LEED-EB Now Requires Green Cleaning Program
All buildings seeking LEED-EB certification must now have a green cleaning policy, according to APPA, an organization for facility professionals in educational facilities.
All buildings seeking LEED-EB certification must now have a green cleaning policy, according to
APPA, an organization for facility professionals in educational facilities.
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) recently revised its LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB) standard to make green cleaning a prerequisite.
In addition, the USGBC also added credits for those institutions conducting an audit of their facilities using APPA's Custodial Staffing Guidelines for Educational Facilities. Institutions can earn up to two LEED points for using APPA's guidelines as part of the Quality Cleaning section of LEED's Operations and Maintenance guide to determine the appearance level of the facility.
Initially published by APPA in 1992 and now in its second edition, Custodial Staffing Guidelines covers five levels of clean used to assess facility appearance. The guide includes information on such specialized facilities areas as dormitories, health care facilities, and more.
The intent of the assessment, according to the LEED guide is, "to reduce the exposure of building occupants and maintenance personnel to potentially hazardous chemical, biological and particulate contaminants — which adversely affect air quality, human health, building finishes, building systems and the environment — by implementing, managing, and auditing cleaning procedures and processes."
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