CO, NO2 Health

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CO, NO2 Health Safety in the Home

• Vikki Lynch
• Health Risk Assessment Management program
• Environmental Health Unit
• Department of Human Services, Victoria

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Risk Communication

• Health risk assessors
• Look at body of scientific evidence
• Estimate risks to health
• Jump over the gaps assumptions
• Recommend ways to manage the risk.
• Wasting our time if we cant then tell
  potentially affected people/communities about it

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Risk Communication

• Important aspect of risk management.
• Informs people about potential risks ways to
  minimise exposure.
• Basically, if you arent exposed to a hazard then
  the health risk no longer exists.

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Health Safety in the Home

• Different ways of communicating risk speak to
  people information bulletins booklets web etc.
• Environmental Health Unit Health Safety in
  the Home series on key topics.
• Arsenic mine tailings, Asbestos in the Home,
  Unflued gas heaters ETS

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Publications relating to CO NO2

• Do you have an unflued gas heater?
• CO, NO2 and H2O vapour.
• Does anyone smoke in your home?
• CO and many other chemicals in environmental
  tobacco smoke.

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Unflued gas heaters

• Combustion pollutants released indoors instead of
  outside (via a flue).
• In Victoria ufghs linked to LPG gas ( 4
  homes use for heating).
• Message if not well maintained or used properly
  may lead to pollutants building up in the room.

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Unflued gas heaters Key points

• Do not use in bedrooms, bathrooms or caravans.
• Have heater serviced at least every 2 years.
• When operating ufgh, allow fresh air to enter the
  room (to replace O2 used by the heater
  circulate combustion pollutants out of room)
• Use exhaust fan when cooking in same room as an
  operating ufgh.

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Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS)

• Major source of indoor air pollution
• ETS comprises main stream smoke side-stream
  smoke
• Over 4000 chemicals including CO

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Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Key points

• Breathing in other peoples tobacco smoke may
  harm a persons health even if they do not smoke.
• Do not allow people to smoke indoors
• Asthmatics other at-risk-individuals should
  avoid smoky environments
• Children at greater risk as they take in more
  pollutants per kg body weight than adults.

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Where to go for more info?

• vikki.lynch_at_dhs.vic.gov.au
• Risk communication
• enHealth Council
• Health Safety in the Home booklets
• A chat

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Any Questions?