Newer New Jersey Secondary School Teachers Study, 2021–2023: Insights Pertaining to Indoor Air Quality and Safety

Few studies focus on levels of concern among teachers regarding safety and health (S&H) such as indoor air quality and related environmental S&H topics in K-12 schools. Between October 2021 and June 2023, the New Jersey (NJ) Safe Schools Program provided work-based learning training to 163 newer NJ public secondary career and technical education teachers and asked them to complete online surveys regarding school S&H during the COVID-19 pandemic. There were 205 total survey entries out of 436 possible entries from multiple surveys (two surveys plus a follow-up survey in fall 2022 for those trained in 2021-22 SY). This paper focuses on concerns and perceptions of teacher S&H in physical workplaces with or without ventilation; perceived safety of cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting products (CSDPs); and who is responsible for school S&H. About half of the participants were "very concerned/concerned" about the health effects of CSDPs, and most believed principals are responsible for school S&H. School administrators and principals should take teacher concerns into account to develop, with safety professionals, relevant procedures, including for CSDP use, and provide adequate mechanical ventilation in classrooms.