National Healthy Schools Day Spotlights Indoor Air Quality

Across the nation educational institutions are recognizing National Healthy Schools Day. The important day is coordinated by the Healthy Schools Network in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Council of Educational Facility Planners – International (CEFPI). It promotes the use of the EPA’s IAQ Tools for Schools program.

According to the Healthy Schools Network, “National Healthy Schools Day is a great day for everyone to celebrate and promote healthy and green indoor school environments for all children and staff. For more than five years parents, personnel, advocates, and agencies have held National Healthy Schools Day activities nationwide to highlight the importance of clean indoor air in schools.”

According to research and the EPA, poor indoor air quality can cause illness requiring absence from school and can cause acute health symptoms that decrease performance while at school. The EPA has reported that recent data suggest that poor IAQ can reduce a person’s ability to perform specific mental tasks requiring concentration, calculation and memory.

Clark Seif Clark, a leading provider of indoor air quality (IAQ) testing services, has spent over 15 years working with schools to help assess and prescribe remedies to improve the indoor environment and air in our schools. “Presenteeism, where students and staff are physically present but functioning below their peak performance, can be influenced by poor IAQ. Absenteeism not only interrupts the student’s learning process, but also results in revenue losses for the school,” stated Derrick A. Denis, V.P. Indoor Environmental Quality at CSC. “This topic is particularly relevant since many school districts have witnessed their maintenance budgets slashed as state and local budgets get squeezed due to the struggling economy. The resulting postponement or elimination of preventative maintenance (PM) and capital projects can quickly turn avoidable or minor problems into major IAQ concerns,” he continued.

To learn more about environmental health at schools or IAQ, please visit www.csceng.com, email csc@csceng.com or call (800) 807-1118.

About Clark Seif Clark (CSC)
CSC was established in 1989 to help clients in both the public and private sectors address environmental health and safety (EH&S) issues. CSC is a leading provider of these services with multiple offices along the western seaboard and southwest. The company believes in science-based protocols and has a strong background in engineering, making them the preferred environmental consultants to healthcare facilities, architects, schools, builders, contractors, developers and real estate professionals.

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