Amery School District Indoor Environmental Quality Management Plan
Adopted May 9, 2012
Download entire document including Appendix A IEQ Concern Record
Mission Statement
School buildings kept in good repair, suitably equipped and in safe and sanitary condition promote a positive learning environment. In accordance with the requirements identified under Wisconsin Statutes 120.12 (5) and 121.02 (1) (i) and Wisconsin Administrative Code PI 8.01 (2) (i), the Amery School District’s designated officials will take appropriate steps to provide and maintain safe and healthful facilities.
As required in WI Stat. 118.075 (3) and (4), the Amery School District will maintain indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in schools with measures that include quality heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, moisture control, integrated pest management, cleaning and maintenance schedules, appropriate materials selection, routine building inspections by maintenance personnel, appropriate training of staff, and communication.
Role of the IEQ Coordinator
The Amery School District has identified the following persons as the IEQ Coordinators for specific buildings within the district.
Name of Director |
School Building |
George Sigsworth |
Amery High School |
George Sigsworth |
Amery Middle School |
George Sigsworth |
Amery Intermediate School |
George Sigsworth |
Lien Elementary School |
The IEQ Coordinator’s responsibilities will include serving as the primary contact person for issues related to IEQ within a specific school building.
The coordinator will be responsible for:
- collecting written IEQ concerns and ensuring that the contact information is recorded for the person reporting the concern(s);
- communicating with the administration and the school board about IEQ concerns that have been reported;
- determining if an investigation is necessary and assigning an appropriate individual to investigate the concern;
- communicating an anticipated timeline for completion of the investigation;
- sharing results of the investigation with the concerned person, administration and school board;
- ensuring that proper follow-up, remediation, and clean-up is scheduled and completed in a timely matter;
- maintaining a complete record of IEQ concerns and resolutions for a minimum of seven years;
- advising the school board if updates and/or changes are necessary to the district’s IEQ management plan;
- communicating with staff, parents, and other parties regarding IEQ; and
- leading an IEQ team if the district determines that a team is necessary to assist the IEQ Coordinator(s) with plan revisions, review of building concerns, communications, or other tasks as necessary.
Communication
The Amery School District’s communication plan to inform staff, students, parents, and the public of the district’s indoor environmental quality (IEQ) status includes the following:
- annual publication of a notice to students, staff, and the community that the district has an IEQ management plan in place, using the website, student handbook, the local newspaper, newsletter or other appropriate means;
- designation of contact persons for IEQ concerns and definition of responsibilities;
- development of policies related to IEQ of the district’s buildings that will be reviewed periodically along with other district policies;
- use of the district’s current procedures to provide information to the media regarding non-emergency situations; and
- accommodation of the needs of students, parents, and staff in the event of an IEQ emergency. One or more contact persons will be identified to work with the media and update the community during a crisis.]
Reporting and Resolution
The Amery School District encourages the prompt reporting and resolution of any and all IEQ concerns to provide a healthy and comfortable environment for students, staff, and visitors and avoid unnecessary costs related to the neglect of IEQ issues.
The Amery School District procedures for the reporting of IEQ concerns are outlined under the responsibilities of the IEQ coordinator identified in Section 2 of this plan. A form is provided for staff, students, parents or members of the public to report IEQ concerns in writing (See Appendix A).
Addressing IEQ Findings
When formal IEQ concern investigations result in the identification of specific IEQ issues, the issues will be as described in Section 2 of this plan, the IEQ Coordinator will ensure that results from the official IEQ concern investigation are recorded, actions taken are documented, a response is coordinated, and communication is made with all relevant parties. Copies of all documents will be kept by the building’s IEQ Coordinator. The IEQ Coordinator will develop and recommend specific plan changes for non-urgent issues that can be addressed by the district plans and present the recommendations to the school board for review and adoption. New or revised plans will be added to this IEQ Management Plan.]
IEQ Plan
The Amery School District has adopted the following as its IEQ Plan:
- Non-Smoking Policy: Wisconsin Statute 101.123 (2) (a) 2 prohibits tobacco use in all educational facilities.
- Animals in the Classroom plan: Animals may be allowed in classrooms as long as they are not contributing to a decline in indoor air quality. Areas where live animals are kept should be kept clean and free of debris. These animals should receive all appropriate veterinary treatments to minimize disease transmission. Any animal that illicits an allergic reaction in any person who will regularly come into contact with the animal, should be prohibited. Any embalmed animal being used for scientific purposes, should be stored in a sanitary manner. Measures should be taken to properly dispose of remaining bio-hazardous waste, and proper body substance isolation equipment (PPE) should be used when handling remains.
- Food in the Classroom plan: Food is allowed in the classroom at the discretion of the teacher, unless prohibited by the rules of the school district. If food is kept or eaten in the classroom, ensure that the waste is disposed of daily, or stored in a refrigerator. Misplaced food will mold very quickly and can cause a drop in indoor air quality. MEI reminds the district that some people experience severe allergic reactions to certain foods. These foods should be prohibited when they may trigger a known allergy.
- Painting plan: Anytime painting is done in schools, proper ventilation must be used. Selection of paints should be limited to 100% acrylic paint and paints containing low-VOC emissions. Paints containing styrene-butadiene latex combinations, enamels, strippers and paint thinners can produce an unsafe level of vapor, and their use should be avoided or minimized.
- Hazardous Materials Plan- already covered under current management plan provided by MacNeil Environmental.
- Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) Management Plan:Already covered under current management plan provided by MacNeil Environmental.
- Integrated Pest Management Program: Already covered under current management plan provided by MacNeil Environmental.
- Lead Policy: Already covered under current management plan provided by MacNeil Environmental.
- Radon Gas Plan: Already covered under current management plan provided by MacNeil Environmental.
- Anti-Idling Plan: Vehicles should limit the amount of time spent idling outside of school facilities. In addition, MEI recommends school facilities limit or prohibit vehicles from idling in front of air intakes, loading docks, or entryways. Whenever possible, while idling, vehicles should position themselves downwind of air intakes, loading docks, and entryways.
Procedures for Maintenance and Facility Operations
Cleaning and Chemicals - Regular and thorough cleaning is an important means for the removal of air pollutant sources. The Amery School District will address cleaning and chemical handling issues as appropriate.
- Flooring - Regular and effective cleaning and maintenance of all floor coverings used in district buildings is essential to keep floors dry and clean.
- Preventive Maintenance and Operations - Preventive maintenance involves routine inspection, adjustment, and repair of building structures and systems, including the heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system (HVAC); unit ventilators; local exhaust; fresh air intakes; and flooring. Preventive maintenance plays a major role in maintaining the quality of air by assuring that the building systems are operating effectively and efficiently to maintain comfortable temperatures and humidity in occupied spaces.
- Microbial Management - Microbials such as mold, bacteria, and viruses, are a significant cause of illness, health symptoms, and discomfort for building occupants. Moisture control is the most effective way to control microbial growth. The Amery School District will manage microbials by promptly investigating signs of water intrusion and/or microbial growth. Materials contaminated with microbials will be promptly cleaned or replaced. Mold growth will be removed from non-porous surfaces with a strong brush and non-ammonia containing detergent and thorough drying. Remediation projects that cannot be handled by district staff will be contracted to appropriate professionals. Specific control and protection measures will be used as needed for large-scale remediation projects.]
Construction and Renovation
The Amery School District will adhere to the state, federal, and municipal building code guidelines and other mandates/rules/regulations when doing construction and/or renovation projects, including the Wisconsin State Building Codes.
The Amery School District will consider IEQ when planning construction and renovation projects. The findings from walkthrough inspections and building systems evaluations will be considered when planning renovations.
Staff Responsibilities for Maintaining Good IEQ
All Amery School District staff members play an important role in maintaining and improving environmental quality. The actions of staff members can affect the quality of the indoor environment in school buildings.
- Teachers will help to maintain adequate airflow from ventilators by refraining from stacking books or other items on ventilators, covering vents with posters, turning off fans due to noise, leaving classroom doors open and by removing clutter in their classrooms, properly disposing of hazardous waste, and enforcing the school’s various IEQ plan in their classrooms.
- Administrators will communicate the school’s activities to the school board, staff, students, and community and ensure that the school is implementing the IEQ plan appropriately.
- Facility Operators will ensure that HVAC systems are operating properly and those buildings are maintained adequately and cleaned regularly.
- Custodians will follow the plan regarding cleaning chemicals, ensure that the school is regularly vacuumed and swept, clean drain pans, empty trash cans, and check drain pipes regularly. They also look for signs of pest problems and inform the appropriate people of any issues.
- Health Officers/School Nurses will track illnesses, such as asthma, that may provide an early warning of IEQ problems.
- The School Board will approve and support the IEQ Management Plan.
Prevention of IEQ Problems
The Amery School District is committed to preventing IEQ problems. To reach this goal, the district will:
- keep equipment and operating systems in good working condition and make every effort to best accommodate the needs and comfort of students, staff, and other users of the school building;
- evaluate building systems and conduct walkthroughs of the various district buildings, schedule regular review and maintenance for those systems that require continual attention, and handle IEQ concerns identified during the walkthroughs in accordance with #5 in this plan; and
- comply with all applicable codes and operate current systems based on how they were designed to be used to ensure high quality facilities for all district functions.
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