Healthy School Environments Assessment Tool (HealthySEAT)

HealthySEAT is a new software tool from EPA designed to help school districts conduct voluntary, customized self-assessments of their school facilities for environmental, health, and safety hazards.

More than 53 million children and about 6 million adults spend a significant portion of their days in more than 120,000 public and private school buildings. Many of these buildings are old and in poor condition, and may contain environmental conditions that inhibit learning and pose increased risks to the health of children and staff. The healthy school environments web site is designed to provide one-stop access to the many programs and resources available to help prevent and resolve environmental issues in schools.

For more information visit: http://www.epa.gov/schools/


Source: EPA - Office of Air and Radiation - Indoor Environments Division

Ten Things You Should Know About Mold per USEPA

As per the USEPA:

1. Potential health effects and symptoms associated with mold exposures include allergic reactions, asthma, and other respiratory complaints.
2. There is no practical way to eliminate all mold and mold spores in the indoor environment; the way to control indoor mold growth is to control moisture.
3. If mold is a problem in your home or school, you must clean up the mold and eliminate sources of moisture.
4. Fix the source of the water problem or leak to prevent mold growth.
5. Reduce indoor humidity (to 30-60% ) to decrease mold growth by: venting bathrooms, dryers, and other moisture-generating sources to the outside; using air conditioners and de-humidifiers; increasing ventilation; and using exhaust fans whenever cooking, dishwashing, and cleaning.
6. Clean and dry any damp or wet building materials and furnishings within 24-48 hours to prevent mold growth.
7. Clean mold off hard surfaces with water and detergent, and dry completely. Absorbent materials such as ceiling tiles, that are moldy, may need to be replaced.
8. Prevent condensation: Reduce the potential for condensation on cold surfaces (i.e., windows, piping, exterior walls, roof, or floors) by adding insulation.
9. In areas where there is a perpetual moisture problem, do not install carpeting (i.e., by drinking fountains, by classroom sinks, or on concrete floors with leaks or frequent condensation).
10. Molds can be found almost anywhere; they can grow on virtually any substance, providing moisture is present. There are molds that can grow on wood, paper, carpet, and foods.

source: www.epa.gov

Cleaning and Remediation of Flood Contaminated HVAC Systems

As per NIOSH Interim Recommendations for the Cleaning and Remediation of Flood-Contaminated HVAC Systems: A Guide for Building Owners and Managers

During flooding, systems for heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) can become submerged in flood waters. As a result, these systems may contain substantial amounts of dirt and debris and may also become contaminated with various types of microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. The following recommendations will help ensure that HVAC systems contaminated with flood water are properly cleaned and remediated to provide healthy indoor environments.

Microorganisms may grow on all surfaces of HVAC system components that weresubmerged in flood waters. In addition, moisture can collect in HVAC systemcomponents that were not submerged (such as air supply ducts above the water line)and can promote the growth of microorganisms. Therefore, all components of the HVACsystem that were contaminated with flood water or moisture should be thoroughlyinspected, cleaned of dirt and debris, and disinfected by a qualified professional. Thefollowing recommendations will help ensure that HVAC systems contaminated withflood water are properly cleaned and remediated to provide healthy indoorenvironments.

These interim recommendations are based on current knowledge as ofSeptember 21, 2005; the recommendations will be updated and revised as appropriate,as additional information becomes available.

For complete article go to http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/emres/Cleaning-Flood-HVAC.html