Back to School IAQ Alert 2
What can you do if you see health hazards and unsafe conditions in your school?
Involve others. September is International School Safety Month and National Preparedness Month. It is a good time to involve parents, students and teachers in a school safety and injury prevention checkup.
Use safety checklists from the Healthy Schools Network, the fire department, National Safety Council, the National Parent-Teacher Association and local, state, and federal health agencies.
Ask questions . Don't be surprised if it requires some research to find out who is responsible for maintaining specific areas of your school.
Ask for school purchasing guidelines for art, science, cleaning and pest control supplies. Do they protect students from hazardous products especially in areas where food is stored, prepared or served?
Do a sniff test. Be suspicious of strange odors. Ask for information about air quality standards and programs such as the US EPA IAQ Tools for Schools Program. How is air quality monitored? Many state laws now require regular audits of school conditions. These inspection reports should be available to parents, staff and other interested citizens on request.Submit concerns or inspection requests in writing to school administrators and the city or state health department whose role is to maintain standards that protect occupant health and safety.
Speak up. Write letters and appear at school board and town meetings to let school administrators and town officials know that you care about healthykids and safe schools. Keep the issue alive until the situation is remedied. Your kids will thank you for it.
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