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Managing School IAQ
Managing School IAQ
EPA’s IAQ TfS Program is designed to provide schools with common sense, easy-to-follow, guidance for developing, implementing, and sustaining an IAQ management program. An effective IAQ management program addresses both short-term and long-term IAQ issues, and puts in place policies and standard procedures to prevent future IAQ concerns.
Why Manage School IAQ?
When IAQ problems exist, students, teachers, or staff may display certain health symptoms, or building occupants may complain about comfort issues related to temperature, humidity, or ventilation. School building occupants exposed to poor IAQ may experience a range of symptoms, and some students, teachers, and staff may be particularly susceptible to the health effects of poor IAQ. Visit Common Symptoms to learn more.
How Does Asthma Relate to School IAQ?
Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease affecting millions of school-aged children nationwide. Many common environmental triggers of asthma (including molds, dust mites, animal dander, pests, and even tobacco smoke) can be commonly found in school buildings. Developing an IAQ management program that reduces pollutants, irritants, and triggers and that addresses ventilation issues, can help reduce the number of asthma episodes experienced by students. To learn more, visit Managing Asthma in Schools.
How Do I Start an IAQ Management Program?
By reading this Web site, you’ve taken the first step toward managing your schools IAQ. The IAQ TfS Program provides numerous resources to assist you in developing, implementing, and sustaining an IAQ program in your school. Thousands of school districts across the United States are implementing successful IAQ programs in their districts. Through their efforts, several key, common elements for successful IAQ program have emerged including: Organizing, Assessing, Creating a Plan, Taking Action, Evaluating, and Communicating.
To learn more about these key elements for successful IAQ management and steps for starting an IAQ management program in your schools, visit Steps to Starting.
How Can I Design and Maintain my Schools to Manage IAQ?
The physical design of your school building and the way it is operated and maintained can play a major role in the building’s IAQ. The materials used to build or renovate and furnish school buildings; the products used to clean and control pests; and the design and operation of the school’s ventilation system can all impact the school’s IAQ. Paying attention to these processes, and implementing policies and procedures that stress the importance of building and maintaining healthy school environments can have a great impact on what IAQ issues emerge in a school, how they are addressed, and what can be done to prevent IAQ problems in the future.
To learn more about effective ways to design, operate, and maintain schools to provide healthy indoor environments visit Building Design, Maintenance and Operations.