FACILITY MANAGERS Your Role on the Indoor Air Quality Team "The surveys and checklists in the IAQ Took for Schools Kit really helped me build a team. There are many other people who want to help with IAQ and it's great to be able to provide them with specific tasks to guide their efforts." Gregg Smith, P.E., Facilities Manager, Salt Lake City School District, Utah FOR FACILITY MANAGERS, THE IAQ TOOLS FOR SCHOOLS KIT INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING CHECKLISTS: Ventilation Outdoor air intakes, air distribution, adequacy of outdoor air supply System controls Exhaust systems Walkthrough inspection Building & Grounds Maintenance Maintenance supplies Dust control Drain traps Moisture, leaks, spills Combustion appliances Pest control Renovation and Repairs General repairs Painting, flooring, roofing Waste Management Food waste Recycling bins, dumpsters, waste containers Integrated Pest Management Policy statement, pest management roles and objectives Inspecting, identifying, monitoring Thresholds, preventive strategies Pesticide use and storage Evaluating results Walkthrough Ground level Roof, attic, restrooms Maintenance supplies, combustion appliances Create a Healthy Indoor Environment Facility Managers in K-12 schools work hard every day to ensure a healthy, high-quality learning and teaching environment for students and staff. Your goal is to provide energy-efficient facilities that have quality lighting, comfortable temperature, and good indoor air quality (IAQ)all within a tight budget. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Indoor Environments Division provides technical guidance on how to maintain and operate your school facility by using integrated, whole-building approaches which are designed to protect occupant health while saving energy and money. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the average school building is 42 years old. After 40 years a school building begins to rapidly deteriorate if it is not properly maintained. EPA's IAQ Tools for Schools Kit is designed to provide you with the tools and information needed to fix and prevent IAQ problems and maintain a healthy indoor environment with minimal effort and cost. The IAQ Tools for Schools Kit helps your school develop a comprehensive IAQ management plan. With its checklists for teachers, administrators, facilities staff, health professionals, and others, the Kit provides step-by-step, practical guidance for sharing IAQ duties. Taking a proactive approach to preventing IAQ problems will save your school significant costs in the long run. With everyone working together, you may also be able to reduce the amount of time you currently spend on IAQ issues. Poor IAQ can . . . Accelerate deterioration and reduce efficiency of the school's physical plant and equipment. Affect student comfort, the learning environment, and attendance. Increase the likelihood that schools will have to be closed temporarily (for repairs) or permanently. Lead to costly repairs if maintenance and proactive measures are deferred. Preventative measures will save money over time. Reduce the productivity of teachers and staff due to discomfort, sickness, or absenteeism. Increase the potential for long-term health problems among students and staff. Strain the relationship between administrators and facilities staff. The IAQ Tools for Schools Kit should be an essential part of every Facility Manager's library, serving as a daily reference guide and management tool. USE THE ENCLOSED CARD TO ORDER THE INDOOR AIR QUALITY TOOLS FOR SCHOOLS KIT TODAY VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT www.epa.gov/iaq/schools ------- INDOOR AIR QUALITY IN SCHOOLS Maintaining good indoor air quality in your school means: Controlling airborne pollutants Bringing in and distributing adequate outside air Controlling moisture and mold Maintaining acceptable temperature and humidity Integrating whole-building approaches and practices into the design, construction, renovation, operation and maintenance of school facilities. This includes embracing the concept of high performance schools, including energy efficiency, indoor air quality, daylighting, materials, efficiency, and safety Sources of pollutants in and around schools: INDOOR SOURCES Radon Classroom pets Excess moisture and mold Dry-erase markers and similar pens Dust and chalk Cleaning materials Personal care products Odors and volatile organic compounds from paint, caulk, adhesives Insects and other pests Odors from trash Students and staff with communicable diseases Potential high-pollution areas Science laboratories Vocational arts areas Copy/print areas Smoking lounges Food preparation areas OUTDOOR SOURCES Pollen, dust, and fungal spores carried inside on shoes and clothing Vehicle emissions or unsanitary debris near building air intakes Pesticides used on school grounds Dumpster odors Leakage from underground storage tanks The Issues Indoor levels of air pollutants can be 2-5 times higher, and occasionally 100 times higher, than outdoor levels. Nearly 56 million people, approximately 20 percent of the U.S. population, spend their days inside elementary and secondary schools. In 1999, the National Center for Education Statistics of the U.S. Department of Education reported that approximately 25 percent of public schools described unsatisfactory ventilation, while IAQ was reported to be unsatisfactory in about 20 percent of schools. IAQ problems can cause discomfort and contribute to short- and long-term health problems for students and staff. The Solution IAQ problems can be much less expensive and time- consuming to prevent than to fix. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's IAQ Tools for Schools Kit provides you with resources and checklists to help evaluate your school's indoor air quality and prevent IAQ problems. The Kit also offers easy steps for identifying and correcting current IAQ problems. The Team IAQ Videos The awareness and effort of a team of individuals will help ensure that your school improves its indoor air quality. The checklists in the IAQ Tools for Schools Kit provide a thorough but simple means for all IAQ Team members to participate, including the IAQ coordinator, administrators, teachers and staff, facility managers, health professionals, maintenance crews, and others. The Rewards (in addition to good indoor air quality!) By using the Kit successfully, your school will have the opportunity to: Receive public recognition for outstanding environmental leadership through EPA's National Awards Program. Serve as a role model or mentor to other schools. Work with EPA to communicate success through case studies. Include your Web site link on EPA's IAQ page so other schools can learn The IAQ Coordinator guides the Team using the many resources Asthma Companion Piece IAQ .. Checklists IAQ Backgrounder IAQ Coordinator's Handouts for Team Members IAQ Coordinator's Guide and Reference Guide IAQ Road Map from your IAQ efforts. Order the IAQ Tools for Schools Kit today! ------- |