Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Action Kit

Reference Guides

IAQ Coordinator's Guide

This document is designed for the IAQ Coordinator at the school and district levels. It offers guidance on preventing and solving most indoor air problems with minimal cost and coordinating IAQ projects with other members of an IAQ team. The guide provides basic IAQ information, guidance for developing an IAQ management plan and suggestions for resolving IAQ problems.

• View the HTML version of the IAQ Coordinator's Guide
• Download the printable version of the IAQ Coordinator's Guide (PDF)

IAQ Reference Guide

This guidance provides common-sense measures for preventing, diagnosing and resolving most indoor air problems with minimal cost and involvement. This guide helps schools understand how IAQ problems develop, the importance of good IAQ and its impact on students, staff and building occupants. One section provides suggestions for dealing with an IAQ crisis and for communicating IAQ information to students, staff, parents and the community. The appendices of this guide offer detailed information on IAQ-related topics including:

• Mold;
• Radon;
• Secondhand smoke;
• Asthma;
• Portable classrooms;
• Basic measurement equipment;
• Hiring professional assistance;
• Codes and regulations; and
• Integrated pest management.

The document also includes information on typical indoor air pollutants and pollutants from motor vehicles and equipment.

• View the HTML Version of the IAQ Reference Guide
• Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Action Kit Reference Guide (pdf) (1.14 MB)

Problem Solving Tool

Use this interactive tool! We've taken the Problem Solving Wheel and made it available on the web. Click on a health symptom to review a list of possible causes of these complaints. Then, use the resources and checklists available in the Action Kit to identify and respond to IAQ issues. Find out what to do in an emergency.

• Get started using the Problem Solving Tool.

Checklists

EPA has designed 11 checklists to engage school staff and key stakeholders in the process of school inspections and sustaining an IAQ management program. Each checklist is accompanied by a backgrounder that describes the purpose of the specific checklist. Checklists may be downloaded in MS Word format and tailored or updated to reflect activities at a particular school.

Recommended action checklists are also available.

Fact Sheets

IAQ Backgrounder

This five page guidance document, included in the Action Kit, offers an in-depth description of factors that affect air quality in schools. This document highlights important topics including:

• Why IAQ is important to schools;
• Understanding IAQ problems and solutions;
• Sources of indoor air pollutants (indoor and outdoor sources); and
• Strategies to control building systems that affect air quality.

It also emphasizes the importance of the checklists provided for school staff and describes how the checklists can help schools identify problems and respond if IAQ problems exist.

• Indoor Air Quality Backgrounder: The Basics (pdf) (661.32 KB)

Managing Radon in Schools

As part of an effective IAQ management program, schools should test for radon to know if radon levels are elevated — and if so, reduce risks to occupants through radon mitigation. Many schools have successfully applied radon mitigation strategies to control indoor radon levels.

• View the HTML version of Managing Radon in Schools.
• Managing Radon in Schools (pdf) (478.9 KB)

Framework for Effective School IAQ Management

The Framework for Effective School IAQ Management provides a common language to describe the drivers of IAQ program success; detailed guidance on the proven strategies, organizational approaches and leadership styles that are fundamental to program success; and a clear vision of the pathway to IAQ excellence in schools. Use the Framework to launch, sustain or reinvigorate an effective IAQ management program.

• View the HTML ersion of the Framework for Effective School IAQ Management.
• The Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Approach: Providing a Framework for Success (pdf) (648.75 KB)

Managing Asthma in the School Environment

This newly revised guide offers valuable information for all school staff, especially school nurses, teachers and maintenance staff, on how to identify and control common environmental factors in schools that trigger asthma attacks. School nurses can share these resources with parents to raise awareness of asthma triggers and to help manage asthma at home and school effectively. Also included are easy tips for managing asthma in schools, including using the IAQ Tools for Schools Kit and Program to improve IAQ in the learning environment.

• View the HTML version of Managing Asthma in the School Environment.
• Managing Asthma in the School Environment (pdf) (1.4 MB)