Recognizing a school’s indoor environmental quality has a direct impact on student learning and staff productivity, local and national efforts have focused on improving the air quality in schools. While no one disagrees that good air quality in schools contributes to a sense of comfort and well being for all school occupants, another equally important environmental stress, heat, has been mostly ignored. In schools without air conditioning, hot temperatures not only reduce the quality of the indoor environment but also seriously affect student and teacher health and well being.
In May 1999, Indianapolis experienced two weeks of temperatures above 90 oF. In schools without air conditioning, classroom temperatures approached 100 oF. Responding to reports of students suffering heat related illnesses, the Marion County Health Department assessed heat stress levels in several urban schools. Conditions observed revealed that neither the schools nor the MCHD had a plan for protecting students and staff from the dangers of heat stress.
With input from the schools, the MCHD developed a proactive heat response plan that defines extreme heat levels and details actions schools should take to protect students and staff. Plan features include: faxing Heat Health Alerts to schools without air conditioning when heat indexes exceed 90 oF; active school surveillance by public health nurses assessing the health of students and staff and by environmental health specialists monitoring compliance with protective measures when heat indexes exceed 100 oF; and criteria for implementing additional protective measures, including the closing of school(s).
Learning Objectives: Teaching Objectives: 1. During the session, the presenter will define the concepts of heat index and wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) index. 2. During the session, the presenter will provide training in the use of heat and WBGT indexes in school environments. 3. During the session, the presenter will discuss protective measures that schools without air conditioning can take during a heat wave. 4. During the session, the presenter will review the development and implementation of a local hot weather plan for schools without air conditioning
Keywords: School Health, Indoor Environment
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.