Health Officer/School  Nurse
This checklist
discusses
three major topic
areas:

Student Health Records
  Maintenance
Public Health and Personal
  Hygiene Education
Health Officer's Office

Instructions:
1. Read the MO
  Backgrounder.
2. Read each item on this
  Checklist
3. Check the diamond(s) as
  appropriate px check the
  circle if you need
  additional help with an
  activity.
4. Return this checklist to
  the IAQ Coordinator and
  keep a copy for future
  reference.

Name:
 Room or Area:

 School:

 Date Completed:

 Signature:
                                     MAINTAIN STUDENT
                                      HEALTH RECORDS
There is evidence to suggest that
children, pregnant women, and senior
citizens are more likely to develop
health problems from poor air quality
than most adults. Indoor Air Quality
(IAQ) problems are most likely to
affect those with preexisting health
conditions and those who are exposed
to tobacco smoke. Student health
records should include information
about known allergies and other
medically documented conditions,
such as asthma, as well as any reported
sensitivity to chemicals. Privacy
considerations may limit the student
health information that can be dis-
closed, but to the extent possible,
information about students' potential
sensitivity to IAQ problems should be
provided to teachers. This is especially
true for classes involving potential
irritants (e.g., gaseous or particle
emissions from art, science, industrial/
.vocational education sources). Health
records and records of health-related
complaints by students and staff are
useful for evaluating potential IAQ-
related complaints.

Include information about
sensitivities to IAQ problems in
student hearth records
 •   Allergies, including reports of
     chemical sensitivities

 •   Asthma

      O Completed health records
      exist for each student
     O Health records are being
     updated

     O Need help obtaining
     information about student
     allergies and other health
     factors

Track hearth-related complaints by
students and staff

•   Keep a log of health complaints
    that notes the symptoms, location
    and time of symptom onset, and
    exposure to pollutant sources

•   Watch for trends in health
    complaints, especially m timing
 .   or location of complaints

     O Have a comprehensive
     health complaint logging
     system

     O Developing a comprehen-
     sive health complaint logging
     system

     O Need help developing a
     comprehensive health
     complaint logging system

Recognize indicators that liaafth
problems may be IAQ-nlal»d

•  Complaints are associated with
    particular times of the dav at <*ec

•  Other occupants in the same area
    experience similar problems

•  The problem abates or ceases,
    either immediately or gradualK.
    when an occupant leaves the
    building and recurs when the
    occupant returns

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   The school has recently been
   renovated or refurnished

   The occupant has recently started
   working with new or different
   materials or equipment

   New cleaning or pesticide prod-
   ucts or practices have been
   introduced into the school

   Smoking is allowed in the school

   A new warm-blooded animal has
   been introduced into the classroom

     O Understand indicators of
     IAQ-rdated problems

     O Need help understanding
     indicators of TAQ-related
     problems
         HEALTH AND
     HYGIENE EDUCATION
Schools are unique buildings from a
public health perspective because they
accommodate more people within a
smaller area than most buildings. This
proximity increases the potential for
airborne contaminants (germs, odors,
and constituents of personal products)
to pass between students. Raising
awareness about the effects of personal
habits on the well-being of others can
help reduce lAQ-related problems.

Obtain Indoor Air Quality: An
Introduction for Health Professionals

•  Contact TAQ INFO,
    800-438-4318

      O Already have this EPA
      guidance document
     O  Guide is on order

     O Cannot obtain the guide

Inform students and staff about the
importance of good hygiene in
preventing the spread of airborne
contagious diseases

•   Provide written materials to
    students (local public health
    agencies may have information
    suitable for older students)

•   Provide individual instruction/
    counseling where necessary

     O  Written materials and
     counseling available

     O  Compiling information for
     counseling and distribution

     O  Need help compiling
     information or implementing
     counseling program

Provide information about IAQ
and health

•   Help teachers develop activities
    that reduce exposure to indoor air
    pollutants forstudents with IAQ
    sensitivities, such as those with
    asthma or allergies (contact the
    American Lung Association [ALA]
    the National Association of School
    'Nurses [NASN] or the Asthma and
    Allergy Foundation of America
    [AAFA]). Contact information is
    available in the IAQ Coordinator's
    Guide.

•   Collaborate with parent-teacher
    groups to offer family IAQ educa-
    tion programs

•   Conduct a workshop for teachers
    on health issues that covers IAQ

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     O Have provided ;
     information to parents and
     staff

     O Developing information
     and education programs for
     parents and staff

     O Need help developing
     information and education
     program for parents and staff

Establish an information and
counseling program regarding
smoking

•   Provide free literature on smoking
    and secondhand smoke

•   Sponsor a quit-smoking program
    and similar counseling programs in
    collaboration with the ALA

     O "No Smoking" information
     and programs in place

     O "No Smoking" information
     and programs in planning

     O Need help with a "No
     Smoking" program
  HEALTH OFFICER'S OFFICE
Since the health office may be
frequented by sick students and staff, it
is important to take steps that can help
prevent transmission of airborne
diseases to uninfected students and
staff (see your IAQ Coordinator for
help with the following activities).

Ensure that the ventilation system
is properly operating

•   Ventilation system is'operated
    when the area(s) is occupied

•   Provide an adequate amount of
    outdoor air to the area(s). There
    should be at least 15 cubic feet of
    outdoor air supplied per occupant

•  Air filters are clean and properly
    installed

0  Air removed from the area(s)
    does not circulate through the
    ventilation system into other
    occupied areas

      O Ventilation system
      operating adequately

      O Need help with ventilation
      related activities
                                                         NO PROBLEMS
                                                         TO REPORT. I
                                                         have completed all
                                                         activities on this
                                                         Checklist and I do
                                                         not need help in any
                                                         areas.

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