IAQ? During the Summer? Why is it important? What can I do to make it better?
Summer will soon be upon us again! Do we really need to worry about indoor air quality with barely any students present? Do we have a mold problem? Numerous activities may be performed during the summer break to both positively and negatively affect the overall indoor air quality for the next school year.
“We have no mold; therefore we don’t have indoor air quality problems!” The reply to that statement is as follows:
(1) Indoor air quality consists of a lot more than mold.
(2) Improper cleaning techniques combined with the limited use of available HVAC systems can create fungal growth and other indoor air problems where previously none existed.
Read More
Combustible Materials in Educational Facilities
Educators are encouraged to personalize classroom and hallway spaces in order to inhibit the institutional feel of learning environments (1). But this personalization can have the unintended consequence of increasing fire hazards. Paper decorations, curtains, furniture, rugs and other flammable materials can increase the intensity and spread of fire, leading to the possible overload of the fire protection systems and impeding egress and ingress which can lead to injury and death of teachers, students and fire fighters (1).
Additionally, data from the National Fire Incident Report System (NFIRS) shows injuries are higher in school fires than all other non-residential structure fires with 70 percent of school fires occurring between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Read More
