Offers tips for fighting mold in schools, asserting that it can contribute significantly to poor indoor air quality and sick building syndrome. Offers an overview on mold and discusses the steps of: humidity control, building inspections, condensation control or removal, and floor and carpet cleaning. (EV)

Provides guidelines that maintenance staff can use to help make sporting grandstands safe through preventive measures and paying attention to all exposed areas. Recommends using maintenance-and-inspection checklists that also have comments sections. Explores inspections of guardrails, areas beneath grandstands, concession stands, and exit routes.…

A new lighting system at a Wisconsin elementary school involved replacing all the incandescent fixtures with either fluorescent, mercury vapor, or high-output fixtures. Group lamp replacement procedures instead of spot relamping are expected to save labor costs. (MLF)

Discusses the importance of maintaining sprinkler systems in school facilities. Provides facts about sprinklers and describes steps to take after accidental discharges. (EV)

This guide from the San Jose Unified School District describes recommended procedures to promote and maintain a healthy and safe school environment during maintenance, modernization, or construction. Guidelines are presented in the following areas: (1) construction safety; (2) communication; (3) material selection; (4) heating, ventilation, and…

The Minnesota Department of Health developed this guidance at the request of the Minnesota Department of Children, Families and Learning. The goal of the document is to assist school district staff of Minnesota public schools in responding to problems related to indoor mold. Its focus is on practical, cost-effective methods to identify indoor mold…

Information about asbestos in the schools is provided in this pamphlet. The document describes the nature and dangers of asbestos and the passage of the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act in 1986. The responsibilities of school boards and other school officials to protect students and employees from asbestos exposure are explained as well as…

This guidebook provides maintenance and operations guidelines for managing General Services Administration (GSA) child care centers within the same standards and level of a GSA operated facility. Areas covered address cleaning standards and guidelines; equipment funding and inventory; maintenance of living environments and problem areas;…

A dictate by a fire safety official prompted Ketchikan, Alaska, board members and administrators to plan, design, and construct an appropriate facility for school district maintenance operations. Guidelines are provided. (MLF)

Ways in which school facility planners, managers, and others can guard against the potential indoor air quality (IAQ) problems presented by paint are covered in this bulletin. It opens with an overview of paint formulations and the functional quality of different paints, paying special attention to the volatile organic compounds present in some…

According to a recent survey of school administrators, nearly 5 million American public school students attend classes in substandard buildings. These children are required by law to enter schools that are structurally unsound, environmentally unsafe, or shoddy places for learning. This report summarizes findings of a nationwide study of U.S.…

This document offers additional guidelines for school facilities in California in the areas of safety and security, lighting, and cleanliness. It also offers a description of technology resources available on the World Wide Web. On the topic of safety and security, the document offers guidelines in the areas of entrances, doors, and controlled…

Describes a technique developed over the last 15 years in conjunction with South Carolina school districts to help them set priorities when addressing school building needs. Identifies five factors that are used to measure the overall impact of an individual facilities project in relation to other projects, thereby ranking projects according to an…

Nineteen addresses given at the 1982 Oklahoma School Plant Manager's Workshop are presented in this document. Following a welcoming speech, an overview of the issues currently facing school plant managers in Oklahoma, and a general address by a representative of the Arkansas Department of Education, the speakers focused on a number of specific…

Ways in which carpeting can affect a school's indoor air quality (IAQ) are discussed. Carpeting is defined as a system of components that includes pads, adhesives, floor preparation compounds, and seam sealers. For the last several years, these products have been increasingly scrutinized as to how they affect IAQ. Carpeting gives off volatile…