NIOSH seeks to survey school workers about health issues

Washington – NIOSH is seeking comment on a proposed survey of school workers to gauge the relationship between building conditions and worker health.

The questionnaire would be sent to employees in 50 elementary schools in large school districts in the Northeast part of the country and would take approximately 20 minutes to complete, according to a notice in the Oct. 23 Federal Register.

NIOSH stated that asthma is especially common in the educational services industry, affecting 13.1 percent of workers. Dampness and mold, which the Government Accountability Office identified in a 1995 report as a serious issue in many schools – could contribute to asthma and other health conditions.

The tentative start date for the survey is spring 2014. Comments on the proposal are due Dec. 21.