Transcript HomeSafe

Are our homes making us
sick?
Creating Healthy Co-ops
Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation
CHFC AGM
June 10, 2010
Agenda
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Introductions
Indoor Air Quality: Overview
Poor IAQ: The Main Culprits
Creating Healthy Housing: Strategies
Environmental Sensitivities and the Law
Products and Resources
Next Steps
Evaluation
Are our homes making us sick?
Indoor Air Quality
How to battle bad air in your home: What you
put in your home and how you clean it will affect the quality of
your indoor air -- and your health
In the outdoors, unwanted irritants such as pollen, exhaust or
cigarette smoke can be unpleasant, but ignored. But when
they infiltrate your home, it can affect your health. As
Canadians spend more than 90 per cent of their time inside
buildings, indoor air quality is extremely important, but it's
something most people know little about.
Are our homes making us sick?
Indoor Air Quality
Your home can make you ill:
Cleaning products and mould can make you
sick; poor ventilation, chemicals don't help
Lisa Borden was at a loss over
what to do about her newborn
daughter's eczema, which
persisted despite several
months of treatment with a
prescribed ointment.
It was her father, a physician,
who suggested that the skin
condition might be an allergic
reaction to a household
detergent or chemical.
Are our homes making us sick?
Indoor Air Quality
Domestic Detox: Extreme Home
Cleaning
WHEN Matthew Waletzke appeared
at the door of my East Village
apartment to evaluate my home for
what he calls “toxic exposure” —
the alternative world’s catch-all
phrase for potential health hazards
like mold, indoor air pollution,
household chemicals and
electromagnetic radiation (beware
your Wi-Fi!) — I half-expected to
see a guy in an “Andromeda Strain”era hazmat suit.
Are our homes making us sick?
Indoor Air Quality
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Among top 5 environmental risks to
public health (EPA)
IAQ can be substantially worse than
outdoor air (2 to 5 X)
30% of buildings have IAQ
problems (WHO)
Are our homes making us sick?
Medical Consequences
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Eye, nose and throat irritation;
coughing; headaches; fatigue;
rashes; etc.
Asthma
Respiratory illnesses
Sick Building Syndrome
Allergies
Chemical/environmental sensitivities
Certain cancers
Are our homes making us sick?
Particularly Vulnerable Residents
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Pregnant women
Infants and children
The elderly
People with existing respiratory
conditions or chemical sensitivities
Are our homes making us sick?
Poor IAQ: Some Culprits
Are our homes making us sick?
Poor IAQ: Some Culprits
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Substances that release Volatile Organic
Compounds (VOC’s):
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Cleaning products (especially scented
products)
Carpeting, vinyl tiles and adhesives
Wood composites used in cabinetry and
furniture
Paints, varnishes, wood strippers, sealants
Air fresheners
Scented personal care products (70% of
asthma attacks from perfume)
Are our homes making us sick?
Poor IAQ: Some Culprits
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Exhaust fumes and tobacco smoke
Gas appliances
Dust, pollens and pet dander
Pesticides and lawn fertilizers
Mould and mildew
Electromagnetic fields
Poor ventilation**
air transfer between units
Are our homes making us sick?
Creating Healthy Housing:
Principles
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Reduce/eliminate source of
contaminants
Remove existing contaminants
Reduce transfer of existing
contaminants
Provide an adequate supply of
clean, fresh air
Are our homes making us sick?
Creating Healthy Housing:
Strategies
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Use unscented, non-toxic cleaning
products
Remove odours through cleaning and
ventilation
Reduce use of pesticides, herbicides and
fertilizers
Use solid hardwood, glass or metal as
much as possible (or formaldehyde-free
plywood, etc.)
Avoid aromatic woods (pine/cedar)
Are our homes making us sick?
Creating Healthy Housing:
Strategies
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Use ceramic tile, brick, polished concrete
or hardwood as flooring wherever possible
(or natural, low emission carpets that are
cleaned frequently)
Use readily available low or no-VOC
paints and finishes (be careful of tints)
Sometimes it is better not to renovate
Are our homes making us sick?
Creating Healthy Housing:
Strategies
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Maintain corridor (and parking garage)
ventilation systems**
Ensure kitchen and exhaust fans working
properly
Properly seal units
Contain and ventilate work areas
Provide adequate notice before major
cleaning/repairs
Are our homes making us sick?
Creating Healthy Housing:
Strategies
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Address water “events” quickly
Regularly inspect for mould growth and
remove with a non-toxic product (not
bleach)
Institute a no-idling rule
Institute a scent-free policy for
staff/contractors
Educate members on use of scented
personal care products
Designate one elevator as “scent free”
No smoking policies?
Are our homes making us sick?
Environmental Sensitivities
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Multiple Chemical Sensitivity,
Environmental Illness, Chemical Injury,
Environmental Hypersensitivity, etc.
Sensitive to environmental contaminants
at levels tolerated by the “average”
person
About 3% of Canadians over 30
diagnosed with ES
As many as 4 million Canadians likely
have chemical sensitivities
Predominantly women (60-80% in various
surveys)
Are our homes making us sick?
Environmental Sensitivities
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Poorly understood
Now widely recognized as a
disability
Can develop as a result of major
exposure
For most, develops gradually as a
result of cumulative exposure
“Canaries in the coal mine”
Are our homes making us sick?
Environmental Sensitivities
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Severity varies significantly
Symptoms Include:
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headaches, shortness of breath, abdominal
pain, fatigue, muscle spasms, difficulty walking
and with fine motor skills, nausea, irregular
heartbeat, hives, high blood pressure, difficulty
concentrating, and anxiety and depression
Symptoms worse with continued exposure
Treatment: remove source of symptoms
Are our homes making us sick?
ES and the Law
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Considered a disability under
human rights legislation
Housing providers (including coops) have a duty to accommodate
the particular needs of members
with disabilities
This could involve changing policies,
procedures, structures, etc.
Cost to be borne by the co-op
Are our homes making us sick?
Members with ES: Special
Considerations
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Consult when using new cleaning/building
materials
Advance notice before major
cleaning/renovation very important
Provide separate laundry facilities or allow
to have laundry in own unit
Avoid gas appliances
Many people with ES also sensitive to
fluorescent lights
Are our homes making us sick?
Products
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Beware of “Greenwashing”
“Green” does not necessarily mean
healthy
Cleaning Products
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ECOgent (www.ecogent.ca)
Nature Clean (www.naturecleanliving.com)
MASS Environmental Biodegradable Cleaning
Products (www.massenv.com)
AFM SafeChoice (www.afmsafecoat.com)
Eco Mist “Pro Solutions”
(www.ecomistsolutions.com)
Are our homes making us sick?
Products
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Mould
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Tri-Sodium Posphate
Hydrogen Peroxide
Concrobium (www.concrobium.com)
Paints and Finishes
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Benjamin Moore Natura Lines
AFM Safecoat paints
Z-Coat Zero VOC Paint
(www.generalpaint.com)
Olympic Paints Premier Line
(www.olympic.com)
Are our homes making us sick?
Products
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Caulking
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Walls
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Adbond (www.dutab.com)
AFM Safecoat Caulking Compound
Murco M-100 Hypo Allergenic Joint and Stucco
compound (www.murcowall.com)
Flooring
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Finitec Canada (www.finitec-inc.com)
AFM Flooring Products
Eco Timber Flooring (www.ecotimber.com)
Flor (low VOC carpet tiles) (www.flor.com)
Are our homes making us sick?
Resources
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CMHC (www.schl.gc.ca)
Health Canada (www.hc-sc.gc.ca)
US Environmental Protection
Agency (www.epa.gov)
Green Communities Canada
(greencommunitiescanada.org)
Are our homes making us sick?
Resources
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Guide to Less Toxic Products
(www.lesstoxicguide.ca)
Washington Toxics Coalition
(www.watoxics.org)
Earth Easy (www.eartheasy.com)
Environmental Health Associations
across Canada
Are our homes making us sick?