Indoor Air Quality - Tools for Schools Action Kit for Canadian Schools
Chapter 10: Building Maintenance Checklist
This checklist is intended for use by:
- School maintenance staff
- Facilities staff
- Contract service providers
This checklist discusses these major topic areas:
Instructions
- Read the IAQ Action Kit - Introduction, Backgrounder and How to Get Started sections.
- Read each item on this checklist. Check off each box (
 ) as you complete the activity.
- Check the triangle (
 ) if you do not require help with the activity OR check the circle ( ) if you need additional help.
- Return this checklist to the school board's IAQ coordinator and keep a copy for future reference.
Name
Room or Area
School
Date Completed
Signature
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Introduction
The IAQ Action Kit is a practical tool to help school boards and school employees understand and address indoor air quality (IAQ) problems. The kit provides clear and easily applied information that can be used to improve the indoor environment of schools, help prevent indoor air quality problems, and resolve problems promptly if they do arise.
This checklist provides instructions to help school maintenance staff, facilities staff, and contract service providers identify and prevent potential IAQ problems by practicing proper building maintenance.
The tasks identified in this checklist should only be performed by or with the assistance of a trained professional in that field. In performing tasks in this checklist, applicable federal, provincial, territorial and municipal regulations and guidelines should be respected including local fire regulations, building codes and occupational health and safety codes.
Maintenance Supplies
Maintenance supplies may emit air contaminants during their use and storage. The overuse or improper use of supplies (such as mixing them with incompatible compounds) can cause serious IAQ and worker safety problems. Products with low emissions are generally preferable. However, a low-emissions product is not necessarily better if it is more hazardous despite the lower emissions, and if it must be used more often or at higher doses. Supplies that may contribute to IAQ problems include:
- caulks
- solvents
- paints
- adhesives
- sealants
- cleaning agents
- floor finishes
Learn about maintenance supplies
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Provide training to all staff to ensure that proper work practices are followed. Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) training should be provided.
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Review and become familiar with maintenance supplies.
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Read labels and identify precautions regarding the effects of maintenance supplies on indoor air and ventilation requirements.
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Do not use air fresheners, scented products, ozone generators or other masking agents to cover up IAQ problems.
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Supplies reviewed and are acceptable.
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Need help determining the impact of supplies. |
If you make purchase decisions, or recommend products for purchase, confirm that supplies are safe to use
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Ask vendors and manufacturers to help select the safest and most effective products.|
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Obtain written documentation for all products.
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Supplies are safe to use.
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Need help determining if supplies are safe. |
Follow good safety, handling, disposal, and storage practices
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Develop appropriate procedures and ensure that supplies are available for spill control.
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Exhaust air from chemical and trash storage areas to the outdoors.
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Store chemical products and supplies in sealable, clearly labelled containers.
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Follow manufacturers' instructions regarding the use of maintenance supplies.
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Automatic dispensing and mixing equipment can minimize spills, waste, and improper mixing.
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Follow manufacturers' instructions regarding the disposal of chemicals, chemical-containing wastes, and containers.
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Following good safety, handling, disposal, and storage practices.
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Safety, handling, storage, and disposal practices are being revised to ensure acceptability.
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Need help with good safety, handling, disposal, and storage practices. |
Establish maintenance practices that minimize occupants' exposure to hazardous materials
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Substitute less-hazardous or non-hazardous materials where possible.
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Schedule work involving odorous or hazardous chemicals for periods when the school is unoccupied.
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Ventilate during and after the use of odorous or hazardous chemicals.
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Procedures are established and followed to minimize occupants' exposure.
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Need help to develop and implement procedures to minimize occupants' exposure. |
Dust Control
By reducing the amount of dust and dirt that enters the school, and by reducing the amount of dust that escapes vacuum bags and dust cloths, it's possible to maintain a cleaner school with less effort. A cleaner school can have positive physical and psychological effects on the students and staff, since complaints of illness and discomfort are more common in dustier buildings. Effective dust control also reduces levels of other particles such as pollens, which can cause allergic reactions. Chalkboards and white boards can be significant sources of dust.
Purchase and maintain barrier floor mats for all school entrances
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Barrier mats should be long enough to allow five full steps for people entering the school. (Ideally, dirt need only be cleaned from the mats rather than from all over the school, saving cleaning costs.)
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Vacuum each barrier mat daily (or more often if required) using a beater brush or beater bar vacuum, in two directions (in-line and side-to-side).
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Barrier mats are purchased and maintained.
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Need help with barrier mats. |
Use higher efficiency vacuum bags
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Standard paper or cloth bags allow lots of dust to pass completely through the vacuum, back into the air and onto surfaces. Use micro-filtration bags that retain dust and particles in the 3 micron size range, or smaller. Although the bags cost more, they reduce total cleaning labour costs.
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Ensure that each facility has easy access to a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration vacuum for use when cleaning up mould, rodent droppings, and other hazardous materials.
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Train staff to recognize and report mould, rodent droppings, and other hazardous materials. Develop written procedures for reporting and clean-up of these contaminants.
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High efficiency bags are in use.
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HEPA vacuum is available.
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Written procedures are in place.
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Need help obtaining proper bags or HEPA vacuum.
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Need help developing written procedures. |
Use proper dust wiping techniques
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Ensure that collected dust remains on the wipe by using a wiping motion with a folded wipe, rather than a flicking motion with a crumpled-up wipe.
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Wrap hand-held feather-type dusters with a dust cloth. Use a wiping motion, rather than a flicking or sweeping motion.
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Proper dusting techniques are practiced.
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Need help with dust wiping. |
Vacuum dust from heating, cooling, and ventilation air return grilles and air supply vents periodically
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In addition to vacuuming the grilles and vents using a soft bristle attachment, vacuum the ceiling and wall surfaces adjacent to the grilles and vents to remove visible dust. Because this dust is very fine, damp wipe surfaces before vacuuming, or use a HEPA vacuum.
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Cleaning is performed regularly.
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Need help cleaning grilles and vents. |
Chalkboard/White Board Maintenance
Chalkboards and white boards can generate large amounts of dust, either during board cleaning or brush cleaning.
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Clean boards and ledges with a damp cloth or other method to collect dust and prevent the release of dust.
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Clean brushes using a method that will not generate or release dust. Vacuum-style brush beater/cleaners can release large amounts of dust into the air.
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Brushes and boards are cleaned frequently and efficiently.
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Need help with brush or board cleaning. |
Floor Cleaning
Regardless of floor covering, use the manufacturer's recommendations for cleaning to remove accumulated contaminants. For carpets, the Canadian Carpet Institute recommends periodic extraction cleaning, wet or dry, and complete removal of the moisture and cleaning agents. Contact floor suppliers or manufacturers for their recommended maintenance techniques, or contact the Canadian Carpet Institute (CCI) at 1-819-684-8444
(website: 
www.canadiancarpet.org).
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Vacuum at least daily, as needed for soil removal. Use a vacuum with brushes, beater bars, strong suction, and a high efficiency filter bag that will filter particles down to the 3 micron or smaller range.
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Remove spots and stains immediately, using the flooring manufacturer's recommended techniques. Take care to prevent excess moisture or the accumulation of cleaning residue, and ensure that cleaned areas will dry quickly.
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Floors are cleaned daily as needed and moisture has been removed.
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Need help with daily floor maintenance. |
Perform restorative maintenance
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Apply the manufacturer's recommended guidelines when cleaning to remove accumulated contaminants. For carpets, the Canadian Carpet Institute (CCI) recommends periodic extraction cleaning, wet or dry, and complete removal of the moisture and cleaning agents.
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Restorative maintenance is properly performed as needed.
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Need help with restorative floor maintenance. |
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