Primary and secondary schools are responsible for providing a healthy and safe learning environment for school children in Washington State. Schools that provide healthy and safe environments, support academic achievement, and reduce injuries.
The School Environmental Health and Safety Program works with local health jurisdictions, school districts, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, private schools, agencies, and non-profits to promote incorporation of environmental health and safety into school facility design, operation, and maintenance. The program also provides support for implementation of the State Board of Health School Rule, Chapter 246-366 WAC.
Technical areas addressed include controlling asthma triggers, science lab, art, and shop safety, hazardous waste management, injury prevention, playground safety, indoor air quality, ventilation, emergency response, communicable and vector-borne disease control, animals in schools, integrated pest management, cleaning and disinfection for health and safety, general safety, noise control, and lighting.
Resources We Provide
School Environmental Health and Safety Resources
School Environmental Health and Safety Workshop
Program Activities
- We provide technical assistance on school environmental health and safety issues for local health jurisdictions and school staff – including custodians, nurses, administrators, maintenance and operations staff, and risk managers.
- We provide interpretation and technical support on the State Board of Health School Rule (WAC 246-366), the Health and Safety Guide for K-12 Schools, and the School Indoor Air Quality Best Practices Manual. This includes technical assistance in site evaluation, plan review, and school pre-opening and routine inspections.
- We help promote best practices through presentations and trainings; statewide committee participation; and work with school associations and state, local, and federal agencies.
- We provide phone, email, and on-site consultation on school environmental health and safety issues, including indoor air quality.
Healthy Indoor Air is Important
- Over 1 million Washington children spend about 1300 hours in a school building each year (source: Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction).
- Nearly half of U.S. schools have indoor air quality problems (source: EPA).
- Children in classrooms with higher outdoor air ventilation rates tend to have higher scores on standard math and reading tests than children in poorly ventilated classrooms (source: EPA).
- Poor indoor air quality can not only trigger asthma episodes in susceptible children but can also cause drowsiness, fatigue, lethargy, headache, inability to concentrate, and eye, nose, throat, and skin irritation - all of which compromise learning (source: CDC School Health Policies and Practices Study).
Indoor concentrations of pollutants are commonly two to five times higher than outdoor concentrations due to chemicals found in some conventional cleaning products, improper cleaning procedures, defective or ineffective climate control (HVAC) systems, interior finishes, exterior pollutants, personal care products, and renovation projects (source: EPA).
Contact the Washington State DOH School Environmental Health and Safety Program for more information:
- Email: SchoolEHS@doh.wa.gov
- Office phone: 360-236-3330
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