Healthy Facilities Institute-University (HFI-U) Releases The Healthy and Safe Facility Handbook ─ School and College Edition

Boise, Idaho – The Healthy Facilities Institute-University (HFI-U) has released The Healthy and Safe Facility Handbook in both English and Spanish editions. It is available as a free download on the

www.HealthyFacilityHandbook.com website.

“Since Spanish is the second largest spoken language globally after Mandarin Chinese, with English in third place, we wanted to make this information freely available to the large numbers of Spanish-speaking facility services personnel,” said Allen Rathey, principal of HFI-U. “No signup or information is needed to download the guide. Just visit the site, download the guide(s), read and apply the information.”

HFI-U is grateful for the assistance of William Mattos, of ASEO USA, for making this translation possible, and is indebted to Kaivac for sponsoring the original English edition.

Background On the Guide

The Healthy Facilities Institute (HFI) Healthy and Safe Facility Handbook ─ School and College Edition provides actionable facts and steps to help you develop a system to:

  • Improve and protect the indoor environment at your facility
  • Provide better conditions for students, staff, faculty, and visitors
  • Advance learning outcomes by enhancing safety and health

The audience for this handbook is not technical but general.  It is designed to make the complicated simple while still being accurate, thus empowering laypersons to understand, affect, and improve health and safety issues in schools and colleges.

The subject of healthier indoor environments should be well-understood by all, not just experts.  This guide will give you holistic information to move your educational facility toward a higher level of health and well-being to the benefit of the learning and teaching process.

Guide Table of Contents

  1. Elements of Exposure – Breathing, Drinking, Eating, Touching, Ergonomics, General Safety and Security
  2. Healthy Architecture and Design

III. Health Factors

  • Indoor Air Quality
  • Chemical Exposure
  • Water Quality
  • Sound Levels
  • Lighting
  • Cleaning and Disinfecting
  • Sanitizing and Foodservice
  • Integrated Pest Management
  • Ergonomics (musculoskeletal, strains, slips/falls)
  1. Health by Areas
  • Classrooms
  • HVAC and Ceilings
  • Furniture
  • Restrooms
  • Floors
  • Stairs
  • Drinking Fountains
  • Cafeteria, Foodservice
  • Locker Rooms
  • Security
  1. Labs, Science, and STEM

About HFI-U

The primary purpose of Healthy Facilities Institute University (HFI-U) is to teach both Non-credentialed and Credentialed service and support staff employed in schools/colleges, senior care, hospitality, retail, and other fields, how to improve the environment of their facility in a way that makes them more valuable as employees and creates a bottom-line benefit to employers.

Featured

  • Kimball International Releases Curated Design Support Program

    Commercial furnishings company Kimball International recently announced the launch of a new end-to-end design support program, DesignSuite. According to a news release, its goal is to guide architecture & design professionals and dealer partners through the process from vision to specification.

  • University of Arizona Approves New Residence Hall

    The Arizona Board of Regents recently approved plans for a new residence hall at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., according to a news release. The new facility is scheduled to open in fall 2028 and have the capacity for more than 1,200 students, enforcing a new university expectation that all first-year students live on campus.

  • South Carolina District Starts Construction on $50M Middle School Renovation

    The Aiken County Public School District in North Augusta, S.C., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the $50-million renovation and expansion of North Augusta Middle School, according to a news release. The project’s funding comes from the 2024 renewal of a one-cent sales tax approved by local voters.

  • Utah Valley University Opens New Engineering Building

    Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, recently held a grand-opening ceremony for the new Scott M. Smith Engineering Building, according to a news release. The facility is one of the largest engineering buildings in the state at almost 200,000 square feet, and it plays home to the university’s Smith College of Engineering and Technology (SCET).