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Welcome to InTheNews – covering all the FM news you may have missed over the last week:
The remaining two sessions of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Cleaning and Hygiene Industry inquiry into the role of cleaning and hygiene during the Covid-19 pandemic have been postponed following the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
The APPG inquiry, which is entitled Embedding Effective Hygiene for a Resilient UK, held its first session on Tuesday and was due to hold the final two meetings on the next two Tuesdays, September 13 and September 20.
These two upcoming sessions have been put on hold as Parliament is set to be suspended for the duration of the national period of mourning and discussions are underway on new dates for both upcoming APPG sessions.
The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has described the state of indoor air quality (IAQ) in UK classrooms as “scandalous” and a direct threat to the health and well-being of children and teachers.
A survey of 133 schools commissioned by ventilation solutions provider Airflow Developments revealed that almost three quarters (72%) of classrooms suffer from ‘below standard’ air quality.
Three in five teachers said their classroom conditions were having a direct impact on student health by aggravating asthma and other lung conditions, and 90% reported that it was having a direct impact on behaviour and ability to work.
BESA said the link between poor air quality and child health was highlighted during the pandemic prompting calls for a comprehensive government funding package to retrofit school buildings with affordable ventilation and air filtration solutions.
In safety, The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has highlighted ‘3 Key Areas for Action’ to support UK workers, in a letter to the new Prime Minister.
Referring to “an increasingly uncertain labour market”, IOSH chief executive Vanessa Harwood-Whitcher stresses that the Government’s focus should not be on compromising health and safety standards but on reinforcing them to allow workplaces to be positive drivers of innovation, improved productivity and sustainability.
You can find out more on news.fmbusinessdaily.com
