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Breathing Easy-School IAQ Resource Guide

About this resource guide

In 2013-2014, the Pioneer Valley Asthma Coalition sponsored the “Breathing Easy” School Indoor Air Quality Training for three local school districts- Holyoke, Northampton and West Springfield. The goal of the training was provide school facilities staff with tools to create action plans for improving indoor air quality.

With the support an EPA Indoor Air Quality grant, we are able to provide the training materials and resource list for public use on this website. This training was based on the the EPA's Tools for Schools as modified by our Environmental Health Consultant.

INTRODUCTION: MAKING THE CASE FOR A SCHOOL IAQ PROGRAM

PVAC and Environmental Health and Safety Consultant Lynn Rose met with school district, local health department and other health agency staff in advance to explain the program and offer education on the links between IAQ, health and academic performance.

Key Messages

Improved IAQ leads to improved attendance and improved academic performance
Some districts only do emergency maintenance and not the preventative maintenance required to maintain healthy air
Many IAQ issues are preventable

Presentation

PVAC Breathing Easy School Indoor Air Quality Program Kickoff (Slideshow)

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AND INDOOR AIR QUALITY

Key Messages

Identify, prioritize, prevent, resolve and monitor environmental health and safety issues
A systems approach is important because it is
Proactive, methodical and comprehensive
Identifies potential impacts on people and the enviroment
Develops environmental management plans to prevent, reduce or eliminate impacts/problems
Helps address non-regulated issues such as IAQ and radon
Assigns roles and responsiblities and establishes record-keeping
Designate funding for activities
Creates systems for issue identification, prevention, corrective action and follow-up

IAQ AND VENTILATION ASSESSMENT

Key Messages

Ensure that occupants (maintenance staff, principals, teachers, cafeteria workers etc) know the conditions in their building and are involved in the assessment process
Educate occupants on how to maintain the air quality in their workspace
Develop a written complaint reporting, investigation and resolution process which includes training for everyone (teachers, staff, maintenance, principals, etc)
Create preventative maintenance programs which enable the school to both prevent problems and identify existing problems that need to be addressed

IAQ Reporting and Communication Loop
Button

MOISTURE AND MOLD

Overview

Key Messages

Identify and correct the source of moisture immediately
Assess the magnitude of the mold damage to develop a mitigation plan including
what needs to cleaned versus disposed of
who will mitigate it (e.g. in-house or contracted)
how it will be done to minimize any further contamination
how to protect occupants and workers during the mitigation process
Know when to test and when not to

IAQ DURING RENOVATION WHILE OCCUPIED

Overview

Key Messages

Prevention is the key here -
Identfiy pollutants generated from construction processes and possible pollutant pathways before renovation
Use these assessments to develop IAQ Plan to prevent impacts
During and after renovation is when the most IAQ complaints are generated
MA laq requires an IAQ plan in contract specifications for vendors doing revnovation while occupied
Toxics reduction in contraction materials used during renovation will help meet these requirements

IAQ TESTING

Speaker

MaryBeth Smuts, Regional Air Toxicologist, EPA

Key Messages

Investigate first--IAQ testing does not replace an investigation involving inspections and interviews

Identify and mitigate known pollutant sources before IAQ testing
Only test if you know what questions you are trying to answer and what information you are seeking

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS

Key Messages

All schools have hazardous materials used for curriculum, maintenance and operations
These products can and do impact IAQ
Schools can reduce toxicity of these materials -- by choosing less hazardous products, processes and work practices

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS

Key Messages

All schools have hazardous materials used for curriculum, maintenance and operations
These products can and do impact IAQ
Schools can reduce toxicity of these materials -- by choosing less hazardous products, processes and work practices

Key Messages

Cleaning is for health, not just esthetics--you clean to remove allergens and biological contaminants
Considerations include:
the way you clean--eliminate work practices that can spread rather contain or remove contamination
what you clean with--eliminate the products can contaminate the air
frequency--ensure that you clean often enough to reduce allergens/contaminants
ensure that spaces and surfaces are cleanable

Holyoke Public Schools Green Housekeeping Program

In collaboration with Healthy Holyoke, the Holyoke Public Schools is implementing a Green Housekeeping Program – investing in all all new cleaning products, supplies and equipment that meet green standards for performance, health and safety. PVAC has been involved in supporting this effort with the Healthy Holyoke - Prevention & Wellness Trust Fund project and past funding from the EPA.Holyoke has the highest asthma rates for school children in the state so this is a much needed and exciting new policy that will impact HPS students for years to come. Read the HPS Update to learn more.

PVAC worked with the Holyoke Health Center and other partners on the Healthy Holyoke Prevention & Wellness Trust Fund initiative to improve asthma outcomes in Holyoke.

Idle-Free Schools Initiative

Anti-Idling Signs are posted at all Springfield Schools

PVAC received word in August that signs were posted at all schools in time for the new school year.

Thanks to Superintendent Daniel Warwick and Director of Safety and Security Bill Baker for making posting the signs a priority.

We also want to thank ARISE, Mason Square Health Task Force and all our supporters for working with us in this successful collaboration. We will be working this fall on planning anti-idling educational activities for the coming school year.