New Hampshire ONE-TOUCH HEALTHY HOMES

Transcription

1 New Hampshire ONE-TOUCH HEALTHY HOMES This information has been brought to you by the New Hampshire Healthy Homes Steering Committee

2 LEAD POISONING Steps to a Lead-Safe Child Lead is a toxic substance that can be present in dust, paint, soil, and drinking water. When ingested or inhaled, lead poses a serious health risk to everyone, especially young children. Low levels of lead can cause nervous system and kidney damage, learning disabilities, slower growth, poor muscle coordination, hearing loss and speech, language and behavior problems. If your home was built before 1978, get your child and your home tested. Children who have high blood lead levels may appear healthy. Test your child at 1 year and again at 2 years old. Know the sources of lead. Homes built before 1978 often have lead paint. Opening and closing painted windows and doors can create a fine leaded dust, often invisible, which a child can eat when mouthing hands and toys. Lead is harmful to pregnant women and young children. Lead is a poison when it gets into your body. While you are pregnant, you and other members of your household should stay away from any activity that uses lead or creates lead dust or fumes. 333,093 housing units in New Hampshire were built before lead paint was banned. 10,530 or 5.5% of New Hampshire school age children have had lead poisoning. Lead poisoning costs New Hampshire $269 million a year in health care costs. Lead poisoning costs between $141 million and $346 million in special education, lost future earnings & juvenile justice each year. Be careful when renovating. Lead dust forms when lead-based paint is scraped, sanded or heated. Renovate safely by hiring an EPA RRP certified contractor or get trained yourself. For additional information call the Healthy Homes & Lead Poisoning Prevention Program at LEAD (5323). DRINKING WATER Regular Testing Protects Your Family Forty percent of New Hampshire residents get their drinking water from private wells on their property. These wells may contain arsenic, radon, and other contaminants that are linked to cancer and other serious illnesses. Many contaminants have no taste, odor or color. If your drinking water doesn t come from a public water supply, such as the town or city, it comes from a private well installed on the property. Know what is in your water. Test your well water every year for bacteria and nitrate. Test your well every 3 to 5 years for what is recommended by the state and listed in the "Standard Analysis." Protect the area around your well from contamination. Keep the area around your well clean and uncontaminated. Do not store chemicals, animal waste, fuel, fertilizers near the well. Do not park vehicles, lawn equipment or recreational vehicles near your well. Use bottled water to drink and cook with if your water is contaminated. If through testing you find your water has high levels of harmful contaminants, don t drink it or cook with it. Use bottled water or have a qualified technician install a treatment system. Many contaminants can be removed by a filter installed under your kitchen sink. For additional information call the NH Drinking Water Source Protection Program at The quality of water from private wells is not typically tested by local, state or federal authorities. Approximately 1 in 5 private wells have unsafe levels of arsenic. Have your water tested for those contaminants listed on the NH Public Lab s list of Standard Analysis.

3 ASTHMA Clearing the air of Asthma Triggers Asthma is a condition where the bronchial airways become swollen. There is no cure for asthma, but it can be managed so that it does not get in the way of a person s normal activities. Wheezing, coughing or chest tightness are asthma symptoms and occur when airways react to things that bring on an attack. These things are called asthma triggers. Here are some ways to avoid common asthma triggers. Take it outside. Until you can quit smoking, smoke outside, not in your home or car. Good night, little mite! Dust mites can trigger asthma. Wash sheets and blankets weekly in hot water. Cover mattresses and pillows with dust-proof covers. Stake your claim. Household pets can trigger asthma. Keep pets out of the bedroom. Un-invite unwelcome guests. Cockroaches can trigger asthma. Always clean up messes and store food in airtight containers. Break the mold. Mold is another asthma trigger. The key to controlling mold is controlling moisture. Wash and dry hard surfaces to prevent and remove mold. Replace moldy tiles and carpet. 10 % of NH adults have asthma. 10 % of NH children have asthma. An estimated 135,000 NH residents have asthma. Nearly half of them do not have their asthma well-controlled. A little goes a long way. Reduce everyday dust build-up by regularly dusting with a wet cloth and vacuuming carpets and furniture. Air it out. Reducing the moisture will control asthma triggers. Use exhaust fans or open windows when cooking or showering. Fix plumbing leaks or other sources of unwanted water. Plan before the attack. Work with your doctor to develop a written asthma management plan that includes information on triggers and how to manage them. For additional information contact the NH Asthma Control Program at RADON a Cancer-Causing Radioactive Gas Radon is an odorless and invisible radioactive gas that comes from soil and bedrock, including granite, and can enter homes through cracks in the foundation. As the Granite State, New Hampshire has higher than average radon exposures. Radon test kits are simple to use. Test your home today and know the risks of radon. Test your home for radon. Radon test kits are not expensive and easy to use. Buy one today. Fix your home if your radon level is 4 picocuries per liter (pci/l), or higher in the lowest portion of your home. Contact a qualified radon mitigation contractor. If the levels in your home are high, discuss your options when it comes to radon mitigation. For additional information contact US EPA at Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in NH after tobacco smoking. 200 lung cancer deaths a year in NH are caused by radon.

4 BED BUGS Protect Yourself. Get Informed. Stop the Spread. Know the facts about bed bugs. Bed bugs are very successful hitchhikers, moving from an infested site to furniture, bedding, baggage, boxes, and clothing. Bed Bugs feed exclusively on blood. Depending on the conditions of your home, each bed bug may feed once every 5 to 10 days. They are quite resilient and are capable of surviving over a year without feeding. Bed bugs are usually active late at night not during typical home visits. Bed bugs do not carry disease. Contact a Pest Professional immediately. Do NOT treat the situation yourself. Treating bed bugs with over the counter remedies may make it worse. If you are a tenant, contact your landlord immediately. If your landlord is not responsive, contact your local code enforcement or health officer. Cover the mattress and box spring with Bed Bug proof mattress encasement. Purchase covers for both the mattress and box spring. If you can only afford to purchase one encasement, choose to cover the box spring. If you throw out infested furniture. Write BED BUG INFESTED in HUGE letters with spray paint or a marker so that someone else does not pick it up. Place Bed Bug traps under the feet of your beds and other infested furniture. Called a Climbup, these devices will trap bed bugs and prevent them from getting into your bed. Remove the Clutter: Clutter is a bed bug's best friend and a pest management professional's worst enemy. Do not store items under the bed. For additional information contact NH Bed Bug Committee at or Bed Bug Central at TOBACCO SMOKE EXPOSURE Choices You Can Make Today Secondhand smoke is the smoke that comes from burning tobacco products and that is exhaled by smokers. Non-smokers absorb the same nicotine and other poisonous chemicals that smokers do. Secondhand smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals, more than 50 of which can cause cancer. There is no such thing as a safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Breathing even a small amount is harmful. Children who breathe secondhand smoke can develop ear infections, have asthma attacks, allergies and pneumonia. Infants exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to die from Sudden Unexplained Infant Death Syndrome (SUIDS). Thirdhand smoke is the residue that remains even after a cigarette is extinguished. 17.2%, or 179,800 adults in NH smoke cigarettes. 13.8% of NH teens smoke. It is a mix of residual nicotine and other chemicals left on indoor surfaces and clothing by tobacco smoke. Choose not to smoke in your home and car. Infants and toddlers are especially vulnerable to secondhand smoke. Each year an estimated 1,700 people in NH die from smoking related illnesses. Another 200 die each year from exposure to secondhand smoke kids (under 18) will become new daily smokers each year. Family, friends or visitors should never smoke inside your home. Teach children to stay away from secondhand smoke. Keep yourself and your children away from places where smoking is allowed. Wheezing and coughing are more common in children who breathe secondhand smoke. While a pack of cigarettes cost roughly $5.60 at the store, the real cost is more like $11.40 per pack when you take into account medical costs and loss of productivity. Until you quit, choose to smoke outside. Moving to another room or opening a window is not enough to protect your children. Ask your doctor for ways to help you stop smoking. For additional information contact New Hampshire Tobacco Helpline at Quit-NOW.

5 CARBON MONOXIDE SAFETY The Silent Killer... Often called the silent killer, carbon monoxide (CO) is an invisible, odorless, colorless gas. It is created when certain fuels burn incompletely. In a home, heating and cooking equipment and vehicles running in attached garages can be sources of carbon monoxide. Install a CO alarm on every level of your home and outside the sleeping area. If the detector sounds, leave your home immediately and call 911. Check or replace the batteries when you change the clocks each spring and fall. Know the signs of CO poisoning. If you suspect CO poisoning and are feeling dizzy, light-headed, or nauseous, seek medical help immediately. Understand the risk of an attached garage. Never run a car or any gas powered equipment inside an attached garage even with the doors open. Keep un-vented heating sources outside the house when in use. Never use a generator, charcoal grill, camp stove, or other gasoline powered device inside your home or garage. A good rule of thumb is to locate them 12 feet from the home. A person can be poisoned by a small amount of CO over a long period of time or a large amount over a short period of time. CO symptoms mimic other illnesses like flu. People who are sleeping or intoxicated can die from CO poisoning before ever experiencing symptoms. Vent all CO sources to the outside. Use an exhaust fan that is vented to the outdoors over your gas stove, water heater, furnace, and other combustion sources. Never heat your house with a gas oven. For additional information contact your local Fire Dept. or the New Hampshire Office of the State Fire Marshal at FIRE PREVENTION Smoke Alarms - Where and Why About two-thirds of home fire deaths occur in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. Properly installed and maintained smoke alarms are the best and least expensive way of providing an early warning of a fire and can reduce the risk of dying from a fire in your home by almost half. Install smoke alarms. Smoke alarms should be installed in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement. Test the alarms. Make sure your alarms work by testing them monthly. Replace the batteries. Replace smoke alarm batteries at least annually, such as when resetting clocks in the fall or spring. Replace old alarms. Replace all smoke alarms after 10 years of use. Keep a safe distance. Keep anything that can burn at least three feet from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater. Maintain solid fuel burning appliances. Pellet stoves, wood stoves and fireplaces should be properly installed and maintained each year. Roughly two-thirds of home fire deaths happen in homes with no working smoke alarms. Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in home fires in half. Half of home fires are reported in November through March. Make an escape plan. Develop and practice a fire escape plan. For additional information contact your local Fire Dept. or the New Hampshire Office of the State Fire Marshal at

6 WEATHERIZATION Save Energy and Money Today Weatherization programs help families reduce their energy bills by improving the energy efficiency of their homes. Lowincome families are the most vulnerable to rising fuel costs as they are the least likely to make energy improvements themselves. Some programs prioritize households with seniors, the disabled or those with young children. For low-income households, money not spent on heating bills can be used for other necessities, like food and medication. Depending on fuel prices and the size of their home, families receiving weatherization services see their annual energy bills reduced by an average of 25%. Install a programmable thermostat. These thermostats turn down the heat in winter months from 70 F to 62 F during the day while you are at work. Seal your home against air leaks. Sealing holes, cracks and gaps throughout your home is energy smart. Contrary to popular belief, replacing doors and windows does not provide significant short term energy savings. Central air conditioning. For every degree the comfort setting is raised, you shave 3% to 4% from your energy bill for cooling. Reduce your water use. Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes. Take short showers instead of baths. Change out your old light bulbs. Use compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs with the ENERGY STAR label. Households that spend more than 40% of their income on fuel are said to carry a high energy burden. These households use 30% more energy per square foot. For the elderly and disabled, energy saving measures allow them to stay in their homes, when rising fuel costs might otherwise force them to sell. For additional information contact Office of Energy & Planning at RODENTS & INSECTS Nobody Wants To Live With Pests! Many tenants, landlords and pest control professionals make the same mistake: they turn to pesticides first. Pesticides may not always be needed to control a pest and sometimes pests become resistant to a pesticide, so the poison no longer kills them. Good pest control gets to the root of the problem. To get rid of pests and keep them from coming back, deprive them of everything they need to survive: food, water, shelter and ways to get around. Step One Clean Up! Reduce clutter, vacuum thoroughly, wash hard surfaces, clean small appliances and wash area rugs and curtains. Step Two Shut Pests Out! Seal cracks, holes, and gaps, screen bathroom and kitchen vents, and close gaps under doors and around windows. Step Three Starve Them and Parch Them! Pest proof your food, manage your garbage, put food away at night and remove water sources. Choose Safer Pest Control Products. For additional information contact the UNH Cooperative Extension Service at

7 MOISTURE AND MOLD It Only Takes A Little Water... Too much moisture in your home can cause mold to grow on almost anything, including paper, carpet, wood, insulation, dry wall, mattresses, shower curtains, air conditioners, humidifiers and dehumidifiers. Too much moisture provides a good environment for bacteria, cockroaches and dust mites which can cause coughing, sneezing, wheezing, allergies and asthma attacks. Controlling dampness and fixing leaks is the most important part of preventing mold growth. Prevent moisture in your basement and crawlspace. Cover dirt in crawlspaces with plastic sheeting, and ventilate the crawlspace. Repair holes and cracks in the walls and use landscaping to direct water away from your foundation. Use air conditioners or dehumidifiers to control moisture in humid weather. Air conditioners and dehumidifiers should be regularly cleaned and maintained. Fix plumbing, flashing and roof leaks as soon as possible. Controlling dampness and fixing leaks is the most important step in controlling mold growth. Install exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathroom. Always use exhaust fans when cooking and showering. If there is no fan, open the window. Clean and repair roof gutters regularly. Make sure drain pipes carry water several feet from your home. Maintain the relative humidity in your home between 40 and 60 percent. You can purchase a device to accurately measure relative humidity. Mold Cleanup - Act Quickly. Mold damages what it grows on. The longer it grows the more damage it can cause. If the size of the moldy area is less than 3 feet by 3 feet, you can clean it yourself. Go to to learn how to clean mold safely. There are no acceptable levels of indoor mold. Knowing air test results will not change the fact that you need to fix the source of the water problem and clean up the mold. Do not mix chlorine bleach with a household cleaner that contains ammonia. This will make a toxic gas which can cause death. For additional information, contact the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at INJURIES have causes - they are not simply fate or bad luck Family homes are wonderful places, but they are full of possible hazards, including electrical appliances, stairs, bathtubs, medicines and household cleaners. Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for people living in New Hampshire who are between ages 10 and 44. Most injuries can be prevented if more care is taken. Prevent Falls. Falls can happen in the backyard or within the home. Install grab bars and use non-slip mats in the tub and shower. Have bright lights over stairs and steps and on landings. Keep stairs clear of clutter. Monitor Your Children. Many falls happen when children aren t attended. Never let children jump on beds or climb on furniture. Keep beds, cribs and other furniture away from windows, especially ones above the first floor. Prevent Poisonings. Move medications, cleaning products, bug killers, fertilizers and fuels to a high shelf or cupboard or to a sealed-off area such as an attic, basement or utility shed, out of reach of children and pets. For additional information contact the Injury Prevention Center at Dartmouth at Older teens have the highest rate of emergency department visits for unintentional injury than any age group. In New Hampshire, falls are the leading cause of non-fatal injuries for all ages.

8 FINDING RESOURCES THAT CAN HELP YOU AND YOUR FAMILY QUESTIONS ABOUT LEAD? LEAD (5323) Renovation, Repair & Painting (RRP) NH Housing Grants for Lead Construction Debris Disposal OSHA, Worker Exposure WEATHERIZATION & FUEL ASSISTANCE Community Action Programs Office of Energy & Planning A person can be poisoned by a small amount of CO over a long period of time or a large FIRE AND CARBON MONOXIDE SAFETY PREVENTION amount over a short period of Call you local Fire Department Office of State Fire Marshal time Arson Hotline Carbon Monoxide Workgroup CO symptoms mimic other illnesses like flu. People who are sleeping or intoxicated can die TOBACCO AND SMOKE-FREE HOUSING English Tobacco Helpline from CO poisoning before ever experiencing QUIT-NOW symptoms. ( ) Spanish Tobacco Helpline DEJALO ( ) Smoke-free housing RODENTS, INSECTS AND BEDBUGS UNH Cooperative Extension Bed Bug Action Committee NEW HAMPSHIRE NH Dial 211 POISONS Northern New England Poison Center NEED LEGAL HELP? Legal Advice & Referral Center New Hampshire Legal Assistance The Disabilities Rights Center INURY PREVENTION Injury Prevention Center Older Adults Falls Reduction Taskforce RADON, MOLD & DRINKING WATER Radon & Mold Drinking Water Asbestos Mold ASTHMA NH Asthma Control Program x 0855