Mandatory Follow-Up Radon Testing Noncompliance Among Schools, Child Care Centers, and Adult 24-Hour Care Facilities in Florida

Abstract

Radon causes approximately 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year in the U.S. Facilities that are required to test for radon in Florida include public and private schools, state-regulated child care centers, and adult 24-hour care facilities. All these facilities are required to perform an initial test with a 5-year follow-up test. This study examined noncompliance among facilities with mandatory testing, the effectiveness of outreach to noncompliant facilities, and whether certain groups are more likely to be noncompliant. To determine noncompliance, a sample of 656 facilities was selected from the state-operated database on mandatory radon testing. Outreach to noncompliant facilities was attempted to alert them of their noncompliant status and what they needed to do to become compliant. The database was consulted to determine which facilities became compliant after outreach. The results showed a 50% success rate in outreach. There were no statistically significant relationships between noncompliance and any of the groupings examined. It is recommended that the methods of outreach employed only be used as a supplement to other forms of outreach when seeking to reduce noncompliance among mandatory testing facilities in Florida.