Construction workers should be discouraged from walking through the occupied areas of the school and tracking dust and dirt through the school. Use plastic sheeting, portable fans, and mechanical ventilation to prevent dust and fumes from reaching non-work areas through hallways, doors, windows and the ventilation system. Don't allow the ventilation system to carry construction-related pollutants throughout the building. Whenever possible, exhaust pollutants from work areas directly to the outside. Avoid cutting off an occupied room from its supply of outdoor air or enclosing a potential pollutant source, such as a photocopier, in an area that does not have adequate ventilation.
Adequate ventilation is important for both occupants and construction workers.
It may be necessary to block ventilation grills in some rooms to avoid having the ventilation system serve as either a reservoir or pathway for pollutants. In order to remove or dilute odors or pollutants that somehow reach occupied areas or are the result of fumes given off by new building materials, the ventilation system in student or staff occupied areas should be run as much as possible. This assumes that the above measures have been taken to control dust and fumes so that ventilation does not stir up dust in the building or carry pollutants into occupied areas from either indoor or outdoor construction areas. Before reoccupying areas where a ventilation system has been installed, altered, serviced or otherwise affected, check the system to make sure that it is functioning properly. Because renovation projects can create extra dust and dirt, the school cleaning schedule should be increased.