4. There should not be moisture-collecting carpet in the entryways. If carpeting already exists, cover with waterproof mats. There should be a mat outside the entry to collect moisture as well as pesticides collected on shoes. This is exceptionally important in portables that serve young children who spend much of their day playing on the carpet.

5. Portables should be located in well-drained, graded areas away from exhaust-ridden, dusty parking lots and busy highways. Sprinklers should not hit the sides of the portables.

6. Older portables should be retired when they become unserviceable and cannot provide a healthy learning, working or living environment. According to the Modular Building Institute, today’s portables are designed to last for up to thirty years, but that is dependent upon proper maintenance. Individuals across America attend school, drop their children off for daycare, worship and go to work in portables.

They deserve to breathe the quality air that will give them their best performance now and good health in the future. That’s just the message Shane’s school staff would have received if he was teaching in a school with portables. Additional Resources American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, Mold in Schools: The importance of school air quality and its affect on asthma –Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America – Control the Mold in our Your Home –   California Portable Classrooms Study National Asthma Education and Prevention Program – Resolution on Asthma Management at School – Portables Toolkit from the Modular Building Institute U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Indoor Air Design Tools for Schools, “Portable Classrooms”