  |
| |
NYSUT, AFT help schools breathe a little easier
Sept. 8, 2005 Willie Gomez, left, of Norfolk, Va. , and Clinton Gibson of Cleveland test air quality at Arbor Hill Elementary School in Albany. Schools are taking students' and staff's breath away — literally. According to a report by the General Accounting Office in the mid-1990s, more than half of U.S. schools have problems that affect indoor air quality. A study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health found that teaching carries more risk of asthma than many other occupations. Last summer, educators from a dozen states and the Virgin Islands attended the American Federation of Teachers Health and Safety Indoor Air Quality Training at NYSUT headquarters, near Albany , to learn how to improve indoor air quality at their workplaces. Attendees swapped stories of mold invasions, air intakes placed next to sewer lines and stored chemicals eating away the insides of closets and storage rooms. "We have had some mold and buildings without air conditioning, so there have been some big temperature issues," said Jim Hayes, a chemistry teacher and first vice president of the Yonkers Federation of Teachers. "I would like to see all the building reps get a condensed version of this training so they could work with the principals to identify problems." One day, participants toured Arbor Hill Elementary School in Albany . Attendees received a hands-on opportunity to wander the building looking for problem areas and take readings with air-sampling equipment provided by New York State United Teachers and its national affiliate, AFT. The 30-year-old building, built from an Arizona design that did not account for the heavy precipitation of the Northeast, has had water problems almost since the day it opened. Conference attendees found mold growth, standing water, water faucets that dripped on carpets, leaking water near electrical outlets and carpet that needed to be ripped up because of water damage. "It was an eye-opening experience," said Dorothy Tisdale of the Rochester Association of Paraprofessionals. "I am concerned about the health of students and staff. Many of them are asthmatic and I care about their safety." Poor indoor air quality, often caused by water intrusion, is a leading cause of asthma among children. According to the Environ-mental Protection Agency, nearly one in 13 school-aged children has asthma, which is a leading cause of school absenteeism due to a chronic illness, accounting for over 14 million missed school days per year. "The goal of this program was to provide attendees with the knowledge and experience they need to return to their educational facilities and identify and correct pollution problems," said Wendy Hord, NYSUT health and safety specialist. That is definitely on the agenda for Bernard Washington, vice president of the food service division of Unit 7 of the Syracuse Teachers Association. Washington has learned in 22 years as a cook that schools often are quick to tear down a wall when they have an air quality problem, instead of learning to identify and correct the source, as the AFT program teaches. Raymond Pitcher, immediate past president of Herkimer Faculty Association, has been on a health and safety task force for NYSUT for nine years. He knows a little education can go a long way. His district just completed a $24 million renovation project. The union was active in working with the contractor, because of union members' expertise in indoor air quality issues. "All along the way, we were getting reports, architectural drawings and other things to help us make knowledgeable recommendations," Pitcher said. For information on health and safety, visit www.nysut.org and click on "Health and Safety" on the Resources menu. For info on the EPA's indoor air quality program for schools, visit www.epa.gov/iaq/schools. — Kevin Hart |
| |
| | ||
