IAQ Tools for Schools Helpful Websites Helpful IAQ materials Ten Best IAQ Practices

 

IAQ for Schools

The U.S EPA  has developed an innovative program — Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Tools for Schools — to help schools identify and address indoor air quality problems. This nationwide initiative is based on these premises:

• Many IAQ problems can be prevented by the school community
• IAQ problems can be resolved using the skills of the school staff
• The expenditures and effort to prevent most IAQ problems are a fraction of that required to solve problems once they develop

EPA's Tools for Schools is based on an action kit providing all the materials necessary to promote a low-cost, problem-solving team approach to improving IAQ. Once a committee of administrators, teachers, maintenance staff, parents and others investigates and prioritizes indoor air hazards, short- and long-term strategies are developed to solve IAQ problems. The Department of Public Health, along with Connecticut School Indoor Environmental Resource Team (CSIERT)—of which CEA is a member— provides training to Connecticut school districts to implement and sustain the Tools for Schools program.

Helpful Websites EPA Tools for Schools program   EPA developed the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Tools for Schools (TfS) Program to reduce exposures to indoor environmental contaminants in schools through the voluntary adoption of sound indoor air quality management practices. EPA IAQ Design Tools for Schools  The information available here is presented as a tool to help school districts and facility planners design the next generation of learning environments so that the facility will help schools achieve their core mission of educating children. Connecticut School Indoor Environment Resource Team (CSIERT) This site is a “one-stop” source for information and referrals relating to the Tools for Schools program for TfS team members, parents, teachers, administrators, facilities personnel, students and others. It is also a source for other school-related environmental health issues such as radon, asbestos and lead. Connecticut State Department of Public Health The Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Unit provides consultation, technical assistance, education, and training to local health departments, housing code enforcement officials, other state agencies, health care providers, and the public regarding environmental conditions in homes, schools and workplaces that can lead to poor IEQ and impact health. Environment and Human Health Inc.  EHHI is dedicated to protecting human health from environmental harms through research, education and promotion of sound public policy. NEA Health Information Network The National Education Association Health Information Network’s mission is to improve the health and safety of school personnel and students by providing the school community with vital and timely information that will increase teacher and education support professional (esp) quality and student achievement.

Helpful IAQ Materials Tools for Schools overview Implementation summary IAQ backgrounder Tools for Schools Action Kit Connecticut Tools for Schools success stories Sustaining Tools for Schools IAQ legislation How to reduce clutter in your classroom Tools for Schools map

 

 

10 Best IAQ Practices

1. Make sure your school district has adopted the Tools for Schools program and is maintaining TfS building teams in all schools.
2. Make sure there is a teacher and parent on your school's TfS building team.
3. Get rid of air fresheners, potpourri, candles, plug-ins, etc. These items don't improve air quality and may cause health problems, especially for students with asthma.
4. Make sure the ventilation system (if you have one) is working in your classroom. Be careful not to obstruct air vents (such as putting books, etc., on the unit ventilator).
5. Get rid of cleaning chemicals (i.e., bleach, ammonia, cleansers) that you or your students may have brought in. The Connecticut green cleaning law prohibits staff, students, and parents from bringing in any "product which is intended to clean, deodorize, sanitize or disinfect" (Public Act No. 09-81). Talk to your custodian about getting approved green cleaners to use in your classroom.
6. Upholstered furniture, pillows, blankets, or stuffed toys may collect dust (and dust mites). Get rid of old used upholstered furniture. Regularly clean clean stuffed toys, pillows, etc.
   
7. Work with your school to use low-odor classroom products such a white board cleaners, pens, paints, etc.
8. Personal air cleaning devices alone cannot adequately remove all indoor pollutants from school buildings. Some indoor "purifiers" emit ozone, a lung irritant that can affect asthmatics. The best way to address IAQ problems in your classroom is to reduce sources of contamination. Work with your TfS team and facilities staff to correct the problem.
9. Make sure plants are not a problem source by changing the soil regularly to prevent mold growth.
10. Report problems promptly and work with your facility's staff to correct small problems before they become large ones.

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