Pete Hubicki of Get The Lead Out® in Charlotte has earned the Healthy Homes Specialist certification from the National Environmental Health Association and the National Center for Healthy Housing.
“The HHS exam tests your understanding of the connection between health and housing, enabling you to take a holistic approach to identify and resolve problems that threaten the health and well being of residents,” said Pete Hubicki with Get The Lead Out®. “Many homes fall short of the basic requirements of a healthy home and contain one or more of hazards that adversely affect human health.”
Attributes of an Unhealthy Home
- Mold and pests — such as cockroaches, rodents, and dust mites — can cause and contribute to asthma, allergies, and other respiratory illnesses. Since housing conditions can play a significant role in respiratory health, these hazards can greatly increase and intensify susceptibility to respiratory illnesses.
- Toxic materials such as lead, asbestos, and chemical pesticides can harm human health in a variety of ways. For instance, lead poisoning in children causes reduced IQ and attention span, hyperactivity, impaired growth, reading and learning disabilities, hearing loss, insomnia, and a range of other health, intellectual, and behavioral problems.
- Poisonous gases such as carbon monoxide and radon also pose threats to health. Carbon monoxide poisoning results in more than 200 accidental deaths a year and, at much lower levels, causes flu-like symptoms, which often go undiagnosed. Radon can increase the risk of cancer, which is the second leading cause of death among adults and children in the U.S.
“The ideal way to maintain healthy homes and properties is to practice primary prevention (addressing these hazards before they become dangerous problems) using a holistic approach (tackling many hazards at once),” added Hubicki.
If you would like to learn more about Healthy Home inspections in Charlotte and the Carolinas, please contact Katie Hubicki with Get The Lead Out® at 704-376-3594 or email Katie at koh@gettheleadout.biz.
