As if COVID-19 has not presented enough indoor air quality (IAQ) challenges for institutional and commercial facilities. Now, one major U.S. school district finds itself in the middle of a potential IAQ crisis that threatens the health of students, teachers and staff in its facilities.
The School District of Philadelphia recently released 24 locations where students and teachers could be temporarily moved if damaged asbestos and other environmental hazards force schools to close, according to Chalkbeat.
The swing space master plan includes few details but does feature a map of the temporary locations, which are mostly other school buildings that are either in use but have extra space or have been closed but are still owned by the district.
The plan will guide the district’s response to environmental hazards, such as asbestos abatement, mold remediation, building maintenance, repairs and other safety concerns, says Oz Hill, the district’s chief operating officer, in a letter accompanying the plan.
Asbestos remediation has closed seven school buildings in Philadelphia since the 2022-2023 year, and officials have warned more closures are likely. District experts have said at least 293 of 300 Philadelphia district buildings contain asbestos, though they said the substance is not dangerous until disturbed.
Dan Hounsell is senior editor for the facilities market. He has more than 30 years of experience writing about facilities maintenance, engineering and management.
