Alerts:  Nov. 12, 2024: Pertussis (whooping cough) outbreak confirmed in Spokane County. SRHD urges parents and pregnant people to vaccinate. Read the press release.

Health & Safety Inspections

School Health & Safety Program

All public, private and parochial schools (K-12) in Spokane County are inspected for health and safety issues.

What is the school health & safety inspection process?

What is the school health & safety inspection process?

To view steps to verify compliance with state health and safety regulations and guidelines, click here.


Overview

Spokane Regional Health District inspects all public, private and parochial K-12 schools within Spokane County on a three- year rotation. These inspections verify compliance with state health and safety regulations and guidelines (Chapter 246-366 WAC). Inspections address general areas such as lighting, heating, ventilation, and sanitation, in addition to technical areas such as playgrounds, arts and crafts, science labs and career/technical education. The health district's School Health & Safety program is innovative in that it offers several means for inspection--health and safety inspections conducted by health district inspectors, in addition to guiding school representatives in conducting their own re-inspections and comprehensive self-inspections.

This self-inspection program was created in the late 1990s through collaboration with the health district's School Advisory Committee. Self-inspection allowed for better communication and consistency between the health district and schools, giving schools more program ownership with the ability to control costs, and ultimately created safer, healthier schools. Participating schools sign a participation agreement, send a representative to annual training, and complete/submit their inspections within prescribed timelines.


Inspection Cycle

Year 1: Routine Inspection

Health district conducts the inspection with assistance from a school representative – the focus is on high-risk areas such as playgrounds, arts and crafts, shops and labs; health district and the school work together to identify priorities and discuss plans for correction.

Year 2: Re-inspection

The school conducts a re-inspection and provides the health district with a status report on the previous year’s inspection findings.

Year 3: Self-inspection

All schools and school districts participating in self-inspection initiative conduct the self-inspection using a specific form.


To view the School Health & Safety Inspection schedule, click here.
To view the School Health & Safety Entire Inspection Process, click here.


School Health & Safety Videos

Watch the entire playlist here, or watch select videos listed in the accordion below.