Indoor Environment Program

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Indoor Environment Program
Everett Public Schools

• Presented By Gary Jefferis

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Spring 1994Closed School for 6 weeks

• Issues
• School has history of people feeling ill
• Classroom effected two days in a row
• Could not identify the cause

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Problems/Issues

• No baseline for comparison
• No standards or established criteria
• Agencies unwilling to establish recommended
  thresholds
• What to test for?
• Consultants want to test for everything
• Volunteer Experts came with own agendas
• Could not clearly identify a single issue

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Findings/Actions

• Carbon Dioxide levels
• Modified HVAC systems
• Let staff open windows
• Respiratory Particulant
• Replaced carpet with hard surfaces
• Cleaned HVAC system
• Total VOCs
• Changed all cleaners to green label products

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R e s u l t s

• No big smoking gun/lots of small issues
• Costs
• 150,000 - Tests/consultants
• 85,000 - Floor coverings
• 100,000 - HVAC renovation
• 75,000 - Reoccupation plan
• 
  __________________________________________________
  ________________________________
• 400,000 - Final (not including cost to
  relocate school for six
  weeks)
• Moved back in the fall of 1994/95 school year

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Planning For The Future
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P l a n s

• How to never experience this issue again?
• Review everything that becomes an issue during
  the event
• Gather data on indoor environment
• Review how to establish baselines
• Gather data in preparation to establish
  performance criterias

8
Developed District-Wide Program

• Elements
• Management structure
• Communications
• Reporting of concerns
• Reporting Results
• Standards/Performance criteria
• Preventive measures

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Management Structure

• A successful program requires a chain of
  command
• The chain of command is responsible to keep all
  parties apprised of indoor environmental concerns
  and/or related action in response to concern

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District Indoor Environment Manager

• Director of Maintenance Operations shall be
  responsible for the overall administration of the
  Everett School District's indoor environmental
  program. The primary responsibilities of this
  position with respect to the management of the
  program are
• Establish and maintain a system to document
  building occupant
• Coordinate response actions to building occupant
  concerns
• Schedule periodic surveillance monitoring of
  District facilities
• Provide training for personnel as required
• Oversee work practices for cleaning and
  maintenance activities

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Assistant Indoor Environment Managers

• The custodial and maintenance supervisors will
  serve as assistants to the program manager. The
  duties of these positions will primarily focus on
  daily operations that require attention to indoor
  environmental activities.
• The primary responsibilities of these positions,
  with respect to the program, are
• Inform the program manager of building occupants
  concerns and/or potential indoor environment
  concerns
• Review work requests and/or issue work orders to
  maintain the indoor environment
• Develop and supervise cleaning standards
• Review cleaners, chemicals, etc. used by
  custodial and maintenance staff
• Coordinate and schedule environment-specific work
  requests with other routine maintenance and
  cleaning operations

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Site Indoor Environment Managers

• The site administrators and/or building managers
  are site specific. The duties of these positions
  are
• Assure that Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
  are on file at the site for products used in the
  facility
• Approve all products used at the site to assure
  against contamination of the indoor environment
• Review health concerns related to indoor
  environment at the facility
• Meet and confer with staff, students and/or
  parents on matters pertaining to the sites
  indoor environment

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Maintenance Personnel

• Maintenance personnel shall utilize work
  practices that avoid releasing irritants into the
  air that can affect building occupants. The
  primary responsibilities of maintenance personnel
  with respect to the indoor environment program
  include
• Report any occurrence to the program manager
  where irritants are released or disturbed
• Utilize engineering controls and work practices
  that guard against release of irritants that
  could affect building occupants

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Custodial Staff

• Custodial staff shall employ cleaning procedures
  and cleaners/chemicals that protect the indoor
  environment. The primary responsibilities of the
  custodial staff with respect to the indoor
  environment program include
• Use cleaning procedures that control dust, mold
  and bacteria build ups while not placing
  irritants in the air
• Maintain the comfort zone for the building
  occupants (temperature)
• Monitor and change air filters
• Replace lights as required
• Report any items that require repair and that
  affect the indoor environment to central
  maintenance

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Occupant Symptoms Related To Environmental
Stressors
Stressors are air contaminants or physical
factors that influence occupant comfort and health

•  

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Indoor Environment Facility Concern Form

• Date ________________ Time ______________
• School ________________ Room/Location
  ______________
• Name ________________
• NATURE OF CONCERN
• __________________________________________________
  ______________________
• RESPONSE
• By__________________________ Date _____________
  _______
• Time ____________________
• Org Site
• cc Maintenance

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Indoor Environment Health Concern Form(for
staff and nurse)

• Date
• Place and Time of Concern
• Name
• Location
• Complaint
• Additional Comments
• Completed by
• Please describe complaint in as much detail as
  possible, including symptoms, length of
• time symptoms experienced, and how resolved.

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Ventilation Criteria
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Relative HumidityGuidelines
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Indoor Criteria for Contaminants
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Preventive Measures

• Heating, ventilating and air conditioning
  commissioning
• Ventilation system performance
• Indoor contaminant control
• Maintenance and house keeping controls
• Routine monitoring/testing

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Facility Baseline

• Develop a sound, healthy building baseline for
  each facility
• Understand activities that occur in the facility
• Record some general test data
• Record some general student absenteeism
  information

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Good bye bad air !