Often times preservation solutions used to keep the integrity of specimens utilized for educational purposes in upper education anatomy laboratory courses are overlooked as a source of exposure to harmful agents, one of which is formaldehyde. Faculty and staff who work with specimens in an educational setting may be exposed to harmful levels of agents,… Read more »
How to Evaluate an Odor in Your Building
What’s that smell? Is it dangerous? Should I be concerned? Odor evaluations can be one of the most difficult indoor environmental quality (IEQ) investigations to perform. Odors are also an issue that can quickly escalate from murmuring to a major problem for building owners and management. Approached correctly, though, an odor evaluation can show building… Read more »
Lead in School Drinking Water
Is School Water Safe to Drink? The reality is that lead in school drinking water continues to be a serious concern, with children in many schools potentially drinking water with dangerous levels of lead. Even when water entering a facility meets all federal and state public health standards for lead concentrations, older plumbing materials found… Read more »
The Smart Way to Manage Hazardous Building Materials in Schools
Imagine the following situation, then ask yourself one question: “Could this happen in my school?” The school’s new Athletic Department administration has received a donation to improve the weight room used by the school’s student-athletes, starting with removal of the tile flooring. The Athletic Department hires a flooring contractor to remove the existing tile flooring… Read more »
Air Sensor Technology and Indoor Air Quality
A direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a heightened awareness of indoor environmental quality by both building occupants and property owners in the built environment. Direct-reading air quality instruments have long existed to monitor indoor air quality pollutants in real-time. Still, in recent years, advances in sensor technology have resulted in an expansion… Read more »
What Should Be Included in an Emergency Response Plan Gap Analysis for Multifamily Properties?
Emergency response plans are an essential part of multifamily property management. When troubles present themselves (and they invariably will) the emergency response plan is the guide that can turn chaos into calm and deliberate action. The property management team that knows the plan and has practiced the plan is miles ahead of the team that… Read more »
Turning Liability into Opportunity
We have all seen the headlines: bacterial outbreaks, chemical contamination, mold lurking behind walls. They are attention-getters that play upon our fear of the unknown and how it may harm us. This is the realm of environmental health, the study, and management of human health impacts arising from physical, chemical, and biological agents in our… Read more »
Green Building Certifications: Do You Need One?
How healthy is the building? Is the air and water quality in this building safe? Is ventilation adequate? Questions like these were gaining popularity prior to the COVID pandemic, but are now top of mind for anyone who works in or visits the space. Employers, employees, residents, management, visitors — all care about the health… Read more »