Safe and Healthy School Environments

by Frumkin, Howard; Geller, Robert J.; Rubin, I. Leslie; Nodvin, Janice

• ISBN13: 9780195179477
• ISBN10: 0195179471
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-08-03
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Millions of children and adults across the nation spend their days in school buildings, and they need safe, healthy environments to thrive, learn, and succeed. This book explores the school environment using the methods and perspectives of environmental health science. Though environmentalhealht has long been understood to be an important factor in workplaces, homes, and communities, this is the first book to address the same basic concerns in schools. The editors are physicians and educators trained in pediatrics, occupational and environmental medicine, and medical toxicology, andthe authors are experts in their fields drawn from across the United States and abroad. Each section of the book addresses a different concern facing schools today. In the first six sections, the various aspects of the school environment are examined. Chapters include the physical environment ofthe school, air quality issues, pest control, cleaning methods, food safety, safe designs of playgrounds and sports fields, crime and violence prevention, and transportation. In the last two sections, recommendations are made for school administrators on how to maximize the health of their schools. Appropriately evaluating the school environment, implementing strategies to address children and adults with disabilities, emphasizing health services, infectious disease prevention and recognition, and occupational health for faculty and staff are all addressed. The entire book is evidence-based,readable, generously illustrated, and practical. An indispensable resource for parents, school staff, administrators, government officials, and health professionals, this book is for anyone who cares about the health of our schools.

Table of Contents

Foreword	v
Jay Berkelhamer
Contributors	xiii
Editorial Advisory Committee	xvii
Introduction: Safe and Healthy School Environments	3	(10)
Howard Frumkin
I. The Physical Environment of the School
Crowding, Class Size, and School Size	13	(7)
Lorraine E. Maxwell
Lighting	20	(14)
Barbara Erwine
Noise	34	(12)
Lorraine E. Maxwell
Temperature and Humidity	46	(12)
Jouni J. K. Jaakkola
Ergonomics for Students and Staff	58	(20)
Cheryl Bennett
Andree Woodcock
Diane Tien
Animal Safety	78	(8)
Jerome A. Paulson
Chinonye Harvey
Playgrounds: A 150-Year-Old Model	86	(18)
Robin Moore
Injury Prevention	104	(19)
Sandra S. West
Hope Jackson
Robert J. Geller
Howard Frumkin
II. Air Quality in Schools
Indoor Air Quality	123	(10)
Robert Axelrad
Mold	133	(8)
Robert J. Geller
Outdoor Air Pollution	141	(14)
Andrea Hricko
III. Toxic Hazards in Schools
Pest Control	155	(14)
Troy A. Pierce
Robert J. Geller
Cleaning Materials and Methods	169	(20)
Stephen Ashkin
Richard Ellis
Chemical Exposures in and out of the Classroom	189	(18)
Jennifer Audi
Robert J. Geller
IV. Nutrition and Physical Activity
Food Safety	207	(11)
Jeannie Sneed
Nutrition at School: Creating a Healthy Food Environment	218	(20)
Nicole Larson
Mary Story
Safe and Healthy Sports Environments	238	(13)
David Marshall
V. Violence and Disasters
Violence and Crime Prevention through Environmental Design	251	(19)
Tod Schneider
Emergency Management	270	(25)
Angelo J. Bellomo
VI. Transportation to and from School
Safe School Travel	295	(19)
H. Dougias Robertson
Jeffrey C. Tsai
Healthy School Travel: Walking and Bicycling	314	(17)
Linda B. Crider
Amanda K. Hall
VII. Managing for Safe and Healthy School Environments
High-Performance School Buildings	331	(20)
Charles Eley
The Economics of Safe and Healthy Schools	351	(12)
David Mudarri
Evaluating the School Environment	363	(14)
Angelo J. Bellomo
Children and Adults with Disabilities	377	(20)
Kathy Gips
Janice Nodvin
I. Leslie Rubin
VIII. Health Services in Schools: Environmental Health Aspects
Health Services at School: Environmental Considerations	397	(15)
Julia Graham Lear
Care of Asthmatic and Allergic Students	412	(9)
W. Gerald Teague
Infectious Disease in Schools: Prevention and Control	421	(11)
Harry Keyserling
Occupational Health and Safety for Faculty and Staff	432	(13)
Darryl Alexander
Index	445