Unflued Gas Heaters In Schools - Assignment Example

Unflued Gas Heaters In Schools Additional Information Political Situation Unflued gas heaters are heaters are ones that burn has and have no method of venting any gas produced, such as through a chimney or a flue that takes the gas outside. As a consequence the gases are released into the room. Schools across New South Whales (NSW), Australia use unflued gas heaters as the method of keeping their institutions warm. Manufactures and produces of the unflued heaters insist that there is no need for concern surrounding these heaters, and that the levels of gas emissions are low and have no health affects. However, the Asthma foundation of Australia and parental groups are calling for the heaters to be replaced, insisting that they cause serious health problems with children. The authorities ask consumers to use their common sense and not be concerned about emissions. They say that their heaters are produced to the Australian Standards emission guidelines and produce either this level or significantly lower. These standards are some of the most stringent worldwide. Despite these assertions, the Australian Gas Association suggests that people with respiratory conditions consider carefully whether they use unflued gas heaters over flued gas heaters or other types of heaters . These assertions are based on the official health and safety council for gas appliances in Australia, however, the council has not updated their information since 2004, and there have been scientific studies both before and after this point that show a significant effect of unflued gas heaters on respiratory symptoms both in individuals with preexisting respiratory conditions, and those with no preexisting condition. However, concerns have been raised about the production of gases by these heaters, both by parents and by the Asthma foundation of Australia. This spurred a number of scientific studies looking at what effect unflued heaters have on respiratory health of children. Some studies have looked at the effect of the heaters within the home, while others have looked at schools, looking for significant trends that could be linked to the heaters rather than to any other external factors. The government is another important factor in this situation. The previous Australian government did little about the concerns of the Asthma foundation and parent groups other than noting they exist. A Woolcock study submitted a program for the replacement of heaters in schools, but the government has yet to make any formal commitment to this. The Asthma foundation and parent groups are hoping that the new government will make a commitment where the old one would not. As it currently stands, the health issue with unflued heaters has been known for many years, with little action. The heaters have been replaced in other parts of the country, but NSW continues to be neglected. Public Perception It is important that the public is aware of the decisions that are made and are encouraged that the right decision has been made. In order to ensure the public that the Premier has made the right decision in this case I would suggest making them aware of some of the scientific studies that have been undertaken and their results. Scientific literature is, in general, difficult for the public to read and understand, and as a consequence I suggest the publishing of a report that details the results of these studies and their conclusions in layman’s terms that is relatively short. This will be able to hold the interest of the public and show them that the removal of unflued heaters is not an expensive exercise in futility, but is important for the health of our children. Evaluation of the Policy As with any policy, it is important that there is mechanisms in place for evaluation and to ensure that the policy works. In this case I would recommend the use of scientific study as a determination of whether the policy has been effective. If it has then there should be a significant decrease in respiratory symptoms in school children prior to the removal of the heaters and afterwards. As there have already been a number of studies looking at the effect of the heaters there is already a significant database of information about current levels of respiratory problems in school children, and this can be used to compare to levels after the removal of the heaters. These studies can be used directly to evaluate whether the removal of heaters reduces respiratory symptoms in children. Policy Brief Progressive Removal of Unflued Gas Heaters from Schools Purpose: The removal of unflued gas heaters from schools as they have been associated with respiratory health problems in children. Key Issues: The release of nitrogen oxide (NO2) and formaldehyde by unflued gas heaters Increase in time away from school and respiratory health problems as a consequence of exposure to the heaters Need for some form of heating for schools in the wintertime Background: Unflued gas heaters are used in schools across the country as methods of heating as they are energy efficient and cost effective. However, the scientific community has found significant health concerns in relation to the use of the heaters around children. The heaters have been shown to produce significant quantities of nitrogen oxide (NO2­) and formaldehyde gas, often above the guidelines set by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Studies have shown that there is a significant relationship between exposure to unflued gas heaters and increased prevalence of respiratory symptoms, including but not limited to, coughing, sore throat and asthma. No effect on lung function was found, but this does not lessen the need for immediate action in terms of removing this danger from our children. An important factor is the use of unflued heaters as forms of heating. It is essential for students and teachers alike that there is a form of heating present, especially in the cold months of winter. Removing unflued heaters without replacing them in winter could easily cause as much damage to children’s respiratory systems from the cold, as the exposure to the gas from the unflued heaters over the same period could. Consultation: In preparation of this advice peer-reviewed papers published in scientific journals were consulted. These papers reported on experiments conducted that tested the effects of unflued gas heaters on the respiratory health of school children. In addition some of these papers looked at the effect that removing the heaters had on the respiratory symptoms, and found that symptoms significantly decreased when heaters were removed. The papers were examined to ensure that they were scientifically sound, and the experiments were rigorous and did not introduce bias into the testing. Financial Implications: There is significant cost involved with the removal of unflued gas heaters from schools as many schools use these as their entire method of heating and in many cases the system has been present for many years. In addition, it is important that schools have sufficient heating, so schools will need to replace the unflued gas heaters with another form of heating, such as flued gas heating or electric heating. This brings a significant additional cost that is at least equal to removing the unflued heaters. Recommendations: The removal of unflued gas heaters from schools as soon as is possible in order to reduce respiratory symptoms in children and any chance for long term damage If replacement heaters are not immediately available, then I recommend not removing the unflued heaters until replacements can be found, as some form of heating is required for the health and safety of students and teachers Background Paper Introduction Unflued gas heaters are a common method of heating schools as they provide significant amounts of heat and they are relatively inexpensive to run. Both factors are important, as winters can be cold, and both children and teachers need to be warm to be able to work and for their health. The cost is also a relevant issue, especially for public schools, as these have limited funding and many services that they provide. However, there has been significant debate recently as to whether these types of heaters are safe for children, or whether they can be associated with respiratory issues such as sore throats and colds, as well as more severe issues such as asthma. Other types of heaters that are also available to schools include flued gas heaters, or electric heaters, however these are higher on average in cost, and the current heating for schools is already well set up and has been used for many years. The cost of removing unflued heaters can be high, let alone the cost of replacing these with other heater types, and the associated increased running costs. A literature review reveals that unflued gas heaters are associated with respiratory symptoms in children, including sore throats, colds and an increase in the prevalence of asthma and asthma-like symptoms, with many asthma suffers increasing their use of bronchodilators as a consequence of the heating. These responses are directly related to the NO2 production from the heaters as well as formaldehyde production. Replacing heaters with ones that do not produce NO2 in the same quantity, such as flued or electric heaters have been shown to result in the reduction of these symptoms in individuals. NO2 Production One of the key dangers associated with the use of heaters that are fired by gas especially those that lack flues, is the release of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) gas. Nitrogen dioxide is a pollutant that is also generated by tobacco smoke and there is significant concern about the dangers of this when it is inhaled, particularly in children, who are more vulnerable than adults . As well as minor dangers to the respiratory system, such as the presence of colds and sore throats, there are also questions as to whether the NO2 increases the prevalence of asthma. The recommended maximum level of NO2 ­that children are exposed to according to the world health organization (WHO) is 110 parts per billion (ppb), however higher levels have been found in many studies . Asthma is a respiratory disease that tightens the air passage making breathing difficult. In many cases asthma has been found to have an environmental rather than a genetic cause. Previous literature has found a relationship between asthma and NO2 levels, and a study that replaced unflued gas heaters with either flued heaters or electric heaters found that this caused a significant reduction in asthma symptoms in the students A test examining the effect of exposure to NO2 from unflued gas heaters in schools found an average level of gas particles of more than 40ppb, compared to a background level of less than 20ppb. Exposure to NO2 was found to be significantly related to an increase in the presence of colds, absence from school and sore throats . Formaldehyde Production The production of NO2 is not the only concern surrounding the use of unflued gas heaters in classrooms. A second concern is the level of formaldehyde produced. Formaldehyde is a colourless gas that is also known as CH2O or methanal. It is considered to be both toxic and volatile, and was once used in preserving biological specimens and in disinfectants before the fully toxicity of the compound became known. There have been less studies that look at the respiratory effects of this compound individually, with most studies focusing either solely on NO2 emissions, or on general emissions from unflued gas heaters. However, one study found that there was a significant relationship between formaldehyde levels and asthma in young children . Consequences of Respiratory Issues There is a tendency for health authorities to write off effects such as colds, sore throats and other respiratory problems as little or irrelevant, but they represent a much bigger problem. That the children are experiencing these symptoms indicates that the gas is having an effect on their bodies and that it is entering their system. There is little evidence on what the cumulative effect of this is over many winters of schooling, but this evidence alone indicates an importance in removing these types of heaters from schools, rather than wait and hope it does not cause any further effects to children. In addition, many children may have weakened immune systems, or may already be sick, in which case the gas may have greater effects on them that cannot be predicted by the studies examined. While respiratory symptoms occurred, there was no indication that the exposure to gases through unflued gas heaters caused reduced lung function in children. This has been shown in several studies although it was unexpected by the authors. Many of the subjects reported an increase in the use of bronchodilators to relieve symptoms caused by the heaters, and this may have resulted in increased lung function during the time that the measurements for the study were made. Alternatively, the emissions do not directly affect airflow function, instead they affect the sensory path, resulting in the observed respiratory changes, but no internal changes Potential Solutions One proposed solution to NO2 output by unflued gas heaters is to replace them with flued gas heaters, unflued gas heaters that are designed to be low-NOx and thus not produce the same harmful gases, or electric heaters. A recent study looked at whether these heaters were safer than the traditional unflued heaters that are currently present in many schools, and found that many of the same symptoms were still present in children exposed to these heaters as to the traditional heaters. Testing revealed that the heaters still produced NO2­­ ­just at a lower concentration, although it appeared still to be enough to cause respiratory symptoms . An alternative solution is to remove all the unflued heaters from the schools, but consideration must be taken for heating the schools as this is still an essential process, especially in the winter. Electrical and flued gas heaters both provide good alternatives, although the process of both removal and replacement is costly. One problem with these solutions is the political situation that is involved. While it is relatively simple to look at the literature and conclude that these heaters need to be removed, the process involved is more complex. Schools are limited in funding, and there are many that rely on unflued heaters to keep their buildings warm over the winter time. It is likely that if it is mandated that schools must remove these heaters, many will be unable to afford the process, or unable to afford replacement heaters. Removing, or stopping use of the unflued gas heaters without replacing them with another form of heating is not an effective solution and is likely to result in at least as much detriment to health as using the heaters in the first place due to the exposure to the cold. Conclusion Unflued gas heaters are common methods of heating schools, but the production of NO2 ­and formaldehyde gas makes these dangerous. Children exposed to these gases show increased respiratory problems including coughing, sore throats as well as increased prevalence and severity of asthma, although there was no effect on overall lung function. Despite the cost of replacing heaters, studies indicate that this is an important process for schools, as unflued gas heaters are putting children’s health at risk in the short term, and the long term risks of exposure to these gases are not known. References Read More