Indoor Air Quality
General
This Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Plan has been written in an effort to establish voluntary guidelines for Middletown Public Schools. There are no federal regulations covering professional indoor air services (except where it involves asbestos, lead or radon).
Middletown Public Schools is committed to developing and maintaining a sustainable and environmentally responsible mode of operation for its students, staff, and the local community. Middletown Public Schools commitment to environmental responsibility is intended both to educate the school community about environmental issues and to avoid or minimize any adverse impact on the environment from school operations.
This procedure is designed to help ensure that all employees and students are protected from the effects of poor Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). As a conscientious school community, Middletown Public Schools realizes that morale and productivity can suffer and absenteeism can rise if poor air quality conditions are allowed to occur and persist. A program of regular testing coupled with investigation of any persistent air quality complaints is directed at finding and fixing any air quality problems.
District Wide Program
An independent testing specialist will perform indoor Air Quality testing for all Middletown Public School buildings. General tests to be run due to their reliability and value are: a) Relative Humidity b) Temperature c) CO2 levels and d) expert observations of building surroundings. Results of theses studies will be published on the Facilities Web-site.
Facilities Management will follow a Step-by-Step Program (see below) if an air quality complaint occurs prior to a test date for a particular area of a school building, If necessary, additional testing will be performed by an independent testing specialist after the "Step System" for air quality complaints is conducted.
Step-by-Step Air Quality Complaint Plan
Many indoor air quality (IAQ) problems can be detected and corrected by Facilities Management. A typical IAQ investigation involves the following steps:
1. Determine who is affected, and when and where they are affected. One key element in resolving problems is reviewing complaints and obtaining firsthand information from occupants. Occupant's experiences and observations may go a long way toward improving the understanding of the problem. Questions to be addressed are:
a. What are the symptoms reported?
b. How many people have problems or concerns, where are they located, and when do problems appear?
c. What are the occupant's observations about the indoor environment?
Persons reporting specific medical problems should be encouraged to see a physician. Complaints may reflect individual medical conditions, work stress, office politics or other factors unrelated to air quality, but add to the overall perception of poor air quality and require investigation.
2. Inventory potential sources of environmental agents, such as:
a. Airborne dusts, chemicals and allergens that may be related to indoor air quality problems.
b. Outdoor air as a possible source.
· Pollen and mold can aggravate allergies and result in air quality complaints.
· Vehicle traffic near HVAC system air and other contaminants to the indoor air.
· Workplace activities involving even small amounts of chemicals.
· Outside contractors' activities, such as roofers and construction contractors.
3. Look for locations and sources of moisture intrusion or water damage.
4. Investigate heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system problems and air movement pathways
5. If after all of the above has been done with no apparent success, it is time to seek outside help from an Indoor Air Quality Specialist. All pertinent findings will be available on the Facilities Website to help facilitate communications within the school community.