Initial Approach
- Meet with the school's facility manager to obtain a small floor plan of the building and to
discuss school structure and dynamics. If the school is currently under renovation or
renovations are planned for the near future you should postpone testing until renovations
are completed. You should also meet with school's principal or superintendent to discuss testing
protocols and required communication with students, parents, and staff.
- Conduct a walk through inspection to determine testing areas and record the information
on the floor plan of the building.
- The school administration shall conduct an informational meeting with representatives of
parent and teacher organizations to provide an overview of the scheduled radon testing.
The individual responsible for radon testing should attend to address any
questions/concerns. Experience has shown that proactive pre-testing communication
with parents and staff about why testing is required and what will be done if/when
elevated levels are found minimizes concerns.
- Two weeks prior to the scheduled radon testing, the school administration shall notify
parents of students and staff with a letter informing them of
the scheduled radon testing.
A Citizen's Guide to Radon pamphlets can be obtained on the web at http://www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/citguide.html. An electronic version can be emailed for distribution to staff and hard copies can be printed for distribution to parents.
When to Test
The EPA recommends that testing be performed in the colder months (i.e., October-March) when the required closed-building conditions are more likely to be maintained. It is also recommended that testing take place during the school week, so that HVAC settings are operating normally. Air Chek provides our ProChek 2-4 day test kits for school testing programs and recommends a test length of 3 days so that the test kits can be delivered and analyzed quickly.
Pro Chek Radon Test
What Rooms to Test
The basic guidance states that measurements are to be made in all frequently occupied rooms in contact with the ground. (See the exhibits for details.) These rooms include classrooms, offices, labs, cafeterias, libraries, auditoriums and gymnasiums. Rooms larger than 2000 sq. ft. require additional radon tests. Rooms that do not need to be tested are rest rooms, hallways, stairs, elevators, utility closets, storage areas, and the kitchen. Ground contact means any room over a crawl-space, slab-on-grade design, or in the basement.
