A Method of Financing Safety Goggles During these times of financial stress we are all experiencing difficulty in obtaining support for our programs. This is true particularly for laboratory courses. Administrators are prone to question the value of a laboratory experience for our students when faced with the expense of operating the laboratory. Therefore, it is not surprising to hear teachers comment ~. on the difficulty involved in purchasing newor replacement equipment and supplies. Unfortunately, safety equipment falls in the category of "new" for many schools. This, coupled with a lack of understanding of safety requirements by those who control school finances, has resulted in difficulty for some teachers trying to establish a safe learning environment for their students. Providing safety goggles for students is an example of where limited finances have hampered the development of a safe laboratory. Some schools, facing this dilemma, have found an unusual source of financing. They recognized that certain localcivic organizations might be persuaded to accept, as a club project, the purchase of safety goggles or ultraviolet sterilizers. T h e sterilizers permit the multiple use of goggles, hence reducing the total number of goggles required. They achieved the most success when they. a .. ~ o m a c h e dtheir local Lions Club. The Lions International Cluh has for many. . vears been involved in wrovidine The schools success in achievine" Lions Club s u o ~ o r t .~eve . tests and elasses for the needv to a seelne-we .. doe oroeram. " was based upon convincing the club officials that preventing eye damage is a natural extension of the club's long-time project of providing aid to those with sight problems. A visit to your local Lions Cluh or other civic groups may be most rewarding if your school is trapped between limited finances and the ethical and legal requirements of providing personal eye protection for students.
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Rudr Gerlach Muskingum College New Concord. OH 43762
Volume 58
Number 6
June 1981
479
