flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Guidance offered for K-12 schools to support students with asthma

Codes and Standards

Guidance offered for K-12 schools to support students with asthma

Green purchasing policies for cleaning, filters, furniture and other products encouraged.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | October 12, 2020

Courtesy Pixabay

The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has released guidance for K-12 schools on product purchasing to support students with asthma. An estimated six million U.S. students younger than 18 are affected by asthma, the USGBC says.

“Healthy schools are critical to rebuilding our economy, and we need to prioritize decisions that allow students, teachers, janitorial staff and communities at large to feel supported and safe,” said Anisa Heming, director of the Center for Green Schools, in a news release. “Through this new guide, we’re providing actionable guidance that education leaders can put into practice now to protect millions of students.”

The Center identified four primary categories where environmentally healthy purchasing can help reduce irritants and allergens that contribute to asthma. The guidance addresses cleaning products, filters, furniture, rugs, and markers and paints.

A healthy green purchasing policy helps address common asthma triggers, such as exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs), indoor allergens, and poor ventilation. The asthma prevention guidance provides a list of third-party product certifications to consider, best practices for choosing low-VOC materials, and methods for engaging school decision-makers to implement a new purchasing policy.

Related Stories

Codes and Standards | Sep 7, 2021

Boston turns to developer fees to fund flood protection infrastructure

Assessments on commercial properties will help build seawall and other protective measures.

Codes and Standards | Sep 3, 2021

Low-cost methods can have substantial impact on reducing embodied carbon

Whole-building design, material substitution, and specification strategies can slash carbon by up to 46%.

Codes and Standards | Sep 2, 2021

Case for power resiliency in buildings grows with more disaster and outages

Essential businesses like data centers, hospitals are first adopters of new storage systems.

Codes and Standards | Aug 31, 2021

UK industry group wants mandatory whole-life carbon assessments of buildings

Aims to address hidden emissions embedded in supply chains.

Codes and Standards | Aug 31, 2021

Home electrification will require code upgrades

Residential electric panel capacity must be increased.

Codes and Standards | Aug 30, 2021

Facebook’s new $800 million Arizona data center to save big on water

Will restore more than 200 million gallons of water per year to river basins.

Codes and Standards | Aug 26, 2021

California may require solar on new high-rise residential and commercial buildings

State energy commission approves proposal; Could become law in 2023.

Codes and Standards | Aug 25, 2021

Study finds racism, discrimination common in construction industry

NIBS to share best practices with industry leaders to improve worker treatment.

Codes and Standards | Aug 24, 2021

White paper addresses insulated metal panel specifications for roofs and walls

Pertains to provisions of the National Building Code of Canada.

Codes and Standards | Aug 24, 2021

KTGY releases free resource to reduce carbon footprint in multifamily developments

Helps navigate Denver Green Code measures—a series of voluntary codes.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021