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Work-Related Asthma Prevention Program
Cleaning for Asthma-Safe Schools Materials

Work-related Asthma Prevention Program

Cleaning for Asthma-Safer Schools

One in five Californians spends his or her day in school, increasing the stakes for addressing asthma in the school setting. Custodians have high rates of work-related asthma, while 15% of the state's children have been diagnosed with the disease.

Cleaning products are used in schools and other workplaces. They can cause asthma or make it worse and release unsafe chemicals into the air. The Work-Related Asthma Prevention Program (WRAPP) developed the Cleaning for Asthma-Safe Schools project to assist California schools in adopting safer cleaning methods that help protect workers and students from asthma. WRAPP is housed in the Occupational Health Branch.

Activities

Promoting school guidelines for asthma-safe cleaning
Partnering with California school districts to provide technical support for switching to safer cleaning products and practices
Creating and distributing educational materials about safer cleaning methods and products
Raising awareness about the importance of asthma-safe cleaning via newsletter articles, webinars, and presentations

Resources for Finding Safer Cleaning Products

Purchasing Safer Cleaning Products: Green Seal – look for GS-37, GS-52, and GS-53 Green Seal certified cleaning products
Purchasing Safer Cleaning Products: UL ECOLOGO – look for UL 2759 certified hardsurface cleaners
Fact Sheets about Purchasing Decisions – Informed Green Solutions

Fact Sheets & Booklets

Disinfectants and Work-Related Asthma: Information for Employers (PDF)– fact sheet, February 2017
Disinfectants and Work-Related Asthma: Information for Workers (PDF) | Spanish (PDF) | Chinese (PDF) | Korean (PDF) | Tagalog (PDF) | Vietnamese (PDF) – fact sheets, February 2017
Cleaning with Microfiber Makes Classrooms Asthma-Safer For All (PDF) - one pager, March 2017
Fragrances and Work-Related Asthma: Information for Employers (PDF) | Spanish (PDF) | Chinese (PDF) – fact sheets, June 2017
Fragrances and Work-Related Asthma: Information for Workers (PDF) | Spanish (PDF) | Chinese (PDF) – fact sheets, June 2017
Workplace Fragrance-Free Policy (Word) – fact sheet, May 2015
Work-Related Asthma: What You Should Know (PDF) | Spanish (PDF) | Chinese (PDF) | Korean (PDF) | Tagalog (PDF) | Vietnamese (PDF) – fact sheets, June 2014
Cleaning Products and Work-Related Asthma: Information for Workers (PDF) | Spanish (PDF) | Chinese (PDF) | Tagalog (PDF) | Vietnamese (PDF) – fact sheets, June 2017
Cleaning Products and Work-Related Asthma (PDF) – fact sheet, February 2015
Removing Graffiti Safely (PDF) – booklet, revised 2004

Guidance & Reports

Produced by the Work-Related Asthma Prevention Program (WRAPP)

Healthy Cleaning and Asthma-Safer Schools – A How-to Guide (PDF, 2.5MB) guidelines, October 2014

Produced with WRAPP Contributions

Safer Products and Practices for Disinfecting and Sanitizing Surfaces (PDF) – San Francisco Department of the Environment report, April 2014
Cleaning for Healthy Schools—Infection Control Handbook (PDF, 1.2MB) – National Cleaning for Healthy Schools and Infection Control Workgroup handbook, November 2010
Greener School Cleaning Supplies = Fresh Air + Healthier Kids (PDF) – Environmental Working Group Cleaning in Schools report, November 2009

Webinars, Trainings, & Videos

Video: Healthy Cleaning and Asthma-Safer Schools – October 2014
Green Cleaning Webinar – webinar sponsored by Labor Occupational Health Program's School Action for Safety and Health (SASH) program, July 2013