The National Commission to Prevent Infant Mortality and the Institute for Educational Leadership have formed a national commission to examine the links between children’s health and their ability to learn.
The National Health/Education Consortium will bring together leaders from health and education agencies and associations to develop and implement steps to tie together the health and education of children. As its first activity, the consortium is sponsoring a national conference in Washington this week.
The consortium is based on the premise that early health intervention can prevent many future learning disabilities. According to the consortium, about one-third of the more than 4 million children who have a handicap could have a less-debilitating condition, or none at all, if they had received the proper health care before birth and during their first few years of life.
Underwriters Laboratories Inc. has developed safety standards for tall carts used for audiovisual equipment to avoid accidental cart tippings that can injure or even kill students.
The new safety standards were developed by the not-for-profit product-evaluation organization in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, educators, and industry and consumer groups.
The Underwriters Laboratories’ “U L” mark is now being placed on carts that meet stability and strength tests and comply with the firm’s safety standards for warning markings, brake performance, and wheel securement.
A spokesman for the laboratory said two manufacturers--Bretford Manufacturing Inc. of Schiller Park, Ill., and Advance Products Company of Wichita, Kan.--so far have obtained u.l. listings for some tall cart models marketed for use in schools.
The organization recommends that schools use non-listed carts with caution, replacing them as soon as possible, and that they never permit children under age 16 to move or play near carts even when they are u.l. listed.
