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

  • University of Kansas Opens $400M Football Stadium Reconstruction

    The University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kan., recently announced that the $400-million reconstruction of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium is complete in time for the 2025 football season, according to a news release. The university partnered with Turner Construction Company on the project.

  • UNL Kiewit Hall

    Designing for Engineering Excellence: Integrating Sustainability and Wellness at UNLs Kiewit Hall

    Kiewit Hall at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln exemplifies how academic institutions can integrate sustainability and wellness into modern learning environments. With an integrated and collaborative team approach, Kiewit Hall addresses enhanced learning and creativity, physical health, and mental wellness, and fosters a sense of community through innovative design, operations, and policy solutions.

  • UCNJ Launches $30M Modernization of Physical Education Center

    The Union College of Union County (UCNJ) in Cranford, N.J., recently broke ground on a new $30-million modernization project for its Physical Education Center (PECK), according to a news release. The college partnered with DIGroup Architecture for the project’s design, transitioning the existing 42,000-square-foot structure into a campus hub for student athletics and campus life.

  • Average Annual Number of Tornadoes per State

    New Tornado Wind Load Design Criteria in IBC Offer Improvements to Life Safety

    For the first time in U.S. building code history, the 2024 International Building Code (IBC) includes tornado wind load design criteria, marking a significant advancement in life-safety provisions.

Digital Edition