certain tables in the lunchroom to be peanut (or allergen free) zones upon parent request.

            c. Ensure that cleaning of restricted tables be done with a clean, designated towel or sponge to avoid cross contamination from another surface.

            d. Ensure that teachers, parents or students prevent exposure to known allergens in the classroom.

            e. Restrict food trading.

        6. Inform parent/guardian of any student exposures and allergic reactions at school.

        7. Ensure that the life-threatening allergic student is placed in a classroom where the teacher is trained to administer an epinephrine auto-injector (Epipen, Auvi-Q, etc...) if needed.

        8. Notify the school nurse of new personnel in the building to assure training is received.

        9. Enforce applicable harassment laws, policies and student code of conduct provisions.

School Nurse’s Responsibilities

         1. Complete Public School Works online training for Life Threatening Allergies in the School annually.

         2. Collect and monitor for completeness the Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan which may include, but not be limited to:

             a. Physician’s Information for Allergy and Anaphylaxis Emergency Medical Care Plan form

             b. Location (s) where student’s emergency epinephrine auto-injector(s) (Epipen, Auvi-Q, etc..) is (are) kept

             c. Allergen and symptoms of allergic reaction

             d. Emergency procedures

             e. Any required signatures

         3. Notify staff (on a need to know basis) of all students with life threatening allergies.

         4. Provide educational materials for staff regarding a student’s life threatening allergies, symptoms, risk reduction procedures, emergency procedures and how to administer an epinephrine auto-injector upon request.

         5. Clearly identifies and communicates with staff the location of epinephrine autoinjectors kept in the health office.

         6. Monitors expiration dates of epinephrine auto-injectors and any other allergy medications.

Responsibilities of Supervising Classroom Teachers and Specialists

1. Complete Public School Works online training for Life Threatening Allergies in the School annually.
2. Supervising classroom teachers and specialists are those teachers, grades PK-12, who interact with allergic students in school settings as part of the routine school day.
3. Include the Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan and life-threatening allergies with classroom roster and daily lesson plans. Emphasize the Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan with lesson plans for substitute teachers.
4. Inform any school staff who work in the classroom with the life-threatening allergy student including educational assistants, student teachers, specialist and substitute teachers of the student’s food allergies and necessary safeguards.    
5. Consult with parents if requested and consider providing a lesson plan about food allergies for students and discuss anaphylaxis in age appropriate terms.
6. Enforce applicable harassment laws, policies and student code of conduct provisions.
7. Provide lesson plans and academic activities that will not use items containing known student allergens or notify parents and provide an alternative educational activity if not reasonably possible to avoid allergen.
8. At least one week in advance, inform parents of life-threatening allergic students of any “in-class” activities where food will be served. Make sure to know ingredients, food items and vendor/manufacturing info for parents of food involved in class activities and field trips.
9. Notify the custodian for any necessary appropriate cleaning after activity.
10. Recognize the potential of student’s allergens being present in substances other than food for human consumption such as pet supplies, and apply the appropriate precautions.
11. Monitor foods that enter the classroom for evidence of obvious food allergens. (read the label)
12. Encourage hand washing before and after eating, when necessary and reasonable.
13. In the event of an allergic reaction follow the Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan including identified emergency procedures and contact building principal and school nurse.
14. A District incident report should be completed.
15. Consider providing non-food rewards for class work and achievements.

Field Trips

The teacher will:

1. Notify parents of field trips and obtain consent from parents.
2. At least one week in advance, provide the parent/guardian with a trip destination and plan for lunch or snacks making sure to know ingredients, food items and vendor/manufacturing info for parents of food involved during field trips.
3. If food exposure is a concern, invite and encourage parents of food allergic students to attend field trips.
4. Collect the student’s Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan and medication including an epinephrine auto-injector.
5. Review instructions on method of administration of epinephrine auto-injector. (Epipen, Auvi-Q, etc...)
6. Do not delegate emergency medications to chaperones or parent volunteers on field trips, including epinephrine auto-injectors and other medications included on student’s  Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan.
7. Ensure access to emergency services by cell phone or other communication device during the field trip.
8. Consider locations for students to wash hands before and after eating.
9. Prevent exposure of epinephrine auto-injector (Epipen, Auvi-Q, etc...) to direct sunlight or extreme heat.
10. Return epinephrine auto-injector (Epipen, Auvi-Q, etc...) and medication to the health office or other designated storage area after field trip.

Bus Drivers

1. Complete Public School Works online training for Life Threatening Allergies in the School annually.

2. Enforce no eating policy on all buses except students with disabilities or health concerns that require food.

4. Become aware of and note emergency medical alerts for students on each route found on Infinite Campus.
5. Provide a medical alert list for substitute bus drivers.
6. Call 911 for all medical emergencies.
7. Utilize cell phone, radio, walkie-talkie or other means of communication for emergency calls.

Custodians

1. Complete Public School Works online training for Life Threatening Allergies annually.
2. A designated cloth and bucket of soap and water should be used to avoid cross contamination for tables and desks of Life-Threatening Allergic students. Disposable disinfectant wipes could also be used
3. After each meal service, all tables and chairs should be thoroughly washed as stated above avoiding cross-contamination.

Food Services Staff

1. Complete Public School Works online training for Life Threatening Allergies annually.
2. Provide menus (breakfast, lunch) of the food sold in the school cafeteria. Menus will be posted on the District website
3. Allow parents access to lists of ingredients used in all food prepared and served by the school cafeteria upon request.
4. Maintain food labels from each food served to a child with allergies for 24 hours.
5. Have available contact information for vendors or suppliers to access food content information.
6. Use safe food handling techniques to prevent cross contamination while preparing foods.

School Sponsored Extracurricular Activities

1. Parents should initiate a meeting with the activity coordinator to discuss any needed accommodations.

PDF VERSION:  Worthington Food Allergy Procedures

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