When we think about keeping children safe at school, we often focus on things like playground safety or fire drills. But there’s another, less obvious threat that we need to be aware of: radon. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can seep into buildings and accumulate to high concentrations. If exposed to radon for a prolonged period of time, it can lead to serious health problems like lung cancer. Radon gas is colourless, tasteless and odourless, meaning special testing needs to be carried out in order to detect it.
Carrying out radon testing in schools isn’t just a matter of regulatory compliance, it’s also a matter of protecting the health and safety of adults and children. That’s why it’s important to carry out effective and efficient testing. At PropertECO, we have created a quick guide that outlines all you need to know about radon testing in schools.
Why Testing for Radon in Schools is Essential
Anyone can develop lung cancer, however long-term exposure to high levels of radon can increase this risk. In fact, 1 in 20 lung cancer cases in the UK are directly linked to radon. What’s more, according to the CDC, children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of radon exposure with the risk of lung cancer in children being almost twice as high as the risk to adults exposed to the same amount of radon. This heightened risk is due to several factors:
- Smaller Lungs and Faster Breathing Rates: Children have smaller lungs and breathe more rapidly than adults, which means they can inhale more radon gas.
- Growing Tissue: Children’s developing tissues makes them more susceptible to damage from radiation.
- Smaller Bodies: Their smaller bodies make them more sensitive to the effects of radioactive substances.
- Longer Lifetime Exposure: If children are exposed to high levels of radon during childhood, their cumulative dose over their lifetime will be considerably higher.
In fact, according to Canadian professor and expert in genome damage caused by radon, Dr Aaron Goodarzi, “exposure to radon during childhood significantly increases the risk of developing lung cancer later in life”.
Given these risks, it’s essential for schools to conduct regular radon testing to protect the health of both students and staff.
Legislation on Radon Testing in Schools
Teachers, staff and students have the right to work and study in a safe environment, which is why there is legislation in place that requires a radon risk assessment to be carried out. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 mandates that employers assess all potential hazards, and this includes radon. Therefore, every school must demonstrate that they have considered radon in their risk assessments.
Schools are required to carry out radon testing if they are located in a radon affected area or if they have a basement, regardless of geographic location. Compliance with these regulations is imperative and financial penalties can be incurred if these guidelines are not followed. In fact, only last year, in July 2023, a private boarding school in Bath was fined £50,000 and ordered to pay £20,000 for failing to monitor radon levels.
The Best Way to Test for Radon in Schools
Test During the Autumn or Winter Term
Indoor radon concentrations are typically higher in the winter and lower in the summer. Radon testing can be carried out at any time, as a seasonal correction factor is applied by the laboratory to take into account the time of year the test was taken. However, testing in autumn or winter, while schools are active, will enable us to take the most accurate reading and allow us to measure the risk of radon at its highest level. Testing should not normally be undertaken during the summer holidays when buildings are not in use.
Test Over a Long Period of Time
Radon levels can fluctuate over time due to seasonal changes and building ventilation patterns. To help gain an accurate picture of your school’s radon levels, we recommend carrying out a test for at least three months. Though shorter term testing can be useful in certain situations to gain an early indication of likely radon concentrations, for compliance purposes, a three-month test is required in this case.
Tests to Cover Every 100m2 of Floor Area
The number of tests needed depends on the size and layout of your school. However, in accordance with guidance published by UK Health Security Agency, we recommend that as a general rule of thumb, tests cover every 100m2 of floor area. As a guide, around15 monitors may be required for a combined primary school and up to 70 for a large secondary school.
Consult a Professional When Placing Radon Tests
Testing for radon in schools can be more complex than radon testing in homes because of a number of factors, including:
- Complex Layout and Greater Floor Area: With more space and rooms to cover, test kits need to be strategically placed to ensure radon levels are measured consistently.
- Type of Building Construction: With schools often being a mix of old and new buildings, the combination of building materials used and floor types can affect radon levels in certain areas of the school.
- HVAC Systems: Heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems can influence air circulation and radon distribution.
- Basements: Basements can be common hotspots for radon within school buildings.
As a rule of thumb, ideal rooms to test in include:
- Basements
- Offices
- Staff Room
- Classrooms
- Reception
- Sports Halls
- Dining Areas
- Areas such as storage cupboards and corridors sometimes give anomalous results and should be avoided for testing.
In all, monitors should be placed in occupied areas where radon is likely to accumulate, such as basements and ground-level rooms. Likewise, they should also be placed at breathing height, not on the floor or on the top of tall cupboards. Where unsure about where to place radon test kits in your school, be sure to consult a professional radon advisor.
Conduct Regular Testing
Radon levels can vary between weeks, months and years. The Health and Safety Executive stipulate that testing should be repeated at least once every 10 years when low levels have been found, but more regularly if the concentrations were just below the ‘action level’.
Promptly Install Mitigation
The government sets guideline limits, known as Action Levels, to indicate when intervention is necessary. For workplaces, including schools, the Action Level is set at 300 Bq/m³. If radon levels exceed this threshold, the Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017 (IRR17) requires employers to take steps to reduce exposure.
The two main methods of reducing high radon levels are by installing radon sumps and positive pressure systems. Should radon levels reach the Action Level, it is also a requirement that you speak to a Radon Protection Adviser (RPA) who can complete a full radiation risk assessment. A radon specialist contractor should then conduct a survey to determine which mitigation system will be the most appropriate and effective. When installing a radon mitigation system in schools, care should be taken to place fans and electrical items out of reach of children and ensure that there will be no noise disturbance in classroom
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