Facilities managers are busily getting their schools, colleges, and universities ready for classes to resume. No matter the type of educational facility they manage, all need to be properly maintained. That’s why we’re reviewing several back-to-school projects that facilities managers should ensure are on their checklists for clean and safe buildings for the new academic year.

1. Check Safety Equipment

You must inspect your building safety equipment to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local safety standards:

• Fire extinguishers: Inspect monthly, maintain annually, and test every few years. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommend more frequent inspections if there is a history of damage or tampering with fire extinguishers.
• First-aid kits: Check that contents have been replenished. While first-aid kits typically can be found in classrooms, nurse’s offices, and health service centers, they should also be in science laboratories to comply with OSHA and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) requirements. To learn more about what specific elements should be in a first aid kit, check out “What Should Be in Your Facility’s First-Aid Kit,” on Facilities Management Advisor.
• Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) units: AEDs check a person’s heart rhythm and can recognize a rhythm requiring shock. Inspect AED units for dirt, damage, or contamination. Also, test the battery, ensure the unit can turn on, clean it, store it properly, and keep detailed maintenance records.
• Fire alarms and other considerations: Be sure to inspect fire alarm systems which include testing audio and visual devices, duct detectors, ground fault detection circuity, standby batteries, pull stations, and smoke detectors. Additionally, ensure your exit routes, exit doors, emergency lighting, exit signage, sprinkler system, and elevators meet applicable standards, by reading “Back to Basics: Most Common Fire Safety Code Violations” on Facilities Management Advisor.

2. Inspect Security Equipment

Facilities managers should inspect and ensure that the security equipment in the school, college, or university is functioning properly and is being well maintained. Specific elements they should be on the lookout for include:

• Surveillance cameras: Ensure the power supply is working, check camera housing for damage, ensure cables are not broken, and make sure there is enough lighting to be able to identify individuals on camera. Replace corroded connections and clean lenses. Order more cameras for blind spots inside and outside your facilities.
• Access control: Ensure that mechanical and electronic locks work properly. Determine who should have access. Test your door alarms. Maintain security gates that stop pedestrian traffic from entering restricted or sensitive areas.
• Bollards: Check that your facility’s bollards (the short, mounted vertical posts that create barriers) are in good condition. Repair or replace them if they are broken or have been vandalized.

3. Clean and Inspect Restrooms

All facility restrooms should be thoroughly inspected for cleanliness and to ensure fixtures are not broken or vandalized.

• Cleaning: Clean all toilet bowls and urinals; replace urinal cartridges; use antibacterial disinfectant for toilet seats, sinks, mirrors, and countertops; disinfect door handles and light switches; sanitize walls and stall partitions, and scrub bathroom tiles. Check all walls and stall doors for graffiti and remove it immediately. Use graffiti removal products or consider using sandpaper for deep scratches.
• Fixtures: Check that all soap dispensers including hand sanitizer dispensers, paper towel, and toilet paper dispensers are not broken and are working properly. Additionally, check to ensure sinks, mirrors, faucets, stall locks, toilets, and urinals are in good condition and are in good working order. Be sure to look for cracks and broken parts.
• Supplies: Check your stock of restroom supplies including soap, toilet paper, paper towels, hand sanitizer, hygiene products, trash liners, and cleaning agents.

4. Clean and Disinfect Common Areas

After you clean your restrooms, don’t forget the other parts of your facility that need to be cleaned and maintained.

• Flooring: Strip old wax off tile floors and apply a new layer of wax. Consider sanding, remarking, and resealing wooden floors. Use water and detergent to clean carpets and floor mats.
• Walls: For dry cleaning solutions, use a brush or broom to clean walls. For wet cleaning solutions, use soap and water.
• Ceilings: Rent a lift if you are cleaning areas with ceilings 20 feet or higher, such as gymnasiums and auditoriums. Use a vacuum to clean dust off lights and rafters.
• Windows: Use a damp lint-free cloth and glass cleaner for interior windows. Use a high-pressure spray nozzle with liquid dish soap for exterior windows.
• Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC): Clean unit coils using a wet cleaning process with pressurized water and non-caustic cleaning foam. Check and change air filters, inspect vents and ductwork, and calibrate thermometers.

Learn More

For more information on how to prepare your schools for back to school, check out “5 Back-to-School Cleaning Tips for Healthy Buildings,” and “6 Back-to-School Ventilation Tips,” on Facilities Management Advisor.

The post Back-to-School Projects to Prepare Your Educational Facilities appeared first on Facilities Management Advisor.