Indoor Air Quality Issues in Public Schools, Licensed Childcares, Hospitals, and Licensed Senior Care Settings

Public schools, licensed childcare, hospitals, and nursing homes are regulated facilities governed by sanitary codes administered under the authority of various Divisions and Bureaus of the Department of Health and Senior Services. In most cases, however, the codes are not specific to IAQ complaints. For assistance, contact the Bureaus individually.

For complaints regarding hospitals, contact the Bureau of Health Facility Regulation at (573) 751-6303. For complaints regarding licensed childcare facilities contact the Bureau of Child Care, Sanitation. For complaints regarding long-term care facilities consult with the appropriate Regional Office of the Division of Senior Services.

For IAQ Complaints regarding Schools, the following steps are recommended:

1. If the suspected problem is causing health concerns, consult with a physician concerning the health of the individual (adult or child). Many times illness attributed to poor IAQ is a result of other factors.
2. If the physician decides the indoor environment may be the source of or contributing to the health problems, consult with other parents or staff to determine how large a group is ill.
3. Approach the school administration (superintendent, school board), as a group if possible, to resolve the matter. Most schools have a vested interest in resolving legitimate issues and will work to solve the problems. Educational information and other resources for schools are available in the EPA School IAQ site. If further technical assistance is needed to determine the nature and extent of the IAQ problem in the school, the local public health agency may be contacted. If they need assistance, the Section for Environmental Public Health can provide a limited indoor air quality assessment investigation geared toward determining the cause of ill health effects, dependent on the situation. If the problem is severe, we can contact the appropriate federal agency for assistance as necessary. Or, the school can hire a private industrial hygiene or environmental firm.