Food Services ESP — 
Building a Quality Workforce

Food Services ESP and Emergencies

The Cafeteria Can Be a Dangerous Environment

Food Services employees often work with students whose behavior puts them as well as other students physically at risk. All adults in the school community are responsible for safeguarding every child's physical and emotional welfare. This is a daunting task for school employees, and requires training, skill and sensitivity.

Food Services ESP are acutely aware of this responsibility, and under-stand the urgent need for meaningful professional development

Sexual prejudice, assaults, drug and substance abuse, bullying and sexual harassment among students occurs more often in the school cafeteria than in almost any other environment.

In a student-on-student attack, Food Services employees are not required to physically intervene when it would create a personal physical danger, but their responsibility for the safety and well-being of students often dictates that intervention.

Unfortunately, the school cafeteria is also the area most often chosen by violent students or dangerous intruders to threaten the safety and welfare of the school community.

Weapons have always been a factor in student violence. Assaults and attacks by intruders on the school campus are increasing, as are violent outbursts by students using firearms in the school.

Including Food Services ESP in campus emergency and intruder plans is crucial to the welfare of the students and the employees alike. These are the individuals who are often at ground zero in the school cafeteria.

To Section 8: Health & Safety — Protecting the Individual Employee