Ontario School Plant Manager Winter 2020

Publications mail agreement #40934510

Winter 2020

School business leadership during a pandemic

reflecting on risk management: were you ready for covid-19?

Now is the time for all education leaders to work together to ensure students continue to learn

COVID-19 has been a disruptive walk-up call!

How good is your district's management plan, really?

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In this issue Thoughts on: Relationships ...................................................................................... 5 Investing for success...................................................................................................... 6 School business leadership during a pandemic........................................... 8 Can HVAC systems play a role in the transmission of COVID-19........................................................................................12 Clean air for our schools has never been as important as today ............................................................................................... 14 Reflecting on risk management: Were you ready for COVID-19?.............................................................................. 16 Index to advertisers..................................................................................................... 18

is published by DEL Communications Inc. Suite 300, 6 Roslyn Road Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3L 0G5 www.delcommunications.com President & CEO David Langstaff Editor Lyndon McLean lyndon@delcommunications.com Advertising Sales Manager Dayna Oulion dayna@delcommunications.com Advertising Account Executives Brent Astrope Jennifer Hebert Anthony Romeo Production services provided by: S.G. Bennett Marketing Services www.sgbennett.com Creative Director / Design Kathleen Cable

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Ontario School Plant Manager | Winter 2020

PRINTED IN CANADA 12/2020

Thoughts on:

Relationships

By Chuck Morris

“I speak to everyone the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university.” − Albert Einstein Good relationships cause us to be successful in our everyday life and certainly in our business life. The better the relationship, the better the results you may achieve at whatever it is you’re trying to accomplish.

After years of building relationships with others − those with whom I have worked with or done business − I have seen the benefits.

Whether it’s a more harmonious personal life or during business transactions, people tend to listen and work with you to help you accomplish your goals.

Case in point: recently, we had a couple of projects that were nearing completion and we still had not received products from our vendors after waiting many, many weeks. The summer production for those companies always ramp up as many organizations (school districts, in this case) order materials that must be in place for school opening come September. We were ready to ship and still no product.

I sent out a request to some of my former colleagues asking if they might have what we were waiting for and, if so, could I acquire them. We would replace the inventory once our pieces arrived. I was humbled by the response. I had numerous people respond, willing to help. I was able to utilize that help, and the result was we were able to ship with the equipment included. A couple of our buildings were delayed somewhat but everything did get shipped.

So how do you get there? Listen. Watch. Ask. Learn. Practice. If you can follow those simple rules, it will come to you. It takes patience and it takes years to develop properly. You will see some change after a short period of time, but the biggest benefit to you will appear down the road. The easiest way to do it is to make it part of your everyday life. Simple, right? Not for some. For those of you well on the way and seeing tangible results there is something you can do to help others.

It’s beneficial to take people under your wings and coach / mentor them on how to build relationships. Many really don’t know how to deal with certain situations and often find themselves in a bit

of a pit struggling to climb back out. Periodically, they may be too aggressive in their approach or unsure how to respond when they are faced with a perceived affront from the person they are dealing with. Coaching and mentoring takes time, but it works, and it allows you to learn too, as the person you are helping learns from you. You will see things in a different light and perhaps that will allow a better understanding of certain aspects of what is going on.

Expose yourself to different circumstances that challenge you. Join Rotary or Kinsmen or the Lions Club, as this would allow you to witness relationships on an entirely different level. Don’t be afraid to speak about topics that are of interest to you and maybe to your audience. Take the challenge! Even introverts can improve.

Part of relationship building is the fact you need to first understand yourself and know your shortcomings, then attempt to address them in an open and honest fashion − to yourself. Once you figure out how to do that, you’re on your way. Nurture what you are building. Don’t let a bad day interfere with your progress.

Remember, if you come across as angry or with an uncaring demeanor, all your work will suffer. It’s sort of like credibility where it takes years to build and, in a fit of foolishness, 10 seconds to destroy it!

Words are some of the most powerful tools you have. Use them wisely and with thought. Think back on that sage advice you received years ago and pull on some of your past experiences to develop the best approach while continuing to build those relationships.

About Chuck has been in facility management for over 30 years. Having worked in five public school districts, he has a wealth of knowledge and experience. He currently is the director of facilities for the Greater Victoria School District on Vancouver Island and is the incoming president of the Educational Facility Managers Association of BC (EFMA). ¦

“In many ways, effective communication begins with mutual respect, communication that inspires, and encourages others to do their best.” − Zig Ziglar Ontario School Plant Manager | Winter 2020

5

Investing for

Success

Province remains committed to new creating new learning spaces and licensed childcare spaces

In October, the Ontario government announced it’s investing $550 million to build 20 new schools and eight permanent school additions across the province in 2020-21. These new projects will create nearly 16,000 new student learning spaces and 870 new licensed childcare spaces as part of the government's ongoing efforts to improve and build modern schools.

Details were provided by Premier Doug Ford, Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education, and Robin Martin, MPP for Eglinton— Lawrence.

The announcement was made at Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School in Toronto, where the Toronto Catholic District School Board will receive $24 million from the Capital Priorities Program to create 620 new student spaces through upgrades to the existing building infrastructure.

“Our government is doing everything possible to ensure our students can achieve lifelong success," said Premier Ford. “That's why we made a significant commitment to fix our schools and ensure students and staff have access to the best classrooms, with features like modern ventilation systems and high-speed Internet access. During construction, these projects will create hundreds of jobs and contribute significantly to our economic recovery.”

“This government firmly believes that all children deserve to learn in state-of-the-art, modern, technologically connected and accessible schools,” said Minister Lecce. “We will continue to take action to ensure students are safe today and well into the future by approving more new school buildings and permanent additions, as well as increasing access to childcare for working parents. I want to thank MPP Martin, for her strong local advocacy and for getting the Loretto Abbey project in her community through to the finish line.”

“Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School is one of the oldest historic educational institutions in Toronto,” said MPP Martin.

“Today's investment, and the addition of 620 new student spaces, will ensure the school can meet the needs of our growing community with modern classrooms for students and staff, while preserving the heritage of this storied building.”

The government is investing over $12 billion in capital grants over 10 years – including $500 million in 2019-20 and the $550 million for 2020-21 – and working with school board partners to identify other priority large-scale school-based capital projects. The announcement continues to build upon the government's up to $1 billion commitment over five years to create up to 30,000 new childcare spaces, including up to 10,000 spaces in new schools. ¦

Quick Facts

6

• In July 2020, the government announced over $500 million to build 30 new schools and 15 permanent additions to existing facilities, along with nearly 900 new licensed child care spaces.

• T he Ministry is also investing $1.4 billion in renewal funding, which continues to meet the funding level recommended by the Auditor General of Ontario to preserve the condition of Ontario’s school facilities.

• Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak in March, the government has approved over $1 billion in capital projects in education, including 50 new schools, 23 additions to existing facilities, and 1,765 new licensed childcare spaces.

• In June, the Ontario government released its safety plan for the resumption of class for the 2020-21 school year, outlining how students and teachers can safely return to classrooms, providing choice to parents, enhanced online learning, and additional funding.

Ontario School Plant Manager | Winter 2020

The new projects are: Aurora York Region DSB Unnamed Elementary School – Aurora 2C New School with 39 childcare spaces Binbrook Hamilton-Wentworth DSB Unnamed Elementary School – Binbrook #2 New School Blind River Algoma DSB Blind River JK – 12 Public School (Joint School with CSD du Grand Nord de l'Ontario's ÉÉP Blind River project) New School Blind River CSD du Grand Nord de l'Ontario École élémentaire publique de Blind River (Joint school with Algoma DSB's Blind River JK-12 School) New School Bradford Simcoe County DSB Unnamed Elementary School – Bradford South New School Brampton CS Viamonde École intermédiare et secondaire publique Jeunes sans frontières Addition Brampton CSC MonAvenir École secondaire catholique Brampton New School Brampton Peel DSB Malala Yousafzai Public School New School with 73 childcare spaces Brockville Upper Canada DSB Westminster Public School Addition with 25 childcare spaces Cambridge Waterloo Catholic DSB Southeast Galt Public School New School Central Elgin Thames Valley DSB Unnamed Elementary School – Belmont New School Douro-Dummer PVNC Catholic DSB St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School Addition

Etobicoke Toronto Catholic DSB Buttonwood Elementary School New School with 88 childcare spaces Innisfil Simcoe Muskoka Catholic DSB Unnamed Elementary School – Innisfil South New School with 49 childcare spaces Kanata Ottawa Catholic DSB St. James Catholic Elementary School Addition Kanata Ottawa-Carleton DSB Fernbank Elementary School New School with 39 childcare spaces Kitchener Waterloo Catholic DSB East Kitchener 7-12 School New School Kitchener Waterloo Catholic DSB Huron-Brigadoon Elementary School New School Kitchener Waterloo Region DSB South Kitchener Elementary School New School with 49 childcare spaces Lakeshore Greater Essex County DSB Unnamed Elementary School – Lakeshore New School Leamington Windsor-Essex Catholic DSB St. Louis Catholic Elementary School Addition London CS Viamonde École intermédiare et secondaire publique Gabriel-Dumont Addition London London Catholic DSB Unnamed Elementary School – Northeast London New School Milton Halton Catholic DSB Unnamed Secondary School – Milton #3 New School

Milton Halton DSB Unnamed Elementary School – Milton SW #12 New School with 88 childcare spaces Milton Halton Catholic DSB Unnamed Elementary School – Milton #10 New School with 88 childcare spaces

Rainy River Rainy River DSB Rainy River JK-12 Public School New School Richmond Hill York Catholic DSB St Theresa of Lisieux Catholic High School Addition

Mississauga Peel DSB Thomas Street Middle School Addition

Sarnia St. Clair Catholic DSB Sacred Heart Catholic Elementary School Addition with 49 childcare spaces

Nepean Ottawa-Carleton DSB Half Moon Bay Elementary School #2 New School with 39 childcare spaces

Sault Ste. Marie Algoma DSB Tarentorus Public School Addition with 49 childcare spaces

North York Toronto DSB McKee Public School Addition

Savant Lake Keewatin-Patricia DSB Savant Lake Public School New School

Oakville Halton DSB Unnamed Secondary School – Oakville NE #1 New School

Shelburne Upper Grand DSB Hyland Heights Elementary School Addition

Oro-Medonte Simcoe County DSB Shanty Bay Public School New School Oshawa Durham DSB Mary Street Community School Addition Oshawa Durham Catholic DSB Monsignor Paul Dwyer Catholic High School New School Ottawa CÉP de l'Est de l'Ontario École élémentaire publique Kanata Sud New School with 49 childcare spaces Pickering Durham DSB Pickering Creekwood Public School New School with 73 childcare spaces Picton Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic DSB St. Gregory Catholic Elementary School New School

Stoney Creek Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic DSB St. James the Apostle Catholic Elementary School New School with 49 childcare spaces Toronto Toronto DSB Hodgson Middle School Addition Wainfleet Niagara Catholic DSB St. Elizabeth Catholic Elementary School (Joint School with DSB Niagara's Wainfleet School Project) New School Wainfleet DSB of Niagara Unnamed Elementary School (Joint School with Niagara Catholic DSB's St. Elizabeth Catholic Elementary School) New School with 49 childcare spaces Williamstown Upper Canada DSB Williamstown Public School Addition

Note: Joint Schools that support multiple boards are counted as one project towards the count of 45 projects approved.

Ontario School Plant Manager | Winter 2020

7

School business leadership during a pandemic Now is the time for all education leaders to work together to ensure students continue to learn

By Larry D. Smith, Ph.D. Photo credit: HALFPOINT/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

Operational Challenges Since spring, educators have had to make drastic changes in the way they teach children and interact with families in the community. The first major challenge arrived when most states ordered districts to close their doors and convert to online learning. Schools were forced to transition quickly from faceto-face instruction to online learning while ensuring that students received educational materials and resources, including devices and Internet access, to enable them to learn from home.

Districts modified student assessment plans, focused on student health and safety, and continued to provide nutritional meals to students.

This article originally appeared in the October 2020 School Business Affairs magazine and is reprinted with permission of the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO). The text herein does not necessarily represent the views or policies of ASBO International, and use of this imprint does not imply any endorsement or recognition by ASBO International and its officers or affiliates.

Throughout history, major events have affected our schools and how we educate children. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed not only our education system, but also our society as a whole. The rapid spread of the 8

Ontario School Plant Manager  |  Winter 2020

coronavirus forced schools and many businesses to close their doors midspring. Since then, both have struggled to develop plans for a safe and effective reopening.

As COVID-19 continues to affect our world and infection rates continue to rise in many areas, clearly no single reopening plan will work for all schools.

This poses a major challenge for school business officials (SBOs) and other education leaders as they work to develop plans and procedures to meet the unique needs of their district and community.

Many districts made last-minute adjustments to their graduation ceremonies and canceled spring sporting events, proms, and other traditional end-of-year activities in order to meet social distancing mandates.

This transition was a logistical challenge for educators and a cultural change for parents and students.

After making it through a traumatic end to the school year, district leaders faced the daunting challenges of preparing to reopen schools this fall. To help guide schools in their reopening plans, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published guidelines for the safe reopening of schools and then updated them as necessary. Myriad scientists, medical

personnel, professional associations, and legislators joined in with their own recommendations.

Then and now, district leaders are challenged to develop plans that not only provide for the safety of students and employees, but also ensure ongoing education and school-related services for students and parents even as the coronavirus continues to spread. Many districts have opted for 100 per cent online remote learning this fall, and others are attempting a hybrid model that brings students and teachers together in school for two or three days a week.

Both models present operational challenges and are, to a certain extent, at the mercy of the virus. For example, districts that have opted for the hybrid model must have a plan in place if there is an outbreak within a school or the larger community.

Economic challenges The pandemic’s negative impact on world economies includes massive rates of unemployment and loss of revenue for businesses and organizations, including school districts. Because public schools depend partially on federal, state, and local funding, they now face major revenue losses, forcing school officials to determine how to cut schoolrelated expenditures.

Many states and local districts have already slashed their budgets for this school year, which creates another major challenge for SBOs who face unforeseen costs associated with preparing their schools for reopening and operating during this pandemic. These evergrowing and changing costs include purchasing large amounts of cleaning materials and personal protective equipment, upgrading air ventilation systems, purchasing online curriculum services, purchasing laptops and other

devices such as hotspots, and providing food services.

The data on costs are worrisome.

According to a report published jointly

by ASBO International and AASA in June 2020, the reopening costs for an average sized district may be almost $1.8 million.

Further, the American Federation of Teachers (2020) estimates that nationally, $116.5 billion will be needed for a “safe reopening.”

Leading during the crisis In a recent Forbes article, Mark Nevins (2020) focuses on key attributes of leadership that are particularly necessary during this crisis. Nevins’ key recommendations include educating yourself regularly, being flexible and adaptive, developing a clear vision and plan, leveraging team members’ strengths, overinvesting in communication, and being authentic.

Here are some additional leadership best

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Stay informed District leaders must always be aware of what is happening in their district buildings, classrooms, communities, and beyond. They should listen to parents, students, and staff members and rely on the professionals who provide facts and information free from political bias or points of view that may be skewed by other agendas. Strategies to support the district’s goals should be adjusted to meet current research and data.

Communicate often

practices for SBOs and their teams as they navigate the coming months.

Use collaborative decision making Working through any change process is hard; working through the COVID-19 pandemic is groundbreaking. Because this crisis affects everyone, the stakes are high and the consequences severe if leaders’ decisions reflect poor planning.

Now more than ever, district leaders should engage and collaborate with all stakeholders in decision making, including administrators, teachers, employees, parents, government officials, and local agencies. Collaboration leads to better decision making and also builds trust and a sense of ownership, which are essential when leading during a crisis.

Involve stakeholders in goal setting Effective leaders include key stakeholders in establishing goals for their district.

A collaborative approach is especially important when working through a crisis like COVID-19. The goals should be SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely. Once developed, the goals should be translated into language that all stakeholders understand and made available through school websites, virtual meetings, and available media.

10 Ontario School Plant Manager | Winter 2020

Make resources available School business officials play a critical role in helping the district meet its goals and fulfill its mission to provide a quality education for all students. SBOs must work with district leaders as well as community stakeholders to provide the financial resources for altered circumstances, including those that require additional cleaning supplies, personnel changes/ reassignments, technology, and other support necessary to implement district plans for distance and hybrid instruction.

Plan for the unexpected In light of the ever-shifting conditions associated with the pandemic, matters can change daily. Effective leaders develop alternative plans and goals to cover several scenarios. For example, a widespread coronavirus outbreak in the school or community can cause schools in hybrid mode to change to 100 per cent virtual learning. SBOs and their teams must ensure staff and students have the resources they need to continue teaching and learning.

When the school district is faced with an unanticipated problem, leaders must be able to act immediately. In this situation, experience and true leadership are measured by the response of the community to the tough decisions the leader makes.

SBOs and their must teams communicate with district personnel regularly to discuss new strategies and cultivate support for plans for district-wide reopening of classes now and through the coming months.

Conclusion Because our ultimate goal as educators is to teach students while keeping them safe and healthy, SBOs and other education leaders will work together to guide their districts through this crisis.

References American Federation of Teachers. 2020.

Reopening schools during a triple crisis: Financial implications. June 10. www.aft. org/sites/default/files/wysiwyg/reopenschools-financial-implications.pdf ASBO International and AASA. 2020. What will it cost to reopen schools? June. www.asbointl.org/asbo/media/ documents/Resources/covid/COVID-19Costs-to-Reopen-Schools.pdf.

Nevins, M. 2020. Leadership in the time of COVID-19. Forbes. March 19. www.forbes. com/sites/hillennevins/2020/03/19/ leadership-in-the-time-of-covid19/#194b96ee5e4e.

Larry Smith is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Educational Administration in the School of Education and Health Sciences at the University of Dayton and former school principal and superintendent. Email: lsmith3@udayton.edu. ¦

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Ontario School Plant Manager | Winter 2020

11

Can HVAC systems play a role in the transmission of COVID-19?

Courtesy of Public Health Ontario

In general, while there is plausibility of COVID-19 transmission by inhaled virus in air particularly in crowded, poorly ventilated settings, there is limited epidemiological evidence that this occurs. Specifically, the overall scientific evidence does not indicate that transmission of COVID-19 occurs via HVAC systems at this time. Although viral RNA has been detected in air and HVAC systems, the viability of virus in or infection from air circulated through HVAC systems has not been demonstrated.

COVID-19 is primarily transmitted via direct contact and droplets propelled for various distances.1 Screening and self-isolation of infected individuals; physical distancing; hygiene measures such as hand hygiene, cough and sneeze etiquette, respiratory source control; and environmental cleaning and disinfection are the mainstay of measures to reduce transmission risk.

Ventilation is the supply/distribution or removal of air from space by mechanical or natural means.2 Mechanical systems often involve heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Few studies to date examine the role of HVAC systems in COVID-19 transmission.

Reviews by Institut National de Santé Publique du Québec (INSPQ) and Leclerc et al report COVID-19 outbreaks and clusters in various indoor spaces, including homes, means of transportation, as well as religious, elder care, meal and office settings.3,4 Few clusters are reported in exclusively outdoor settings where ventilation is not an issue.4 Various studies and reviews cite poorly ventilated spaces and high occupant density as possible contributors for transmission via inhalation.3,5,6,7 12 Ontario School Plant Manager | Winter 2020

There are experimental and modeling studies that show respiratory aerosols during breathing and speech, droplet dispersion in the air and that suggest the plausibility of transmission through inhaled virus.8,9,10 There are also environmental sampling studies that demonstrate viral RNA in air and surfaces where COVID-19 patients have been,11,12,13 including HVAC systems.14 These studies lend support to the possibility of transmission by inhaled virus; however, few reports document clusters that suggest actual transmission via this route.5 Lu et al and a further pre-peer review analysis by Li et al are cited often, regarding transmission of COVID-19 between families at three tables in a densely occupied restaurant (Table A had the index case and was between Table B and Table C).15,16 A wall air conditioner with no fresh air intake may have facilitated transmission by dispersing infectious particles from the infected customer; none of the other diners or staff in the restaurant were infected.15,16 The three tables involved in the outbreak were also directly along the line of the likely airflow of the unit to the opposite wall and back to the unit – i.e., there appears to have been little mixing with the air in the rest of the room.16 Exposure time to droplets may also have been a factor in transmission.16 Diners at Table A with the index case and Table B overlapped for 53 minutes and Table A and Table C overlapped for 75 minutes. Tracer gas experiments demonstrated that droplets from the index case would have been elevated at Tables A, B and C and another adjacent table. However, this table only had 18 minutes of exposure to Table A. The preprint analysis concluded that the adjacent table and servers were likely uninfected due to the relatively short exposure time to exhaled droplets from the index patient.16

Other reports of outbreaks in fitness dance classes,17 and a call centre in South Korea,18 and choir practices in Washington State,19 are examples where poor ventilation may have contributed but specifics on ventilation are not available and transmission through close contact and fomites were also plausible.

References Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (Public Health Ontario). COVID-19 routes of transmission – what we know so far [Internet]. Toronto, ON: Queen’s Printer for Ontario; 2020 [cited 2020 Aug 31]. Available from: https://www. publichealthontario.ca/-/media/documents/ncov/wwksf-routestransmission-mar-06-2020.pdf?la=en

1.

Qian H, Zheng X. Ventilation control for airborne transmission of human exhaled bio-aerosols in buildings. J Thorac Dis. 2018;10(Suppl 19):S2295-304. Available from: https://doi. org/10.21037/jtd.2018.01.24

2.

Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ). COVID-19: indoor environment: questions and answers [Internet]. Québec, QC: Gouvernment du Québec; 2020 [cited 2020 May 30]. Available from: https://www.inspq.qc.ca/en/publications/2992-indoorenvironment-covid19#dispersion

3.

Leclerc QJ, Fuller NM, Knight LE, Funk S, Knight GM. What settings have been linked to SARS-CoV-2 transmission clusters? [version 1; peer review: 1 approved with reservations]. Wellcome Open Res. 2020;5:83. Available from: https://doi.org/10.12688/ wellcomeopenres.15889.1

4.

World Health Organization. Transmission of SARS-CoV-2: implications for infection prevention precautions: scientific brief [Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2020 [cited 2020 Aug 12]. Available from: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/ modes-of-transmission-of-virus-causing-covid-19-implications-foripc-precaution-recommendations

5.

Morawska L, Tang JW, Bahnfleth W, Bluyssen PM, Boerstra A, Buonanno G, et al. How can airborne transmission of COVID-19 indoors be minimised? Environ Int. 2020;142:10832. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.105832

6.

Dietz L, Horve PF, Coll DA, Fretz M, Elsen JA, Van Den Wymelenberg K. 2019 Novel coronavirus (COVID 19) pandemic: built environmental considerations to reduce transmission. mSystems. 2020;5(2):e00245-20. Erratum in: mSystems. 2020 May;5(3):e00375-20. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1128/ msystems.00245-20

7.

Somsen GA, van Rijn C, Kooij S, Bem RA, Bonn D. Small droplet aerosols in poorly ventilated spaces and SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

Lancet Respir Med. 2020;8(7):658-9. Available from: https://doi. org/10.1016/S2213-2600(20)30245-9

8.

Vuorinen V, Aarnio M, Alava M, Alopaeus V, Atanasova N, Auvinen M, et al. Modelling aerosol transport and virus exposure with numerical simulations in relation to SARS-CoV-2 transmission by

9.

inhalation indoors. Saf Sci. 2020;130:104866. Available from: https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2020.104866 Stadnytskyi V, Bax CE, Bax A, Anfinrud P. The airborne lifetime of small speech droplets and their potential importance in SARSCoV-2 transmission. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020;117(22):11875-7.

Available from: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2006874117

10.

Santarpia JL, Rivera DN, Herrera VL, Morwitzer MJ, Creager HM, Santarpia GW, et al. Aerosol and surface contamination of SARSCoV-2 observed in quarantine and isolation care. Sci Rep 10, 12732 (2020). Available from: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-69286-3

11.

Liu Y, Ning Z, Chen Y, Guo M, Liu Y, Gali NK, et al. Aerodynamic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 in two Wuhan hospitals. Nature.

2020;582(7813):557-60. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1038/ s41586-020-2271-3

12.

Guo Z, Wan Z, Zhang S, Li X, Li L, Li C, et al. Aerosol and surface distribution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in hospital wards, Wuhan, China, 2020. Emerg Infect Dis. 2020;26(7):1583-91. from: https://dx.doi.org/10.3201/ eid2607.200885

13.

Horve PF, Dietz L, Fretz M, Constant DA, Wilkes A, Townes JM, et al. Identification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in healthcare heating, ventilation, and air conditioning units. medRxiv 20141085 [Preprint]. 2020 Jun 26 [cited 2020 Aug 31]. Available from: https:// doi.org/10.1101/2020.06.26.20141085

14.

Lu J, Gu J, Li K, Xu C, Su W, Lai Z, et al. COVID-19 outbreak associated with air conditioning in restaurant, Guangzhou, China, 2020. Emerg Infect Dis. 2020;26(7):1628-31. Available from: https:// doi.org/10.3201/eid2607.200764

15.

Li Y, Qian H, Hang J, Chen X, Hong L, Liang P, et al. Evidence for probable aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in a poorly ventilated restaurant. medRxiv 20067728v1 [Preprint]. 2020 Apr 16 [cited 2020 May 30]. Available from: https://www.medrxiv.org/con tent/10.1101/2020.04.16.20067728v1

16.

Jang S, Han S, Rhee J. Cluster of coronavirus disease associated with fitness dance classes, South Korea. Emerg Infect Dis. 2020;26(8):1917-20. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.3201/ eid2608.200633

17.

Park S, Kim Y, Yi S, Lee S, Na B, Kim C, et al. Coronavirus disease outbreak in call center, South Korea. Emerg Infect Dis. 2020;26(8):1666-70. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.3201/ eid2608.201274

18.

Hamner L, Dubbel P, Capron I, Ross A, Jordan A, Lee J, et al. High SARS-CoV-2 attack rate following exposure at a choir practice — Skagit County, Washington, March 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020;69(19):606-10. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/

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mmwr.mm6919e6 ¦ Ontario School Plant Manager | Winter 2020

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Clean air for our schools has never been as important as today Model MKA, woodshop dust collector installed at Southwood Secondary School in Cambridge Ontario, Canada.

locks, abort dampers, spark detection and suppression systems. Heavy duty industrial exhaust fans are in stock and ready to ship. Unique applications can quickly be modified or built new.

For over 77 years N.R. Murphy Ltd. has designed and installed dust-collection systems, solving almost every dust problem imaginable. The company does one thing and they do it exceptionally well: dust collection. In fact, more schools have bought their dust collector from N.R. Murphy than any other supplier.

N.R. Murphy manufactures a comprehensive line of standard and custom fabricated dry dust-collecting equipment, including dust collectors, filters, fans, and accessories used for diverse applications in agriculture, chemical, mining, printing and more. This also includes cyclones, rotary air 14 Ontario School Plant Manager | Winter 2020

The company can also provide dust collection systems of all sizes, ranging from small units for individual machines to large collectors for many applications. In addition to stocking a full-line of dust collector accessories, they manufacture dust filters for all makes, as well as in-stock standard sizes.

It’s not surprising then that thousands of satisfied customers, spanning virtually every industry sector, have trusted N.R. Murphy Ltd. to get the job done right the first time.

All this experience provides unprecedented peace of mind.

Dust Collector Buying Tips When it comes to designing or selecting a dust-collection system that is perfectly suited to the application, there are many factors to consider, particularly when it comes to determining the right system size and configuration.

1. Make a list of dust-producing equipment The first step is to make a list of equipment that produces dust and a scaled drawing that identifies the locations of machines in the plant. This information can then be used to determine the total volume of air required for the system. That involves taking the square footage of all the pickup points and multiplying it by the velocity needed to keep material in suspension in the ductwork. When determining this number, the weight and flow characteristics of the material must be considered.

2. Determine the dust collector location When choosing where to position the dust collector, important factors include accessibility for installation, as well as waste disposal vehicles. Another key consideration is whether the collector will be placed inside or outside. National fire codes limit the size of collectors that can be installed inside plants without additional measures for explosion venting, so be sure to check with local authorities. Once a location is chosen, the scaled drawing can be used to design the ducting layout, size the branch

lines and main duct, and determine the static pressure of the total system.

3. Determine the filter area required Based on the material being collected and the dust collector’s duty cycle, the appropriate air-to-cloth ratio can be selected. For instance, continuouscleaning-style dust collectors are typically capable of operating non-stop at higher air-to-cloth ratios when compared to shaker-style collectors.

4. D eal with a reputable company While these basic steps are useful for managers and shop owners, the actual design and selection process should be handled by an experienced professional designer or engineer. This expertise is available at N.R. Murphy Limited.

Model MKA series With three different diameters of filter bags to suit a variety of materials, the

MKA is perhaps the most flexible dust collector for small and medium facilities.

MKA dust collectors are the most popular design for school wood shops, and it is just one of dozens of models Murphy has to choose from.This compact dust collector is available in two-, four-, or six-drum storage, dumpster bin or with a hopper bottom for continuous discharge through a rotary airlock.

MKA is a rectangular version of the FB series with all the quality features and design. The principal of operation remains the same, including good primary separation of the heavier dust particles.

The most outstanding feature is the compactness of this model, yet it has the capability of effectively filtering large volumes of air and occupies little valuable space when installed inside or outside a building. The reduced size of these dust collectors also reflects a great saving in shipping costs over long distances.

Other features that make MKA the best

choice for schools: • Rugged yet inexpensive, with low initial cost • High performance on all types of dust particles • High capacity yet very compact • Suitable for large and small applications • Many sizes and configurations available • Shipped completely assembled • Can be easily installed inside or outside, by experienced personnel • Easy to empty the collected waste • Practically no maintenance • Totally enclosed in steel for fire protection and filter section protection • Easy and quiet operation, with silencer option • Flexible cfm ratings for top performance To learn more, contact: Hélder Armas, President N.R. Murphy Limited 430 Franklin Blvd., Cambridge, ON N1R 8G6 (519) 621-6210 | Fax: (519) 621-2841 E-mail: 4nodust@nrmurphyltd.com www.nrmurphy.com ¦

Ontario School Plant Manager | Winter 2020

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Reflecting on risk management:

Were you ready for COVID-19?

COVID-19 has been a disruptive wake-up call. How good is your district’s risk management plan, really?

By Karen Starr, Ph.D.

This article originally appeared in the October 2020 School Business Affairs magazine and is reprinted with permission of the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO). The text herein does not necessarily represent the views or policies of ASBO International, and use of this imprint does not imply any endorsement or recognition by ASBO International and its officers or affiliates Did COVID-19 catch you underprepared or completely unprepared?

Every year, we consider of a huge range of possible perils and plan how we would address them. But have we ever considered that a pandemic would be one of those perils? I for one did not. A pandemic has always been last on a long list of possible hazards on the risk management register.

Our annual risk exercise involved assessing, monitoring, and devising means by which risks would be averted or managed.

Using risk assessment tools and, very often, risk consultants, we established our risk profile and risk appetite. We identified potential risk scenarios or events, ranked them according to probability, and ascribed a consequence rating: low, medium, high, or catastrophic. Contributing risk factors and likely impacts were canvased and subsequent actions devised to arrive at residual risk ratings.

We considered multiple risks: strategic, teaching and learning, market, reputational, operational, financial, asset, technological, security, workforce, regulatory, and governance risks, for example.

We considered natural risks like droughts, floods, bushfires, or tornadoes, alongside risks created by humans, such as social, industrial, technological, and moral risks.

Every year, we consider of a huge range of possible perils and plan how we would address them. But have we ever considered that a pandemic would be one of those perils? I for one did not.

16 Ontario School Plant Manager | Winter 2020

The risk register included terrorism, climate change, toxic spills, and worldwide financial meltdowns, some of which could affect current and future generations or have irreversible consequences. And last was a pandemic. Like other organizations that did all such risk evaluation, we considered ourselves to be risk intelligent.

How useful were these annual risk exercises? For a long time, education leaders have felt risk creeping up on them, with risks expanding continually and risk management becoming an increasingly multifaceted, technical, time-consuming and—dare I say it—boring exercise, but one that was endured year after year to be compliant. Leaders felt they needed to watch their backs

because large or small, risks had to be managed, not ignored.

But there was an increasing sense that managing risk was becoming increasingly riskier. The traditional risk recourse of common-sense leaders was no longer considered good enough.

So organizations developed, expanded, and annually updated their risk registers and action plans, which were typically never used.

Then entered COVID-19. No one knew what was coming, the controls that would be necessary, the repercussions, how long it would go on. Despite best efforts and ardently laid risk management plans, most of us were simultaneously underprepared and unprepared. We hadn’t thought of half of what we needed to know and do!

We had taken our globalized lives and lifestyles for granted.

Failures became instantly evident: Just-in-time international supply chains failed to deliver essential goods, public health responses were too slow, eldercare facilities were woefully understaffed. COVID-19 reduced choices, limited movement, and emphasized new basics: hand hygiene, social distancing, and mask wearing.

We had to adapt to new ways of working, communicating, caring, and keeping in touch. For education, it meant closed schools, homeschooling, and online learning. We learned the hard way to understand that unexpected policy or procedural failures could be catastrophic and fatal.

Living in VUCA times As we are constantly reminded, we are living in an unprecedented time. COVID-19 has demonstrated the shakiness of huge economies, the inadequacies of short-term political cycles and subsequent short-sighted policies, global and local social inequities, community vulnerabilities, the precariousness of paid work, inadequate social services, the tenuousness of industry and enterprise, and, ultimately, the fragility of human lives.

The arrival of COVID-19 just this past spring has been a hugely disruptive wake-up call for everyone, turning every aspect of life on its head and constantly reminding us we live in VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) times.

I write from Australia where in August, borders are closed nationally and across the states. As of this writing, most states have conquered the virus and reduced the numbers of fatalities to a few or even zero, but Victoria, where I live, is having a difficult time managing the second wave. If the virus can’t be controlled, severe Stage 4 lockdowns that limit every aspect of life may convert to Stage 5—even more rigid restrictions that have yet to be invented. We watch for daily death tolls and new infections and look for glimmers of hope that some end to this nightmare might be in sight. We have given up expecting this virus to disappear anytime soon.

The downsides have been unbelievably cataclysmic, tragic, and depressing: ruined economies and livelihoods, devastating deaths and hospital statistics, closed businesses and schools, overburdened and under-resourced health and other social services, ineffective governance, conspiracy theories and fake news, national inclinations toward protectionism and isolationism…the list goes on.

What now?

So, what now? Experience and well-intentioned risk registers have not helped solve our present dilemma, but we are learning a lot. Regarding risk, our understanding has been sharpened and transformed. We now know how huge the pandemic risk is.

But not everything in COVID times has been bad. There has been an alignment of public and private sectors, workers and unions, unusual cross-state alliances, and in Australia, cooperative rather than coercive federalism. Some countries have collaborated to provide aid, secure resources, remove delays, and resolve crises.

We can see environmental improvements and better appreciate the natural world. Many people are enjoying the flexibility of working from home and spending more time with family. Health and safety issues are being addressed ahead of economic and budgetary concerns. Numerous time-consuming tasks that were once considered important are now on the backburner where they belong. Social needs and interests appear to be moving to front of mind. We have had to cooperate and trust one another more with efforts focused on what really matters and makes a difference.

Closer to home, education leaders and business officials are forced to make difficult decisions about the future. The reopening of schools mid-pandemic and amid budget pressures, business continuity, labor force needs, staff deployment and conditions, digital communications and online education, the contents of essential contracts—all these and much more are in the mix for rethinking. Maintaining mental health and morale throughout is becoming more important than ever imagined.

We are confronting a new normal. Our lives may never return to the way they were, but if they do, we will never again take them for granted. We have been jolted into realizing what in life is important and what is not.

And although past risk management exercises were so particularized and contextualized, this plague does not discriminate or differentiate. This time, we—the whole world— understand we are in this together.

Now is the time to ask ourselves: How good is our risk management plan?

Karen Starr is emeritus professor at Deakin University in Victoria, Australia. Email: kstarr@deakin.edu.au ¦ Ontario School Plant Manager | Winter 2020

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