How to Boost Safety & Efficiency in a Healthy School Environment

Providing a healthy school environment ensures that students can obtain the learning they need. However, the school building itself may actually hinder a student's performance. In a report conducted by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health's Healthy Holdings Program has found that poor ventilation, mold, noise, inadequate lighting, and uncomfortable temperatures can have negative effects on children's thinking and performance.

After reviewing over 200 studies, the report found that poor ventilation caused lower attention spans, while 75,000 NY high school students would have a 12.3% increased likelihood of failing a test when experiencing temperatures of 90°F than on a day that is 75°F. The study also reports that the EPA estimates that the conditions of roughly 6,000 public schools cause a poor indoor environment for learning.

To create a healthy school environment, engineers and project managers can focus on improving the air quality of schools by making buildings more efficient. Investing in monitoring sensors can help building managers further understand the aid quality so they can implement timely solutions. Check out the following solutions that can be integrated into school buildings and how Veris can provide the products to boost a school's safety and efficiency.

Monitor Gas Levels in Parking Garages and Structures

If a school has a parking garage for students and teachers that is near the main building, the parking garage can accumulate carbon monoxide (CO). While low levels are acceptable, higher CO levels can become dangerous and enter into school spaces that can impact a student's health. Improving the air ventilation in parking garages and schools helps to bring in fresh air to lower CO levels. However, running this ventilation when it is not needed can increase energy use leading to wasted resources and higher building costs.

Gas monitors such as Veris's GWN and GWNP Series base with AG series sensors allow you to monitor CO levels in parking garages and other structures that may accumulate gasses. These monitors can be mounted on single gang electrical boxes located anywhere in the building. The monitors have colored LEDs to show personnel what the current gas levels are in the building. When the gas amount reaches unsafe levels, air ventilation equipment can be activated on demand.

Maintaining Wood Shop & Metal Shop Classrooms

Woodworking and metal shop classrooms create unique learning experiences for students. They can create wooden sculptures or perform welding projects. However, these spaces can create air pollution that can be dangerous for students. Dust, wood shavings, metal shavings, and a buildup of welding gasses can lower the air quality and impact the students' concentrations. While the classrooms have ventilation equipment due to these issues, the amount of dust that is created can start to clog HVAC filters and decrease the amount of clean air that enters the rooms.

To maintain wood/metal shop classrooms, you can monitor the air pressure in the room. When the air pressure reaches lower levels, it can be an indication that air filters need to be changed and the ducts can be cleaned. A PX3 Series pressure measurement device with Bluetooth connectivity allows you to measure the differential air pressure in the space or the air velocity. These devices can measure duct static pressure, room pressure, building pressure, filter status, and air flow. Also, these devices can be activated using a mobile app that can flip the monitor's switch at any moment.

Better Manage Demand Controlled Ventilation

It can be frustrating for teaching staff when only certain rooms are too hot or have poor air quality. They can't just leave the classroom to inform maintenance workers about the issue when they have a limited amount of time in the day to teach students. Having a means to automatically control the ventilation to improve the air quality can make the classrooms more comfortable while also tackling energy waste in schools.

Demand-controlled ventilation is an ideal HVAC solution where sensors are placed into individual classrooms. These sensors monitor the air quality and will automatically activate ventilation systems when CO2 levels or temperatures become too high. Demand control ventilation equipment such as the CW2 Series Temperature Sensors can monitor CO2, relative humidity, VOC, and temperatures in one device. The easy-to-use interface options allow staff to better control the ventilation while the device blends in with the aesthetic of the classroom.

Importance of Safety in Schools

School safety should be paramount for everyone, and proper building maintenance can ensure that the school environment is ideal for the health and comfort of all students. Investing in demand-controlled ventilation, gas monitoring, and room sensors provides the right tools that school faculty need to improve the air quality throughout the entire building. Shop now to find the equipment to boost safety and efficiency in your schools.