Keeping Your Home Healthy and Safe

Posted by STN Admin on

Being together in one home is what families are all about. However, with so much time being spent indoors, the chances of an accident occurring become greater. Children and older adults are especially vulnerable in terms of becoming injured due to the many hazards that may be present inside the home. 

Health Concerns

A home is a place where several hazards may exist. Identifying such issues means recognizing the following potential hazards in the home which may include the following. 

  • Lead-based paint
  • Water leaks
  • Electrical issues 
  • Mold infestation 
  • Gas appliances that malfunction 
  • Improper storage of poisons and pesticides and more 

Children may be particularly vulnerable to small items such as toys that are left out as choking hazards. Plus, older adults are more vulnerable to falling, both in terms of losing their balance and suffering injuries to a far greater extent compared to children and adults. 

How to Maintain Safety in the Home

The good news for homeowners is that there are simple things you can do to promote safety inside your residence while reducing the dangers that may be present. 

  • Clean on a regular schedule
  • Maintain good ventilation inside the home
  • Remove pests and contaminants
  • Dry surfaces quickly 
  • Identify dangerous areas 

Such dangerous areas may include stairs that have no handrails, bathrooms and kitchens with slick floors, rugs that are not secure, electrical wiring that may be aging, and the like. A good place to start is with a simple inspection that may include the following. 

  • Small items on the floor such as toys
  • Checking electrical outlets
  • Securing rugs and identifying issues with carpeting 
  • Removing glare from floors and more 

In homes that were constructed before the mid-1970s, you will want to check for possible lead-based paint, lead pipes, and the presence of asbestos inside the home. Although the risk may seem minimal, many older homes still have lead-based paint on the walls which presents a real hazard, especially to children. In most cases, you should be able to address the common health and safety concerns inside your home. 

However, there are some health and safety issues that may require a professional company for assistance. From installing handrails to identifying source of mold to removing contamination, a company such as Brickley Environmental may be of considerable assistance. 

Why Choose Brickley Environmental?

To make your home healthier and safe, the professionals at Brickley Environmental can help. Offering their knowledge, experience, and equipment needed to create a safer living environment, Brickley Environmental provides you with peace of mind when it comes to safety concerns about your living conditions. 

When you call, our courteous, friendly staff will answer, listen to your needs, explain our services, and answer your questions about improving home safety. A representative may be sent upon your request to inspect your home and make recommendations. If you accept, our team of experts will make the changes necessary in a prompt, professional manner. Call today to find out more about the services provided by Brickley Environmental. 

New Lead-Acid Battery Fees in California

Posted by Cleo Spencer on

Lead_acid_battery

The dangers of lead have been known for decades and both state and federal government entities have taken substantial steps to eliminate lead from a wide variety of products, including gasoline and paint. However, lead is still present in some products, most notably car or vehicle batteries. This has prompted the State of California to charge a fee to both retailers and produces of lead batteries to curb their use.

Fees for Purchase or Sale of Lead-Acid Batteries

Those who purchase or sell lead batteries in California are subject to a new fee that went into effect on April 1st, 2017. The Lead-Acid Battery Recycling Act, which was passed in 2016, created two new fees that are applied to the purchase and manufacture of such batteries.

There is a $1 battery fee that is applied to the purchase and a $1 fee on the manufacturer, wholesaler, dealer, or other retailer or distributer. The fee on manufacturers will increase to $2 on April 1st, 2022. Dealers may charge customers for the required fee and retain 1.5% of the fee for reimbursement to pay for the costs in collecting the fee.

Essentially, the new law means that $1 is charged for every battery sold and purchased which is designed to increase the price and thus have consumers, retailers, and manufacturers turn towards batteries that contain little to no lead. While lead-acid batteries will still be at the forefront of car battery sales for the next several years, eventually they will be eliminated from production and the threat they pose will be even further reduced.

What is a Lead-Acid Battery?

This is a battery found in vehicles and it usually weighs more than 11 pounds. Its composition inside the casing is a combination of sulfuric acid and lead which can hold at least six volts of power. This provides a high-energy start to internal combustion engines found in vehicles and watercraft. Also, it can independently power such vehicles when used in multiples and provide stationary power for emergency uses.

However, lead is a known poison that causes brain damage and impairment, especially in children. While exposure to lead from batteries of this nature is rare, the threat is such that California has enacted this legislation.

At Brickley Environmental, we serve the Southern California community in waste cleanup which includes lead abatement. Call today and find out more about our services as we answer your questions about the dangers of lead and how it can be removed from your property.

The Dangers of Lead Exposure

Posted by Cleo Spencer on

You have probably already heard that lead exposure is dangerous, but few people are aware of just how poisonous it is—or how common it is in our world. In the United States alone, there are at least 24 million homes where high lead levels are affecting the inhabitant’s quality of life. At least of sixth of those homes have young children, who are especially susceptible to lead poisoning—primarily because children are more likely to put foreign objects in their mouth and suck on them than adults are. Children younger than six are most likely to be affected by lead in a household.

But where is this lead found in homes? While “lead” pencils no longer contain lead, there are plenty of items in the typical American home that could contain this harmful substance. Items that have been coated in lead-based paint are the most common. Some homes, especially those that were built before 1978, likely have lead-based paint on the walls—though if the paint has since been covered with a lead-free coat, which is not chipping away, the family is likely safe.

Toys and rooms with chipping paint, are the most likely to expose children to hazardous led. When it comes to lead paint on the walls, there are basically two modes of action—carefully and safely chipping it all away and repainting with a non-lead-based paint, or simply painting it over with a safe paint and monitoring it to ensure the problem does not reoccur.

Any toys that were recently produced and distributed in China may contain lead-based paint, as it was recently revealed that toy companies who outsources their manufacturing to China, were using some lead-filled paints.

If you are sure that neither your walls, nor the toys are a source of lead, check your jewelry, water, soil, and cosmetics for lead. Until very recently, lead was used in the manufacture of jewelry and makeup, and lead from underlying rock formations or pollution could be leaching into the water supply. Luckily, it is easy to test your water and soil for lead exposure.

The federal government is very concerned about lead exposure rates in the population. Recent regulations have been tightened to ensure that lead paint and other household items that contain lead are discontinued and that the public is alerted to the dangers, as the home is not the only place that children might come into contact with lead.

If you or one of your family members has been exposed to lead, try to identify the source of the exposure and report it to the local government. The proper agencies will then be alerted to help remediate your house or yard.

About Brickley Environmental

Brickley Environmental creates safe-and-sound schools, homes, and buildings by designing and executing safe, cost-effective containment, abatement and removal solutions. We do it right the first time — making your profits predictable while supporting your ethical standards and reputation for excellence — and have served Southern California for over 30 years.