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School Bus Drivers: |
School buses provide a safe way for children to get to school. However, most school buses are diesel-fueled. Diesel exhaust contains harmful pollutants that can cause damage to children’s health, particularly for children with asthma.
Idling while waiting in pick-up and drop-off areas builds up diesel exhaust outside and inside the school bus. For more information about anti-idling policies and other school bus related issues visit the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus USA program or the Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s Diesel Wise program.
General Education
- Identify students with asthma and understand their Asthma Action Plan. Know what actions to take if a student has an asthma attack while riding the bus.
- Know how to recognize asthma symptoms, which include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breathe.
- Do not idle without need. Turn off the school bus engine as soon as possible after arriving at pick-up and drop-off areas. The school bus should not be restarted until it is ready to depart.
- Wait inside the school on cold days.
- Limit idling time during early morning warm up to manufacturer recommendations (usually no more than five minutes.)
Sanitation and Strong Odor Control
- Regularly clean the school bus including dusting, sweeping and removing trash daily.
- Avoid the use of perfumes, air fresheners, and cleaning products with strong odors.