Brockton School Custodians to Get Stipend for Picking up Hypodermic Needles

BROCKTON, MA — Custodians at the Brockton Public Schools will get paid a little more to pick up and dispose of hypodermic needles.

Tuesday night, the Brockton School Committee voted to approve $14,000 in hazard pay for custodians who handle hypodermic needles. That works out to about $457 more for the school district's custodians.

The needle situation has drastically worsen this year. Over the summer, custodians were finding four to six needles a day, according to the Enterprise. The hazard pay is not only for the extra work, but for the risk that comes with picking up used needles, school committee members said.

One custodian at each school will be trained to handle hazardous material. After the training, they will arrive early, pick up any needles, and take them in a container to Brewster Ambulance for proper disposal.

Image: file photo