Sanitizers and disinfectants can play an important role in protecting public health. They are designed to kill "pests," including infectious germs and other microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Unfortunately, sanitizers and disinfectants also contain chemicals that are "pesticides." Exposure to persistent toxic…

Invented in 1948, electric hand dryers now are widely available in public restrooms. Given the expense of making paper, the labor involved in keeping restrooms stocked, and the waste generated from disposing paper, the use of hand dryers is an alternative for school and university facility owners and managers. However, standing in the way of…

There is a right way to clean a restroom. If a worker does two things wrong, repeated in 20 restrooms a day, it is fairly certain that restroom users will complain. However, what people see or smell is not the most important issue. The overriding guideline should be to clean for health first, appearance second. Minimizing…

It's estimated that at least 22 million school days are lost every year because of colds caught by students and faculty, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There's still no cure for the common cold, but there is a time-honored way to prevent it: handwashing, ideally with good old soap and water. It's still the best…

In many communities, schools are among the largest facilities and house the highest concentrations of daytime population. They create a huge demand for water. Even in regions with abundant water supplies, an increase in demand stresses local capacity, and water becomes more expensive. However, with the help of innovative products that reduce water…

Many facilities are considering no-water urinals because they are regarded as an effective way to conserve water. Water must be pumped by electricity, some estimate that as much as $300 per year per urinal can be saved in utility costs. The installation of no-water urinals can help buildings achieve credits toward Leadership in Energy and…

"Education Matters" is the monthly newsletter of the Association of American Educators (AAE), an organization dedicated to advancing the American teaching profession through personal growth, professional development, teacher advocacy and protection. This issue of the newsletter includes: (1) Misread: Why Congress Isn't Giving Her the…

Increased participation in recreational programing by persons with handicapping conditions is a right that calls for significant changes in accessibility of facilities. Both interior and exterior building modifications must be made. (CJ)

This article discusses the dilemma of discipline in the classroom of a Japanese women's university, from the point of view of an American professor whose assumptions about one particular behavior, leaving class in order to go to the bathroom, differ from those of his students.

Among U.S. children ages six to 14, about one in eight has a disability. To give the five million students with disabilities the same access to facilities as others, schools are required to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Schools not in compliance invite lawsuits and risk losing federal funding or accreditation. Many older…

Public or private, K-12, college or university, no one knows their facilities better than school maintenance and operations staff--from the front-line custodians to facility managers. When it comes to planning restrooms for new construction and renovation, operational experience is especially critical. Applying best practices in advance can save…

Discusses the electronic retrofitting of educational facilities plumbing systems. Some advantages of an electronic plumbing retrofit are cost, hygiene, water conservation, and meeting Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 (ADA) requirements. Issues important to the planning of a successful project are detailed. (RE)

Scores of millions of dollars are spent annually in the United States for new school buildings. With this large. expenditure has come a general desire that schoolhouses shall be usable, healthful, comfortable, and beautiful. Educators and architects have united in devising plans for school buildings. This bureau has published a valuable bulletin…

In this article, the author discusses the importance of having a daily classroom agenda, and provides some tips for developing and implementing an effective agenda. An agenda is simply a detailed list of all the things students must do and what teachers hope to accomplish on a particular school day. It should include lesson plans, special classes…

Based on the idea that the prevention and treatment of water pollution should begin at its source, this document focuses on some methods that individuals can use in their homes and businesses to treat wastewater. Chapter one, "What Is the Water Crisis?" explains the basic concepts of the hydrologic cycle, evapotranspiration, and the quantity of…