Maintaining Healthy Indoor Air Quality In Schools In COVID-19 Pandemic

Posted by Compliance 4 Buildings on November 20th, 2020

The quality of air quality in schools has always been important. Since IAQ heavily impacts alertness and cognition, it directly affects the state of well-being and performance of students. As the schools and colleges are reopening after a global lockdown because of urgency during the COVID-19 pandemic, air testing schools has become utterly important. The optimization of air has become utterly crucial.

The State of Indoor Air Quality in Schools during COVID-19

The reopening of the schools has begun to implement safety measures to try and avoid the spread of COVID-19. Since the infection rate is mounting, the UK administration has released a guide to help administrators to ensure indoor air quality standards for schools. This guide describes how to contain the spread of COVID-19, indoor air quality tools for schools, and much more. However, independent academics are doing what they can to help. 

Here are some common problems with portable classrooms to address:

• Poorly functioning HVAC systems providing minimal ventilation with outside air.
• Chemical off-gassing from pressed wood and other high-emission materials
• Badly functioning acoustics from loud ventilation systems.
• Water entry and mold growth
• Site pollution from nearby parking lots or loading areas.

How Poor Indoor Air Quality in Schools Affects Children?

Factors like bad indoor air quality in schools and how badly the air affects children are majorly considered during these tough times. If the stats are to be believed, 1000 parts per million (ppm) increases above the CO ambient level is directly linked to a 10-20% increase in days away from school. Indoor exposure to VOCs is also linked to the Sick Building Syndrome symptoms in school children.

This syndrome is usually characterized by:

• Lethargy
• Headache
• Dry and itchy skin
• Nasal stuffiness and dryness
• Sore throat
• Dryness, pain, and/or itching in the eye.

Preparing an IAQ Preventative Maintenance Plan

The UK’s administrative body has provided guidance documents for preventive maintenance, and it suggests four key steps for air testing in East London schools:

1. Make the Case: The leaders of the school need to convince the decision-makers and try to secure commitments to a dedicated IAQ program. This proves to be a challenge while considering the present economic climate. However, there should be legal measure for the schools that give up preventative IAQ measures to incur with higher costs down the line.

1. Develop the Plan: A proactive IAQ preventive maintenance plan, including routine inspections, cleaning, adjustment and repairs, and monitoring, should be developed. 

3. Establish a Dedicated Team: If not a team, then at least one person should be appointed to oversee and track the program’s implementation. And then, there should be continuous evaluation.