This month, most students and teachers from across Puerto Rico return to the classroom for the start of the new school year. As the 2022 – 2023 school year begins, having a healthy indoor environment is more crucial than ever following years of COVID and to create conducive learning conditions.
Even with extra funding to improve HVAC systems to battle the pandemic, schools, colleges and universities throughout Puerto Rico and across the Caribbean face a myriad of challenges when it comes to providing a healthy learning environment due to limited maintenance and operating budgets. In many cases, this results in a lack of preventive building maintenance and delayed repairs that can lead to indoor air quality (IAQ) problems. Poor IAQ is not just a comfort issue, exposure to elevated levels of particulates, chemicals or biological contaminants can all lead to health concerns and learning challenges.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states:
Evidence from schools and office building studies demonstrate that various environmental conditions are closely associated with the incidence of measurable adverse health effects, and that indoor air quality problems can result in increased absences because of respiratory infections, allergic diseases from biological contaminants, or adverse reactions to chemicals used in the building.
“With the rise in COVID-19 cases that occurred this summer, school administrators and facility managers are tasked with ensuring healthy indoor environmental conditions for a successful new school year,” said Harry Pena, President of Zimmetry Environmental. “Effective cleaning and disinfection procedures for surfaces, and proper ventilation and filtration for air quality, are all going to be key components. Even flushing building water systems to minimize Legionella exposure risks in facilities that were closed or barely used during the summer months is important.”
Helping with these efforts are the building science and infection control professionals at Zimmetry Environmental. Their staff of industrial hygienists and indoor environmental quality experts are dedicated to identifying and resolving these types of issues in schools and other buildings. Zimmetry offers building assessments and inspections; HVAC system evaluations; 3rd party confirmation of cleaning and disinfection protocols; air, surface and water testing for environmental pathogens; and training services to ensure the resources are there to keep schools and universities operating safely.
To learn more about Zimmetry Environmental and their building science, indoor air quality, environmental, and compliance testing and consulting services, please visit www.zimmetry.com, call (787) 995.0005 or email info@zimmetry.com.
About Zimmetry Environmental
Since 2002, Zimmetry Environmental has been providing environmental consulting services to building owners and managers, architects, engineers, EHS professionals and Fortune 500 companies. The company is based in Puerto Rico and provides services across the Caribbean and Central America. The professionals at Zimmetry offer environmental compliance, indoor air quality, asbestos, lead-based paint, Phase I ESAs and general environmental consulting services.
— WebWireID292404 —
