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Tag Archives: asthma
THE PROBLEM
Diapers. Lots and lots of diapers.
Because the Jean Steckle Childcare Centre in Kitchener, Ontario caters to infants and toddlers, staff at the YWCA center were either changing diapers, disposing of them, or checking the children to see if a change was needed. And a change was needed.
That’s because diaper stations were placed in an open area—an area that was, well, ripe for lingering odors. But, Elaine Bridgewater, manager at the centre, didn’t just want to mask these odors. Instead, she wanted to eliminate them outright. And that’s where the change came in.
THE SOLUTION
So, she installed an AeraMax Professional AM III in the common area. Because it features a four-stage filtration system that removes both odors and 99.97% of airborne contaminants like viruses, germs and allergens from indoor air, Bridgewater was assured that the solution would address both smells and infection control. “Young children have quite immature immune systems, so we were looking for something to help in our fight against infections and viruses, (because) infection control is always very difficult,” she said.
ODOR-FREE AIR
The AeraMax Professional AM III fit the bill. “We have definitely seen a reduction in odors,” Bridgewater said. “We found that when you walk into the room, you can’t actually say ‘oh, someone needs a diaper change.’ We know that all the children have been changed and the smell is quite good.”
Best yet, teachers immediately noticed a change in the indoor environment—an absence of odors as well as a fresher atmosphere. Bridgewater also mentioned a positive contribution to morale. “(The teachers) feel a better sense of security, knowing that we are doing something above and beyond what’s required by having this unit—to keep them safe and healthy,” she said.
“I’d recommend (Aeramax Professional) to anyone who would like to improve the quality of their air—and to anyone who wants that extra edge in infection control.”
When Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary School principal Scarlett Dunne, Ph.D., noticed that students were frequently sick, she knew she had to do something to reverse absenteeism.
“We’ve had concerns with allergens in our building, as well as mold and mildew,” she said. We also have quite a few children in our building who have asthma—that’s what prompted us to look at air quality and begin to have a conversation with our plant services department.”
Ted Gilbert, associate superintendent for district services for the Clarke County School District, where Oglethorpe resides, understood there was a correlation between student illness and indoor air quality.
“How do we help and not hinder what’s going on in the classroom?” he said. “(Air quality) is one serious component. How do we bring a really fine environment to students in the classroom? When we do that, we know we enhance attendance, student achievement and the overall classroom experience. Indoor air quality is very, very important…I think anything we can do to remove particulates from the air and give our students and staff cleaner, fresher air is the best.”
To that end, Kimberly Thomas, executive director for plant services and custodial operations for the Clarke County School District spearheaded a pilot program with AeraMax Professional after completing a comprehensive air quality assessment.
In a pilot program, the school district installed AeraMax® Professional commercial air purifiers in selected classrooms at Oglethorpe. Since AeraMax Professional air purifiers remove up to 99.97 percent of airborne contaminants like germs, allergens, odors and viruses from indoor air, the facility team was confident that air quality would be quickly improved…and it did.
“Within the first week of installation, we could tell a difference in the rooms,” Dunne said. “There was a noticeable change. It smelled much fresher and we could see a difference in (the amount of) coughing and sneezing.”Teachers also noticed a difference, saying that students seemed more energized throughout the day.
An added benefit: “Not only did the parents and teachers recognize an immediate difference in fresher smelling air, but it also made it easier for our staff to clean those areas,” Thomas said. “We didn’t see the same level of dust.”
The installation of the AeraMax Professional units was part of a larger green cleaning initiative undertaken by the school district. And, the facility management industry took notice, resulting in the Grand Award in the Healthy Schools Campaign’s 2015 Green Cleaning Award for Schools & Universities.
More and more companies are realizing the benefits of green cleaning. Now you can too with the latest in our whitepaper series for facility managers. It’s called Change is in the Air: How Green Cleaning Protects the Environment and Health, and it outlines the importance of developing a solid green cleaning program, as well as the steps to undertake—and succeed at—the task of green cleaning.
Implementing a Green Cleaning Program
Contrary to some misperceptions, green cleaning isn’t only about using solvents and cleaning agents that leave little environmental impact. Instead, green cleaning focuses on a holistic approach to cleaning that positively impacts both the environment and health, streamlining operations so less energy is used, more efficiency is created and more healthful practices are implemented. Ultimately, it’s a movement that focuses on cleaning for health—and the whitepaper clearly outlines how that can happen in any facility, big or small.
The benefits to health can’t be overstated. For example, in one school, an indoor air quality program that focused on green cleaning techniques saw airborne dust inside the building decrease by 52 percent, VOC concentrations decrease by 49 percent and bacteria decrease by 40 percent.
Download it for free
Our new whitepaper includes a green cleaning checklist, as well as step-by-step processes to ensure green cleaning practices, and is available here.
Now residents in Lafayette, Louisiana can get a little something extra when they’re checking out “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”: The library system recently acquired 12 Speck air quality monitors and are making them available for loan to library cardholders.
The Speck monitors were developed by Carnegie Mellon University and built by Airviz, after introducing them at the SXSW Interactive Festival in Austin, Texas. The monitors were designed for home use and feature a display that shows indoor air quality.
According to KATC-TV in Lafayette, library card holders can check out the units for three weeks at a time. That way, library patrons can determine indoor air quality (IAQ) in their homes.
“We are making these Specks available in our libraries to give the tools to our patrons to make better decisions in their homes and, hopefully, make their home environments healthier,” said Teresa Elberson, Lafayette Public Library Director. “We’re excited to partner with Carnegie Mellon and Airviz to make this possible.”
