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This publication provides information on the most important indoor mold-related health concerns and discusses how school districts can keep school facilities mold-free and avoid these problems. The document addresses when to be concerned, how molds cause health problems, symptoms caused by mold allergies, indoor molds that form toxins, who is most at risk, and basic voluntary guidelines for cleanup and prevention of all molds. (EV)

The Minnesota Department of Health developed this guidance at the request of the Minnesota Department of Children, Families and Learning. The goal of the document is to assist school district staff of Minnesota public schools in responding to problems related to indoor mold. Its focus is on practical, cost-effective methods to identify indoor mold problems and assess the causes. A key message of the document is that from a health perspective schools should rarely, if ever, need to have mold testing performed in their initial investigation of a mold problem; rather, the main objective of any mold investigation should be to locate sites of indoor mold growth and determine how to best control the underlying moisture problem and remove the contamination. The document does not provide comprehensive guidance on remediation of severe mold contamination and is not intended to be applied to settings other than Minnesota public schools. The steps described are: (1) contact indoor air quality coordinator; (2) problem background evaluation; (3) investigation; (4) mold cleaning and removal; (5) professional moisture investigation; and (6) professional mold investigation. (Appendices contain the rationale for the recommendations, background on mold and health effects, discussion of personal protection and contaminant control, interpretation of mold testing results, description of expectations for professional mold investigations, mold remediation references, contact information, and a glossary of terms.) (EV)

This paper briefly discusses research on the negative impact of indoor air environments within educational facilities and the positive impact of a scientifically based cleaning process. Included is a form for calculating the environmental performance for a school environment and definitions of relevant terms. Final sections discuss building management and cleaning and list the principles of cleaning effectiveness in school environments. (GR)

In order to prevent the occurrence and spread of disease in California child care programs, this set of laminated procedure pages, in English and Spanish versions, details infant and child care procedures for safe diapering. The document delineates important rules about diapering, gives directions for making a disinfecting solution, and provides rules for cleaning and disinfecting, gloving, and hand washing. The pages also list ways to prevent communicable diseases in child care settings, describe the problem of head lice and how to deal with it, and list signs of child health to observe in a daily morning health check. (KB)

This document contains 44 occupational skill standards for the housekeeping management occupational cluster, as required for the state of Illinois. Skill standards, which were developed by committees that included educators and representatives from business, industry, and labor, are intended to promote education and training investment and ensure that students and workers are trained to meet industry standards benchmarked to international competitors. The standards include work to be performed, conditions of performance, performance criteria, performance elements, and performance assessment criteria (product and process). The 44 standards of the housekeeping management occupational cluster are grouped into the following nine areas: (1) safety and security; (2) customer relations; (3) inventory; (4) guestroom cleaning; (5) public area cleaning; (6) back of the house cleaning; (7) financial; (8) scheduling; and (9) housekeeping mid-management. The document's introductory section provides information on skill standard development and requirements, occupational earnings and employment information, and performance skill levels. Five appendixes include a glossary of 24 terms and lists of members of the Illinois Occupational Skill Standards and Credentialing Council (IOSSCC), the IOSSCC Hospitality Subcommittee, the IOSSCC Housekeeping Management Cluster Standards Development Committee, and workplace skills. (KC)

This guide was prepared while working with many Massachusetts schools to remove items that contain mercury and to find suitable alternatives. It contains fact sheets on: mercury in science laboratories and classrooms, mercury in school buildings and maintenance areas, mercury in the medical office and in medical technology classrooms in vocational technical schools, mercury in HVAC laboratories in vocational technical schools, establishing hazardous and universal waste collection areas, and mercury-free purchasing policies. The fact sheets contain information on items that contain mercury, non-mercury alternatives, storing unwanted items, how to handle a spill, and additional resources. (EV)

This handbook gives Arkansas child care providers current information on child and caregiver health, child illness, and development. The 16 chapters are: (1) "Child Growth and Development," on typical development from birth through 6 years; (2) "Children's Health Histories, Physical Exams and Immunizations," including immunization requirements and regulations for reporting communicable diseases; (3) "Nutrition," focusing on balanced diets; (4) "WIC (Women, Infants, and Children)," describing this nutrition program; (5) "Dental Health," with a focus on preventive dental care for young children; (6) "Preparing, Handling and Storing Food," including guidelines for purchasing food; (7) "Preventing Injuries," dealing with both indoor and outdoor areas; (8) "Preventing Illness," on procedures to prevent the spread of illness, guidelines for excluding children from child care, and typical infant illness; (9) "Preventing Communicable Diseases," describing for each communicable disease its symptoms, incubation and communicable periods, treatment, and prevention; (10) "Quick Guide to Communicable Diseases Chart," outlining for 21 diseases their incubation and communicable periods, symptoms, minimum isolation periods, and control measures; (11) "Regulations Relating to Spread of Disease," describing Arkansas' day care regulations; (12) "Reporting Communicable Diseases," outlining reportable diseases; (13) "HIV/AIDS Infection Control," providing a sample AIDS policy; (14) "First Aid in Emergencies," detailing first aid procedures; (15) "Child Maltreatment," presenting Arkansas' laws and reporting statute, and information on various types of maltreatment; and (16) "Protecting Health of Child Care Providers," including precautions for pregnant providers and preventing injury and illness. (KB)

Because children under age 5 are susceptible to food-borne illnesses and children in diapers present special sanitation and health problems, food safety and sanitation are emerging as important issues for child care providers. This booklet is designed to give providers and parents a quick and easy reference for food safety and sanitation. The first part of the booklet provides an overview of sanitation, covering handwashing, disinfecting, and safe diapering. The second part presents food safety basics for babies, covering safe handling of bottles, breast milk, and baby food. The third part of the booklet presents food safety basics for children in the areas of safe food handling, cooking, cleaning, cooling and refrigeration, storing leftovers, and safely handling leftovers. This section also includes food safety for field trips. A handwashing poster and refrigerator storage chart are included. The booklet concludes with a list of local and federal resources and related organizations. (HTH)

This training guide is intended to improve the skills of Head Start staff and families in dealing with communicable diseases. The guide addresses attitudes toward communicable diseases, how to reduce the spread of disease, and how to recognize and manage illnesses more effectively. The guide consists of six working sections. The first three are training modules. Each module details learning opportunities, expected outcomes, key concepts, background information, questions for discussion and reflection, activities, points to consider, and next steps. Module 1 addresses understanding communicable diseases, and includes experience with and understanding of communicable diseases, working with people of diverse beliefs, and how communicable diseases spread. Module 2 addresses preventing communicable diseases, and includes hand washing, gloving, checking on infection control, and fresh air. Module 3 addresses recognizing and managing communicable diseases. Topics addressed include daily health checks, managing communicable diseases, and assessing ill children. The fourth section of the guide addresses continuing professional development issues to help Head Start staff develop their skills in preventing, recognizing, managing and learning about communicable diseases. The fifth section contains resources including books, manuals, videos, newsletters, and national organizations. The sixth section is an appendix of fact sheets on communicable diseases ranging from chicken pox to tuberculosis. (SD)

This handbook presents child care providers with fifteen chapters containing the most current information available on child health, illness, and development. Chapter 1 addresses "Child Growth and Development" in the areas of muscle, social, emotional, and intellectual skills. Chapter 2 addresses "Children's Health Histories" and how to keep health records. Chapter 3 covers "Nutrition" and focuses on balanced diet. Chapter 4 addresses "WIC Information," including eligibility and program description. Chapter 5 discusses "Dental Health," including normal dental health and care. Chapter 6 addresses "Preparing, Handling, and Storing Food" and food purchase guidelines. Chapter 7 addresses "Preventing Injuries," including indoor and outdoor safety checklists. Chapter 8 covers"Preventing Illness," including proper hygiene. Chapter 9 addresses "Preventing Communicable Diseases," including universal precautions, and provides a guide to communicable diseases. Chapter 10 addresses "Regulations Relating to Spread of Disease" for day care centers. Chapter 11 discusses "Reporting Communicable Diseases." Chapter 12 addresses "HIV/AIDS Infection Control," including sample policies for providers. Chapter 13 addresses "First Aid in Emergencies," including supplies and techniques for handling common accidents. Chapter 14 deals with "Protecting Health of Child Care Providers," including preventing infection and precautions for pregnant providers. Finally, Chapter 15 addresses "Child Maltreatment," including reporting requirements and definitions of maltreatment. (SD)

This guide provides explanations of control methods for infection and diseases in child care with an emphasis on prevention and health. The guide consists of two parts. The first part covers the following topics on preventing illness in children: how infections spread; handwashing; separation into age groups; nappy changing and toileting; cleaning toys, clothing, and the center; food safety; animals; dealing with spills of blood and other fluids; children's wading pools; immunization; watching for and recording infections in children; exclusion of sick children and staff; occupational risks for child care workers; and the role of public health workers. The second part offers information on specific diseases along with the description, incubation period, infectious period, responsibilities of child care providers and parents, control of the spread of infection, and treatment for specific diseases in the following categories: respiratory complaints, gastrointestinal complaints (diarrhea and vomiting), skin complaints (rashes and bites), and other complaints. A glossary of medical terms is included. Three large size charts regarding changing nappies, when to wash hands, and childhood vaccination schedules are also included with the guide. (Contains 25 references.) (AP)

Project EXCEL is a federally-funded workplace literacy program involving hotel enterprises in the San Francisco (California) Bay area. Its focus is on identification and instruction of literacy skills essential to job success for limited-English-proficient (LEP) workers. Training is intended to enable employees to understand written work orders, enhance communication with supervisors and co-workers, and encourage greater involvement through team building and critical thinking. This training module is designed for hotel room cleaners in one participating hotel. An introductory section gives an overview of the curriculum and offers suggestions for classroom presentation. The curriculum consists of five instructional units on these topics: furnishings and arrangement in the hotel room; reporting problems and requests; appropriate and inappropriate behavior in the hotel room; describing actions; and accent reduction for Chinese-speaking workers. Each unit contains vocabulary lists and exercises using listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. The listening script and answer key are appended. (MSE) (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse on Literacy Education)

This document offers materials for a year-long course on general basic reading skills that was part of a workplace literacy project developed by Mercer County Community College (New Jersey), and its partners. The document contains the following: (1) outlines (each of which contains objectives, a topical outline, and list of textbooks) for two parts of the course; (2) diaries describing how a teacher conducted each part of the course; (3) lists of sample vocabulary; (4) lists of supplies, equipment, and procedures for particular work tasks (cleaning a restroom, cleaning a water fountain, and cleaning a showerroom); (5) handouts containing questions for the learner to answer in writing; and (6) spelling assignments. Ten references are listed. (CML)

This packet contains lesson plans and an evaluation for a janitorial unit designed to teach reading and writing skills to grocery store janitors. The lesson plans were developed, using the Laubach literacy method, for a workplace literacy project at Carr Grocery Store in Anchorage, Alaska. The lesson plans, which are correlated with Laubach skills books level 2, include conversational skills (dialogue, vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and free conversation) and reading and writing skills and practice. The lessons focus on topics from the workplace such as cleaning floors and restrooms, general cleaning, work attitudes and behaviors, and workplace conversation. The evaluation requires employees to demonstrate knowledge and use of work-related forms and job duties. A custodian's guide prepared for the Anchorage, Alaska school district custodial employees provides information on care of tools and equipment, fire prevention, and a detailed cleaning guide. (KC)

Offers tips for fighting mold in schools, asserting that it can contribute significantly to poor indoor air quality and sick building syndrome. Offers an overview on mold and discusses the steps of: humidity control, building inspections, condensation control or removal, and floor and carpet cleaning. (EV)

Describes steps schools can take to provide cleaner and safer washrooms. Emphasizes hand-washing to battle germs and asserts that creating a comfortable and user-friendly washroom is a critical and often overlooked aspect for encouraging better hygiene habits. (EV)

Describes the effects of improperly insulated chilled water distribution systems on mold and mildew in occupied buildings, its health risks, prevention, economic impact, and solution. (EV)

Describes how school restrooms can get a fresher and healthier look with new technologies and better-trained custodial workers. Examples include more automated, no-touch systems and efficient cleaning products. (EV)

Advises schools on how to identify and handle toxic mold in their buildings. Addresses the extent of the problem, offers a four-step approach toward remediation, and suggests questions to ask when mold has been identified. (EV)

Discusses five areas of custodial maintenance caretaking in which facility managers need continual education: first aid and safety, hazardous materials, products and supplies, chemicals and their intended use, and cleaning procedures. Includes an annotated list of resources related to these areas. (EV)

Describes how the dirt and grime tracked onto school building floors can be minimized with a few simple steps, such as walkoff mats, and using vinyl composition tiling. (EV)

This document offers additional guidelines for school facilities in California in the areas of safety and security, lighting, and cleanliness. It also offers a description of technology resources available on the World Wide Web. On the topic of safety and security, the document offers guidelines in the areas of entrances, doors, and controlled access to campuses; windows; visibility; traffic patterns and parking areas; play and sports areas; landscaping; fencing and gates; exterior lighting; lavatories; environmental design features; visitor control and access; and specialized sites. An extensive list of related resources is also provided. Regarding lighting standards, the document offers research-based design recommendations and suggestions concerning reflectances, fixture brightness, ceiling height, excess wall luminance (windows), nonuniformity of illumination (general lighting), and energy conservation. This section also includes a glossary. The section on clean school standards offers questions to consider when establishing policies for a maintenance and operations program. Finally, the section on technology resources includes Web sites on comprehensive technology planning, integration of technology into the curriculum, and staff development. (EV)

Asserting that molds growing in schools can be harmful to children's health and learning, this guide offers information about the issue. It provides an overview of the basics, then addresses testing, types of molds, molds and health, monitoring schools for mold, mold prevention and clean-up tips for schools, and what parents should do if they suspect mold is making their child sick. (EV)

These publications are two of three that comprise a course that provides occupationally specific training designed to develop knowledge and skills for employment in the area of institutional maintenance management and services. The reference book is a student text that provides information needed by employees in the institutional maintenance industry. Each chapter contains a chapter focus (the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards addressed in that chapter), chapter vocabulary list, "essential questions" boxes, and chapter highlights. Topics of the 18 chapters include careers; self-employment; job success; client relationships; communication skills; organizational goals, procedures, and policies; safety; sanitation; housekeeping equipment and supplies; floor care; above-floor care; planning maintenance tasks; time management and work simplification; disinfection techniques; laundry procedures and equipment; and proper care and handling of linens. There are a list of 8 references and 18 web sites, and an index. The student activity book contains paper-and-pencil activities that reinforce essential information presented in each chapter of the reference book. (YLB)

Recommends keeping body defenses strong, and keeping all surfaces clean and some surfaces sanitary. Urges using federally mandated precautions for blood spills, avoiding germ-trapping artificial or long fingernails and jewelry, practicing good hand washing, and organizing the environment to avoid contamination. Includes table relating child care areas with choices for cleaning/sanitizing and frequency recommendations. (DLH)

Reviews techniques for handwashing, diapering, helping a child use the toilet, cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, dealing with illness, and preventing disease during swim season. Summarizes how to take a child's temperature and emphasizes the need to wash hands even when using gloves. (DLH)

This packet contains a student manual and instructor key for a course in housekeeping for health care facilities in secondary health occupations programs. The student manual is divided into six units: (1) introduction to housekeeping; (2) interpersonal relations; (3) infection control and safety; (4) general cleaning procedures; (5) cleaning areas within a facility; and (6) laundry. Every unit contains several lessons, each consisting of the following components: objectives, key terms, information sheets, and activity sheets. Written evaluation forms (tests) and skill evaluation forms are included for every unit. The student manual, which can be used for individual study or in a classroom setting, also contains 12 references and a glossary defining 72 terms. The instructor key contains instructional strategies, a competency crosswalk, and answers to written evaluations. (KC)

Examines some of the new equipment, chemicals, and procedures in floor care to help educational facility managers develop floor care programs and improve performance. Trends include more mechanization, higher concentrations and environmentally preferable products for cleaning, and the use of written cleaning procedures. (GR)

Examines six steps to maintaining hard wood and resilient floors in educational facilities that can provides a high level of appearance, safety, sanitation, and prevention of damage. Specific cleaning techniques accompany each step. (GR)

Procedures for salvaging water-damaged books, film, archives, and other library materials are outlined, from assessment of damage to final returning books to shelves. Advice is given on removing the materials, packing, freezing, drying, treating for mold, sterilizing, removing mud, forming a salvage team, evaluating losses, salvaging the catalog, keeping records, controlling humidity and temperatures in work and storage areas, and handling the chemicals necessary in the process. Initial emergency procedures are summarized. Appendixes list sources of assistance, services, supplies, and equipment. (LS)

Several intermediate performance objectives and corresponding criterion measures are listed for each of the 13 terminal objectives for a basic high school building maintenance course (the first year of a 3-year program). The materials were developed for a 36-week course (2 hours daily) designed to enable 10th grade students to develop competencies in the skills required of a building maintenance mechanic. Instruction includes carpentry, painting, electrical maintenance, plumbing and pipefitting, concrete work and repairs, glazing and caulking, floor care, custodial practices, lawn and shrub care, blueprint reading and sketching, and occupational safety. Students are given the opportunity to develop their skills by practical application. Titles of the terminal objectives are Orientation, Vocational-Industrial Student Organization, Occupational Information, Blueprint Reading, Occupational Safety, Carpentry, Painting, Electrical Maintenance, Plumbing and Pipefitting, Concrete Work and Repairs, Glazing and Caulking, Custodial Practice, and Landscaping. (This manual and 54 others were developed for various secondary level vocational courses using the System Approach for Education (SAFE) guidelines.) (HD)

Focusing on occupations in the clothing and baking industries, this document is one in a series of forty-one reprints from the Occupational Outlook Handbook providing current information and employment projections for individual occupations and industries through 1985. The specific occupations covered in this document include occupations in the apparel industry, occupations in the baking industry, occupations in laundry and drycleaning plants, and occupations in the textile mill products industry. The following information is presented for each occupation or occupational area: a code number referenced to the Dictionary of Occupational Titles; a description of the nature of the work; places of employment; training, other qualifications, and advancement; employment outlook; earnings and working conditions; and sources of additional information. In addition to the forty-one reprints covering individual occupations or occupational areas (CE 017 757-797), a companion document (CE 017 756) presents employment projections for the total labor market and discusses the relationship between job prospects and education. (BM)