Healthy School Environments
Approximate 1.7 million children and over 123,000 teachers
attend school in Pennsylvania every day. The average age of these schools is
over 45 years and many are in poor condition due to deferred maintenance. Poor maintenance
leads to uncomfortable and unsafe conditions in schools. Such conditions can have serious impacts on
student and staff health and performance during the school year and later in
life. There are no national regulations which
designate the parameters of a “healthy school environment”. There are however, excellent guidelines for
no-cost, low-cost, logical and affordable measures and programs to help prevent
and resolve environmental exposures in schools.
The most critical path to a well maintained school is clear communication between everyone in the
school building from the youngest learner to the top administrator. Regular communication through a school health
advisory board, green team, or school health point-of-contact can help identify
problems, such as leaks, mold or bodily symptoms and offer quick response from
the appropriate personnel.
For a Quick Assessment to reduce and prevent exposures to
common environmental health hazards in your school connect to: Sensible Steps to Healthier School
Environments
Healthy School Environments Resources
One of the most frequent complaints from teachers and the parents of school children is an adverse reaction from mold, often caused by a leaky roofs or pipes condensation and excess humidity. Some moisture problems in schools have been linked to changes in building construction practices during the past 20-30 years. These changes have resulted in more tightly sealed buildings that may not allow moisture to escape easily. Moisture problems in schools are also associated with delayed or insufficient maintenance, due to budget and other constraints. Temporary structures in schools, such as trailers and portable classrooms, have frequently been associated with moisture and mold problems.
To address mold in schools consult:
Pennsylvania Mold Management Task Force Report
EPA Mold and Indoor Air Quality in Schools Guidelines
Asthma is a chronic condition of the lungs that makes it hard for people to breathe. Nationwide, it accounts for more than 10.5 million missed school days per year. More than 350,000 of Pennsylvania’s youth have asthma. Asthma attacks in schools account for missed school days. The triggers for those attacks can come from animal allergens, pest allergens, mold and moisture, dust mites, chemical odors, and outdoor air pollutants like school bus diesel exhaust. Clutter in classrooms harbors dust; fabric covered objects and pillows are breeding grounds for dust mites, all which exacerbate asthma. Look for ways to reduce clutter with regular clean-outs of un-used school materials.
See below for no-cost measures for eliminating asthma triggers in your school:
Pennsylvania Asthma Partnership
American Lung Association – Asthma in Schools
Poor Indoor air quality in a school building, may result in symptoms of respiratory infections and allergic or other adverse healthy reactions among students and staff. The development of a preventive indoor air quality (IAQ) management program can, through simple, low-cost actions, save money, improve health, decrease student and staff absenteeism.
Good IAQ in a school is everyone’s responsibility! From students and teachers who can set good housekeeping habits for effective cleaning to the school nurse who can identify a cluster of students with an adverse reaction to something in the air. School facilities staff are vital in maintaining proper school-wide Heating, Air Conditioning and Ventilation (HVAC) Systems, but they need everyone’s help to identify problems as they arise.
Outdoor and indoor air quality are of course related to one another. Use of pesticides, vehicle idling, smoking can adversely impact indoor air quality.
Here are resources to manage healthful indoor and outdoor air quality in and around schools:
US EPA – Creating Healthy Indoor Environments in Schools
Idle Free PA
US EPA – Idle Free Schools
Green cleaning in schools is another critical component of a healthy school environment. It comes with a long list of benefits to the school community. A well-designed green cleaning program will:
- Help students stay healthy and learn
- Protect the health of custodial staff
- Increase the lifespan of facilities
- Preserve the environment
- Save money
- Reducing Exposure to Toxic Substances
The Healthy Schools Campaign, describes a very comprehensive approach to green cleaning in schools. This non-profit also recognizes school green cleaning leaders from around the nation.
Choosing cleaning products that will not expose the school community to unnecessary toxins and safer ingredients; consider choices with third party labels:
US EPA – Safer Choice Label
Green Seal
Traditional pest control involves the routine application of pesticides. Pesticides can have short and long term impact on children’s health because children often spend more time closer to the ground, touching baseboards and lawns where pesticides may have been applied; children often eat and drink more relative to their body weight than adults, which can lead to a higher dose of pesticide residue per pound of body weight. Health impacts to children may result in: lower IQs, birth defects and developmental delays, and face higher risk of autism, ADHD and cancer.
IPM focuses on pest prevention by removing sources of food, sources of water and places for pests to hide.
Pesticides are only as needed in extreme cases. The most logical and cost-effective approach to pest management focuses on stopping entry of pest into schools. Easy fixes like; installing high-density door sweeps to keep out vermin and storing all foods and snacks in sealed plastic containers can block pests, eliminating the need for harmful pesticides.
In 2002, Pennsylvania enacted legislation (Act 36 of 2002) requiring each school district, intermediate unit and area vocational-technical school to develop an IPM plan. There is excellent support for this requirement for schools in the
IPM for Pennsylvania Schools manual.
US EPA
Drinking water can be unsafe if there are high levels of Lead and Copper. Children are especially susceptible to lead and copper exposure because their bodies absorb these metals at higher rates than the average adult. Children younger than six are most at risk due to their rapid rate of growth. Exposure to high levels of lead can cause damage to the brain, red blood cells, and kidneys. Exposure to even low levels of lead can cause low IQ, hearing impairment, reduced attention span, and poor classroom performance. In adults, exposure to high levels of copper can cause stomach and intestinal distress, liver or kidney damage, and complications of Wilson’s disease in genetically predisposed people.
Because children spend so much time in school and child care facilities and their bodies are developing rapidly, it is especially important to provide safe drinking water to avoid long term health problems.
Lead in drinking water becomes a critical issue when it leaks from plumbing fixtures. To respond to this issue, EPA developed the 3Ts to assist schools with lead in drinking water prevention programs. It is intended for use by school officials responsible for the maintenance and/or safety of school’s drinking water. The document introduces the 3Ts for reducing lead in drinking water which includes: training school officials, testing drinking water in schools, telling students, parents, staff, and the larger community about monitoring programs, potential risks, the results of testing, and remediation actions.
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
US EPA – The 3 Ts
From elementary school maintenance closets to high school chemistry labs, schools use a variety of chemicals. When they are mismanaged, chemicals can put students and school personnel at risk from spills, fires, and other accidental exposures. Common hazardous chemicals include corrosive acids, bases, oxidizers, compressed gases and flammable solvents. Chemical accidents impact children’s safety, can cost thousands of dollars to clean up, disrupt school schedules and could even temporarily close schools. Toxic chemicals can cause serious health effects, including cancer; brain and nervous system disorders; organ damage (i.e., liver, kidneys, and lungs); irritation of the eyes, skin nose and throat; and asthma attacks. A proper chemical management program ensures that all schools are free from hazards associated with mismanaged chemicals.
Chemicals may be considered mismanaged when they are:
In poor condition or expired
Overabundant
Not needed or used
Not properly labeled or unknown
Unsecured
Stored near food
Stored in inappropriate, leaking, corroded or cracked containers
Stored with incompatible chemicals
Stored on unstable/incompatible shelves or cabinets responsible chemical management.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is serious about protecting the health of everyone in a school. To ensure chemical safety in Pennsylvania schools they have instituted the “School Chemical Clean-out Campaign”. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), as part of SC3, is again providing integrated chemical management and safety training for teachers and administrators in Pennsylvania schools. The purpose of the Training is to help schools improve overall chemical management practices. Topics will include Hazard Awareness & Chemical Safety and Development of a Chemical Hygiene Plan. There is no fee charged for the Training which is coordinated with the Pennsylvania Intermediate Units.
For more information visit:
DEP's Schools Chemical Cleanout Campaign