With current wild fires creating smokey air, it is a good time to review the Utah Department of Health’s air quality guidelines for schools. Attached, you will find the “Recess Guidance for Schools.” Additional helpful information can be found on the link below. This link will help you to monitor air quality for the purpose of athletics and recess. Once you have clicked on the link, click on “Current Air Quality Levels.” There are additional resources on this web page that may help you to explain the guidelines to your staff and community. If you click on “Resources for Schools,” you will also find a link in which you can request to receive air quality alert emails sent to you.
http://health.utah.gov/asthma/airquality/recess.html
The guidance on this web page aligns with the EPA AQI Recommendations and links indoor recess recommendations to PM2.5 levels, which is the air pollutant of main concern. The guidance also takes into account students with respiratory symptoms or pre-existing respiratory conditions who may be more sensitive to poor air quality than their peers.
