Update #32: School IAQ Walkthroughs
October 26, 2010
Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Program
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
IN THIS ISSUE:
> News and Events
> If You Don't Look, You Won't Know: The Importance of School Walkthroughs
> Going Green — IAQ Champion Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
> EPA Visits 2007 National Model of Sustained Excellence Award Winner and Faculty Program
School Board of Broward County, FL
> Have Your Questions Answered!
— The
NEWS AND EVENTS
Register for the 2011 IAQ Tools for Schools National Symposium! Join school
teachers, administrators and nurses from across the country to share and
learn best practices for implementing and sustaining school IAQ management
programs. The Symposium will be held in Washington, D.C., Jan. 13-15, 2011.
Reserve your spot today!
Encourage Your Students to Participate in the National Radon Poster Contest!
The poster contest is a fun, creative and educational way to raise radon
awareness. The top national winners will each receive an all-expenses-paid trip to
Washington, D.C. Visit the Poster Contest website for more information.
New Research on IAQ and Student Performance. A study published by
the American Journal of Public Health examines the link between school
absenteeism and the adverse building conditions of schools in Upstate New York.
Read the article and learn how visible mold, humidity and poor air ventilation can
affect student health and performance.
Celebrate Children's Health Month! Read a blog article on EPAs Greenversations
website entitled "Children's Health Month - How are you Celebrating?" to learn
what actions you can take to promote children's health and wellness in the month
of October.
SHOULD WE HAVE OUR
SCHOOLS TESTED
FOR MOLD? CAN AIR
FRESHENERS TRIGGER
ASTHMA?
Have these and other questions
answered on the Schools IAQ
Connector E-mail Discussion
Forum. Join the listserv today by
sending a blank e-mail message
to schools_iaq_connector-
subscribe@lists.epa.gov. Then,
check your e-mail inbox for your
confirmation and membership
details.
IF YOU DON'T LOOK, YOU WON'T KNOW: THE
IMPORTANCE OF SCHOOL WALKTHROUGHS
Conducting a school walkthrough can provide vital information about the health
and safety of a school and is a central component in establishing an effective
IAQ management program for any school district. The walkthrough involves
examining and noting observations about the school inside and out, taking
key measurements and communicating with building occupants. By collecting
basic data about the conditions inside a building, such as carbon dioxide levels,
temperature, relative humidity and airflow, school officials can evaluate how
effectively the school building is functioning. This information can then be used to
identify IAQ challenges and support other efforts the school is taking to improve
IAQ and health.
ACCESS PAST E-MAIL
UPDATES ONLINE
Can't find a past IAQ Tools for
Schools Update in your e-mail
inbox? No problem! Wish you
could read past editions? You
can! Visit the Update archive to
access printable versions (PDF)
of all past editions on the IAQ
Tools for Schools website.
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If you are interested in taking a closer look at the conditions at your school,
there are many resources available to help you and your IAQ management
team learn how to conduct a valuable and effective school walkthrough:
• Join Dave Blake from Northwest Clean Air Agency and Rich Prill from
Washington State University on a virtual school walkthrough — an
informative video filled with diagrams and photos from past school
walkthroughs. Dave and Rich explain how to identify, diagnose and solve
common IAQ issues.
• Utilize IAQ management guides and checklists available in the IAQ Tools
for Schools Action Kit. All of the checklists can be downloaded in either
PDF or Word formats and can be tailored to fit your school's priorities and
needs.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION
The IAQ Tools for Schools
Connector e-mail discussion forum
makes it easy to connect directly
with your peers to share information
and communicate online. Join
today by sending a blank e-mail
message to schools_iaq_connector-
subscribe@lists.epa.gov. Then,
check your e-mail inbox for your
confirmation and membership
details.
• Visit Washington State University's Indoor Air Quality website to read steps
for implementing an IAQ assessment and program, as well as additional
resources such as newsletters, handouts and research documents — including "Why Measure Carbon Dioxide Inside
Buildings?"
Dave and Rich will also lead a more in-depth discussion about school walkthroughs at the 2011 IAQ Tools for Schools
National Symposium. The session will cover how to conduct a walkthrough, an overview of the basic equipment
needed, as well as how to take, interpret and use measurements, respond to IAQ concerns and safely store chemicals.
Participants will learn the importance of prioritizing IAQ issues and the power of effective communication when responding
to reports and concerns. Register for the Symposium, held Jan. 13-15, 2011 in Washington, D.C., to be a part of the
discussion and learn why "looking" equals "knowing."
When it comes to observing the condition of your school buildings, do you know what to look for? Join
IAQ experts Richard Prill from Washington State University and David Blake from the Northwest Clean Air Agency
on a virtual school walkthrough webinar — guiding you through a comprehensive and effective walkthrough to
identify, diagnose and solve common IAQ issues.
The Virtual School Walkthrough: Identifying and Solving Common IAQ Problems
Thursday, December 9, 2010, at 1:00 PM ET
Register Today!
GOING GREEN — IAQ CHAMPION CHARLOTTE-MECKLENBURG SCHOOLS
As a National Model of Sustained Excellence award winner, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) consistently
demonstrates a commitment to the health and well-being of its students and staff. By continually evaluating and
improving its school IAQ management program, the district institutionalized what it means to have a safe and healthy
school environment and has promoted this concept throughout the
entire community. But the district hasn't stopped there. Charged with the
engagement of all stakeholders in environmental stewardship, which
includes the indoor environment, CMS published a detailed Environmental
Stewardship Guide. This communications and how-to guide outlines the
district's goals, strategic plan and resources for parents, teachers, staff and
students. The guide is complete with fact sheets, surveys and resource links,
such as EPA's IAQ and Student Performance website, that school districts
from across the country can utilize in their efforts to "go green," which
includes creating healthy learning environments.
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Indoor Air Quality Manual
EPA VISITS 2007 NATIONAL MODEL OF SUSTAINED EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNER
AND FACULTY PROGRAM — THE SCHOOL BOARD OF BROWARD COUNTY, FL
The School Board of Broward County (Broward) implemented the IAQ Tools for Schools Program in 2002, following a
mold crisis that needed to be addressed. Broward utilized the tools and resources available in the IAQ Tools for Schools
Program as a way to focus on community involvement, communications and collaboration -with the goal of establishing
a comprehensive IAQ management program. Through these efforts, Broward turned crisis
into opportunity and developed a district-wide approach to addressing environmental
issues. With continued effort and commitment, this approach has developed into a
coordinated, award-winning national model of effective IAQ management.
During a recent site visit to Broward, EPA representatives witnessed firsthand the
proactive, inclusive approach that the district takes by attending an IAQ Subcommittee
meeting. Broward representatives from Facilities, Operations, Risk Management, the
various labor unions and the community discussed the status of current IAQ issues, work
conducted over the summer to prepare school buildings for the new school year and the
status of identifying and training the next 20 schools that will participate in Broward's
phased implementation approach. EPA also met with Broward's Superintendent of
Schools, James Notter, who affirmed his commitment and passion for providing healthy
learning environments for every student.
School Board uf Brimdrd County, Florida
A key component of Broward's award-winning program is Broward's IAQ Management Plan, which highlights the district's
best practices and proven solutions. Based on the Framework for Effective School IAQ Management, this plan has been
tailored to fit Broward's individual challenges and needs. Watch a video to hear Jeff Moquin, Broward's Executive Director
of Support Operations, explain how his district incorporated IAQ Tools for Schools resources into their IAQ management
program.
HAVE YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED!
Is there a topic you want to see covered in an IAQ Tools for Schools Update? Need more information or have a quick
question? Do you have suggestions for a webinar, an Update feature, or are you simply curious about an IAQ topic
and would like more information? If so, send us an e-mail at IAQTfSConnector@cadmusgroup.com.
Share YOUR news and events! Send us information to share with the school IAQ community. It could be featured in
the next Update. E-mail your news to IAQTfSConnector@cadmusgroup.com.
The IAQ Tools for Schools Program is a comprehensive resource to help schools maintain a healthy environment in
school buildings by identifying, correcting, and preventing IAQ problems. Learn more about the IAQ Tools for Schools
Program at www.epa.gov/iaq/schools.
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
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