On Tuesday, the Ontario Ministry of Education released a 26-page document that will guide the return to the classroom in September. The document lays out a plan for both elementary and secondary students to return to school fulltime and requires schools to improve air quality using ventilation and/or filtration before the start of the school year.
Schools with full mechanical ventilation are expected to have all ventilation systems inspected and in good working order prior to the start of the school year and undertake frequent filter changes throughout the year. Additionally, schools with HVAC systems will be required to use high-grade filters with a preference for MERV 13 filters, calibrate them for maximum fresh air intake, and start running the system two hours before the school opens. Schools without such systems are expected to use standalone high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter units in all classrooms. The government will be investing $25 million to deploying an additional 20,000 HEPA units to schools without mechanical ventilation.
Last October, HRAI established an Expert Advisory Panel on Indoor Air Quality in Commercial and Institutional Buildings. The committee, chaired by Joe Muchynski, Arvin Air Systems, had a mandate to offer unbiased, evidence-based thought leadership regarding the role of HVAC systems in the spread or containment of harmful diseases like COVID-19. Taking schools as a first priority, the committee prepared a guidance document (click here) for school boards and educational authorities to take into account when making investment decisions related to maintaining or improving indoor air quality in school buildings.
HRAI met with the office of the Minister of Education Stephen Lecce to share this document to help guide the Minister’s decisions concerning ventilation and IAQ in schools and ensure they are informed by the best available information.
For more information, contact Chelsea Goberdhan at 1-800-267-2231 ext. 236, or email cgoberdhan@hrai.ca.