TECHNICAL HIGH

          In 2006, the Connecticut Department of Public Health, the Connecticut School Indoor

Environment Resource Team (CSIERT), the Connecticut Technical High School System,

the State Vocational Federation of Teachers / American Federation of Teachers and the

University of Connecticut Health Center launched a program: “Tools for Techs”. The

program addresses the unique indoor air quality issues found in Technical High Schools.

“Tools for Schools” in Connecticut: The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Tools

for Schools (TfS) program has been implemented in almost 700 Connecticut schools.

The program has lead to indoor air quality improvements because TfS committees

(teams representing administration, teachers, nursing, custodial staff, students and

parents) have successfully used the program’s checklists to identify indoor air quality risk

factors and set intervention priorities.

Connecticut’s Technical High Schools: Connecticut has seventeen Technical High

Schools and three Technical Education Centers. Over 1200 teachers and staff work in

these schools and approximately 11,000 students are enrolled. Technical High Schools

are essentially mini industrial complexes because many of the classrooms (shops) are

devoted to teaching trades. Carpentry, Welding and Heating Ventilating and Air

Conditioning (HVAC) shops may be found on one wing of a Technical High School.

Another wing may be devoted to Automotive Technology, Culinary Arts and

Hairdressing, Cosmetology and Barbering. The students and staff in the shops are

potentially exposed to the emissions associated with these trades. Students, teachers

and administrators from neighboring classrooms and offices may be affected by these

exposures as well. Potential emissions include welding and soldering fume from the

Welding or HVAC shops; combustion products from Culinary Arts kitchens or Auto

Technologies shops; wood dust, stains and lacquer from the Carpentry shops and

acrylates and solvents from the HCB classrooms. These emissions are hazardous if

exposures are not controlled.

In addition to the exposures associated with emissions from the trades, Technical High

Schools have many of the same indoor air quality problems found in other schools.

Technical High School teams also need training on topics such as reducing the risk

factors associated with microbial growth; enhancing the effectiveness of classroom

ventilation systems and minimizing exposure to construction/renovation emissions.

“Tools for Techs” The Tools for Techs program was initiated with pilot funding from the

American Federation of Teachers and the CT State Department of Education with two

goals in mind: the development of trade-specific checklists and the enhancement of the

walkthrough training program so that teams from Technical High Schools could address

the control of emissions from the technical trades. Although checklists focused on

safety and regulatory compliance have been published by NIOSH (Safety Checklist

Program) and the EOHS Institute at Rutgers (Safe Schools: A Health and Safety Check)

checklists focused on chemical exposure controls in schools are lacking.

The Tools for Techs program has been launched at six Connecticut Technical High

Schools. Multidisciplinary committees from these schools attended two four hour

training sessions.

During the first training session the teams were given a general overview of the Tools for

Techs program. During this training the teams received a packet of twelve tradespecific

checklists. The teams were encouraged to distribute the checklists to staff in

their school.

During the second training session team members learned how to do a building review.

In addition to the general overview of IAQ issues the walkthrough training program

included a unit on pollutant pathways and chemical control strategies: substitution, local

exhaust ventilation, work practices and personal protective equipment. During the

“walkthrough training” the teams reviewed the information gathered from both the

Teachers’ and Shop Specific Checklists. The teams were encouraged to prioritize and

summarize their recommended interventions in a report to school district.

The program to date has been very well received. The program addresses the unique

indoor air quality concerns in technical high schools. In addition, the traditional high

schools that teach technologies would find the checklists and training materials useful.

The checklists have been posted on the UConn Heath Center’s website at

http://www.oehc.uchc.edu/CIEH_TfT.asp

Prepared by: Anne Bracker, UCONN Health Center/ DOEM

Kenny Foscue, CT Department of Public Health

Rick Tanasi, State Vocational Federation of Teachers

Iris White, American Federation of Teachers Connecticut

John Woodmansee, CT State Dept of Education/ CTHSS