What is a healthy home?, 2012 December

Healthy Homes in Georgia
As part of the expanded lead program incorporating the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Healthy Homes initiative in Georgia. The Georgia Healthy Homes and Lead Poisoning Prevention Program offers information about other household hazards including indoor air quality or unintentional injuries. The new Healthy Homes Program provides information about common household hazards such as:

Asbestos Allergens and Asthma Carbon Monoxide Fire Hazards Household Chemicals Injury Hazards Lead-Based Paint

Leaded Paint Mold and Moisture Pest Control Radon Temperature Control Tobacco Smoke Well Water Quality

Contact your local health department for more information about the Georgia Healthy Homes and Lead Poisoning Prevention Program.

Who Can I Contact?

Healthy Homes Regions

Northwest Region (Rome)

706-295-6569

Northeast Region (Gainesville)

706-517-1400

Atlanta Metro Region (DeKalb County)

404-508-7930

West Central Region (Columbus)

706-321-6170

East Central Region (Augusta)

706-667-4246

Central Georgia Region 478-751-6303 (Macon)

Southwest Region (Colquitt County)

229-891-7047

Southeast Region (Dublin)

478-274-7961

Coastal Region (Savannah)

912-262-2347

What is a Healthy Home?
HEALTHY HOMES AND LEAD POISONING PREVENTION PROGRAM
Environmental Health Section

What is a Healthy Home?
Home is where we spend the majority of our time. How we maintain our homes can affect our health. A "Healthy Home" is a home that is designed, built, and maintained to support health. It is free of hazards and is dry, ventilated, clean, properly maintained, pest-free, contaminant-free, and safe.
How Can My Home Affect My Health?
Health hazards around the home may lead to poisoning, injuries, respiratory distress, and other health problems. Allergens like mold, pest infestations, and dander can trigger an asthma attack or worsen respiratory symptoms. Secondhand cigarette smoke and dust mites in a home can also cause asthma, and second-hand smoke can also lead to COPD.
Most poisonings and physical injuries happen around the home. Older or improperly maintained natural gas appliances can increase the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning or fire injuries. Water heaters set at greater than 120oF can cause scalding. Water leaks and high humidity can create moisture problems that attract pests, increase dust, cause mold, weaken housing structure, or cause flaking paint.
Fixing broken or leaking appliances, making home repairs, and ensuring proper ventilation will prevent many health hazards around the home.
What about the National Call to Action?
In 2009, the U.S. Surgeon General recognized the public health impacts of housing and issued a nationwide call to action to promote housing health. The report identifies a healthy home as "a home that supports residents' basic physical and psychological needs, and that protects from illness and injury." The report encourages everyone to use a holistic approach to ensuring safe housing.

What makes a Healthy Home?
A healthy home is reflected by seven key concepts. To maintain a healthy home, be sure to Keep It:
Dry repair leaks in plumbing or other areas of the home, and keep humidity inside the home below 50%. Clean roof gutters regularly and be sure that downspouts direct rainwater away from the home.
Ventilated be sure that your heating and air conditioning unit is working properly and that circulated air is properly ventilated to the outside. Open windows to help ventilate and circulate air in your home.
Clean keep your home organized and clean. Dust or vacuum regularly about once a week, or more often if necessary. Be sure to clean dishes and surfaces to avoid attracting pests. De-clutter as necessary to prevent injuries.
Properly Maintained repair appliances and the housing structure as necessary.
Pest-Free avoid attracting pests first before using toxic chemicals to reduce pests. Consider using Integrated Pest Management concepts and methods.
Contaminant-Free avoid smoking inside your home, keep interior paint in good condition, and reduce the chemicals you use as air fresheners or cleaning supplies.
Safe Repair holes and keep electrical wiring clear of foot traffic. Use smoke and carbon monoxide alarms around the home to prevent poisoning or burns.

What about Lead-Based Paint?
Lead-based paint can be found on inside and outside walls of a house. It may also be found on toys, furniture, or dishes. Many houses built before 1978 contain lead-based paint.
Paint made with lead was used to help preserve the walls of the home and prevent mold or excessive wear and tear; however, children get lead poisoning when they eat paint chips or inhale dust from lead-based paint in or outside the house.
What about Indoor Air Quality?
Children spend most of their time indoors, and for their size they breathe up to twice as much as adults. Reducing tobacco use inside the home, reducing chemicals used, and ensuring that indoor air is properly circulated and is well ventilated is important for protecting children's health.
What about Mold?
Mold is caused by leaks and moisture problems around the home. Mold can trigger asthma and cause allergy symptoms. Fixing leaks and keeping the home dry will help prevent asthma triggers like mold and pests around the home.
What about Pests?
The best way to reduce pests around the home is to avoid inviting them in to begin with. This may be done through Integrated Pest Management, which is based on removing food sources, fixing leaks, and sealing cracks and closing up holes.
What about Home Safety?
According to the National Center for Healthy Homes, the second most common hazard around the home is injury from slips, trips, falls, or sharp objects. Injury hazards are most often from slippery bathtubs and bathroom floors, and cluttered walkways and stairs.