- How safe is it to apply boric acid in kitchen for cockroach problem?
- If you have a cockroach problem applying boric acid is fine, but it should not be your only treatment. Cockroaches are known to live in tight dark spaces – you pest control company should be using bait stations, gel baits and boric acid in mop water as possible options. However, repeated use of boric acid in the kitchen area will help to create resistance from the cockroaches in a few short months.
http://www.extension.org/pages/22045/school-ipm-action-plan-for-german-cockroaches
The national school IPM steering committee recently published two free IPM case study documents: The Business Case for Integrated Pest Management in Schools: Cutting Costs and Increasing Benefits and Reducing your Child’s Asthma using Integrated Pest Management: A Practical Home Guide for Parents
I think that you will find both documents both useful and informative
Please let me know what you think of them
Program Will Honor Schools for Excellence in Environmental Education, Sustainable Facilities and Healthy Practices
September 29, 2011
http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/duncan-announces-plans-green-ribbon-schools-award
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today invited states to take part in the inaugural year of the Green Ribbon Schools program, which will recognize schools for reducing environmental impact on their communities, promoting healthy school environments for their own students and staff, and offering high-quality environmental education.
The program was developed by the Education Department with support and advice from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ).
The award aims to encourage energy and resource conservation measures that can lead to cost savings and job creation; environmental and behavioral changes to promote health and productivity among students, staff and other occupants; and the use of environmental and sustainability education to support students’ preparedness for some of the nation’s fastest growing employment sectors.
More information on Green Ribbon Schools can be found at http://www.ed.gov/blog/2011/09/final-plans-announced-for-green-ribbon-schools/
More of the press release is at
http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/duncan-announces-plans-green-ribbon-schools-award
In my experience, the primary reasons for prolonged resistance to backpack models is often tied to effective, consistent training and discipline of the individual user. The common misconception associated with the term “Backpack” lends a casual bystander to think the weight is carried and stressed placed on the back of the user. Anyone who has been properly trained and experienced with the ”Pro Team coach” series knows that this is not the case. In my organization the operators have been very vocal and expressive on their initial concerns. From a staff of over a hundred custodians there are only two exceptions who both have ergonomic issues from preexisting conditions that make the backpack unfeasible. For these operators, substitutions have been provided in the form of an upright and a canister respectively.
What we discovered from analysis and survey was that each wearer needed to adjust the units to their particular body dynamics (As per training program) . As long as they remained the proprietary user of that specific device, then proper fit and weight displacement was maintained. The straps around hips, chest and shoulders were correctly aligned thus keeping the center of gravity maintained over the hips as opposed to pulling backward or down on the shoulders. If logistics or budget require the device to be shared by multiple operators; then discipline comes into play at this point. This scenario requires the device be properly readjusted each time it is used. Once the fit was correct , the employment of the device with a consistent observance of body ergonomics was the last piece to a the puzzle. This retraining takes time to perfect but once the benefits and versatility are fully explored, then the operator can make full use over the course of a full shift and recognize time savings in areas of soil removal and time management.
The few holdouts who resisted change were allowed to express their objective opinions and concerns. The Pro Team representative was able to address these issues and conduct hands on, real time demonstrations and find realistic workable solutions. With peer analysis, feedback and ongoing training to reinforce proper safety procedures for equipment use our transition was successful. My final assessment: no one piece of equipment can do it all. The canisters and upright units have their place. It is still about finding the best tool for the job at hand to support IAQ, and overall cleanliness.
John Hillmon
Director Custodial Operations
Community Services
San Ramon Valley Unified School District
IAQ is one of the most important environmental issues that school districts need to manage. With this said, an extensive amount of information including “best practices” to implement are found at the EPA website www.epa.gov/iaq
I recommend that you visit the site and learn more about how you can manage the IAQ of your schools. You are also invited to view the recorded presentation “Indoor Air Quality Essentials for Schools” featuring Eugene Benoit of the EPA, Amanda Goodwin of TASB and Bob Bittner of the Wake County Schools in NC. The link is http://www.facilitymastersonline.com/webinars-2/
Please let me know what you think of the presentation.