M1.5 Blog Assignment: Environmental Health Home Assessment

M1.5 Blog Assignment: Environmental Health Home Assessment

Doing the home assessment made me realized that we might not be thinks around the house that we need to re think. One the biggest concerns was not having a a set plan for emergencies. I'm originally from Southern CA, and at home we always made sure we had supplies and knew what to do in case of an earthquake. Living in Yolo County, where earthquakes are not likely, we did not bother to think about other environmental disasters. The past few week we've been hit with heavy rain, that was when I realized that if it came to the point where we needed to evacuate our home, we would not be ready with any supplies. My fiance and I have not talked about fire evacuation plan or thought about having a fire extinguisher (mainly because we do not have a gas stove or cook with gas/propane). During the time of heavy rain, there were nights where the power went off, and with only 1 flash light available and no food supplies that did not require some sort of cooking, I was shocked to realize that we are not ready for a bigger storm

I'm a renter, and I remember that I did not ask my landlord any of the questions this assessment has. For example, I don't know if my house has ever been tested for lead or a radon test has ever been performed; things that are very important specially since I have a 1 year old son. 

Over all, I was shocked about the results of the assessment. This has started a conversation at home to make sure we change things to live in a more safe environment. 

Home built before 1978: No
Home tested for lead: Unknown
Living space in the basement: No
Attached garage: Yes
Home radon test: Unknown
Home radon ventilation system: No 

Combustion heating source: Yes
Gas, kerosene, or propane space heater: No
Wood stove: No
Fireplace: No

Gas dryer: Yes
Vented: Yes
Gas hot water heater: Yes
Vented: Yes
Gas stove: No

Well water: No 
Lead pipes: No 
Water tested for contaminants: Yolo County tests water for contaminants
Known contaminants: None currently

Smoke detector: Yes
Carbon monoxide detector: Yes
Fire extinguisher: No
Fire evacuation route: No
Emergency phone number list: No
Disaster plan: No
Shelter-in-place supplies: No 

Insects in the home: No

Rodents in home: No
Pesticide spraying in the home: No 
Pesticide contract: No 
Frequency:

Air freshener used in home: Yes
Candles: Yes
Plug-ins: Yes
Incense: No
Frequency: Twice per week 
Use of strong smelling cleaners: Yes

Tuna fish served in home: Sometimes
Fresh fruit/vegetables used: Yes
Local/organic products used: Yes

Mercury thermometer in house: No 
Other mercury devices: No 
Needle boxes: No
Use of traditional or cultural remedies containing mercury: No

Smoking allowed in home: No 
House smells like smoke: No 
Cigarette products present: No