Ventilation systems throughout the Burnaby School District are designed, operated and maintained to Occupational Health and Safety and WorkSafeBC standards. Wherever possible, we are meeting or exceeding recommended ventilation standards. HVAC systems are being maximized to support air flow, with the following measures taken:
- Systems are programmed to bring in as much fresh air as possible.
- System filtration uses a minimum of a high efficiency MERV-13 filter.
- A daily “pre and post purge” is done where the system is run for approximately two hours before school starts and for another two hours after to flush the space.
- All filters were replaced over the summer and continue to be changed on a regular schedule throughout the year.
In addition to maximizing filtration systems, the following measures are also taken:
- We continue to support air flow with open exterior windows and doors.
- As much as possible, outdoor learning is continuing to be encouraged.
- For the small number of classrooms across the District that don’t have mechanical ventilation or opening exterior windows, stand-alone air scrubbers are in place to support air quality.
There has been much work on ventilation in the Burnaby School District. Beginning in the 2020-21 school year, District staff went to every site and did a review of ventilation for classrooms. In September of 2021, the District completed an audit of the ventilation filtration system operations for the Ministry of Education. That audit was repeated in September of 2022 and 2023. The results by school of the 2023 audit can be seen here.
Updated October 2023