Baltimore County Public Schools Program Results Preventive Preemptive Proactive IAQ Management

BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Preventive, Preemptive, Proactive IAQ Management

To respond to a County Council resolution, Baltimore County
Public Schools (BCPS) Superintendent Dr. Joe A. Hairston formed
an Environmental Assessment Advisory Committee to evaluate
the district's IAQ management approach. Though BCPS' existing
maintenance program was strong and did not face any serious IAQ
problems, with the second oldest facilities inventory in Maryland, the district
needed a concrete plan to manage its facilities effectively. On the advice of
the Executive Director of the Department of Physical Facilities, Michael
Sines, the Superintendent hired two Industrial Hygienists who serve as
IAQ experts, David Classman and Sean Joyce, to team with Environmental
Services supervisor, Robert Merry, to develop a preventive, preemptive and
proactive environmental management program. Using the IAQ Tools for
Schools Program as a major component, BCPS initiated a school-driven,
prevention-focused IAQ management program.

Organize for Success — Develop a Systematic Approach: BCPS assessed
the strengths and weaknesses of their maintenance program and incorporated
IAQ Tools for Schools guidance to address gaps in their IAQ management
approach. For example, BCPS devised formal schedules for HVAC air filter
replacements, walkthroughs and other maintenance activities to take the
guesswork out of preventive action.

PROGRAM RESULTS

BCPS tracks cost savings, IAQ
complaints and the number of
disruptions to school building operations
to continually communicate the IAQ
management program's value to the
district.

A Reduced average expenditures on
mold remediation activities from
$513,000 to $150,000 within one
year of program implementation.

A Observed a significant reduction in
both number and severity of IAQ-
related work orders and complaints.

A Reduced the number of

remediation projects that delayed
school openings from between 30-
40 to just a single incident since
program implementation.

Assess Your Environments Continuously — Identify and Prevent Risks:

The Department of Physical Facilities compiles a list of campuses at risk

for IAQ issues — due to building age, environmental conditions and other factors — and then works with the multi-disciplinary
Environmental Action Team to review conditions and develop solutions to manage and solve each issue. The Department of
Physical Facilities communicates diligently with school communities throughout the year regarding the progress of the plan. This
communication transforms school-based IAQ Tools for Schools Teams into sentinels for environmental issues on their campuses so that
the Department of Physical Facilities can act at the first sign of a problem — before little issues become big expensive ones. "We're a
loiv-cost, no-cost program, ivhich means communication is our most important prevention tool. We tell our staff, 'We love little problems!'
because ive hate big problems. Creating that aivareness, participation and tivo-ivay communication is absolutely critical to our success. " —
Sean Joyce, Industrial Hygienist

ORGANIZE FOR SUCCESS:
Create Champions

BCPS doesn't mandate
participation on campus-level
IAQ Tools for Schools Teams;
anyone can play a part. Once
teams are formed, BCPS trains
members on IAQ fundamentals.
Combining training with a
volunteer's sense of initiative,
leadership and commitment
transforms "team members"
into bona fide IAQ champions.

Act to Address Structural, Institutional and Behavioral Issues — Address
Problems at their Source: When the Department of Physical Facilities notices repeat
issues in a space, they investigate how it is being used, cleaned and maintained. If any of
these practices are causing or contributing to the problem, the Department of Physical
Facilities and the campus IAQ Tools for Schools Team work together to communicate
why the behavior is a problem and suggest alternatives. Keeping a blame-free, solution-
focused approach ensures that occupants and staff are receptive to change, and digging
deep to find the root cause of issues helps BCPS reduce the number of environmental

Evaluate Your Results for Continuous Improvement — Solicit Feedback: BCPS
modified its walkthrough inspection report to include a summary that is submitted to
the Department of Physical Facilities twice a year. Information on the summaries keeps
the Department of Physical Facilities in the loop regarding the realities and perceptions
at each campus. If there is the hint of a concern, action will be taken, often before
the school community realizes the need for action. This early intervention is key to
maintaining the confidence level critical to managing a large system. "Evaluating our
program and sharing the results has alloived us to build a lot of confidence from our community — both our internal community and external
community — that ive have the ability one, to assess our air quality issues and tivo, to solve them. " — David Glassman, Industrial Hygienist

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