To commemorate the annual observance of Earth Day on April 22, the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) has re-issued its checklist of Ten Environmental Hazards You Can Live Without. With more and more people spending a good portion of their day inside — whether at work or home — it is important to recognize that indoor environments may contain a number of hazards. This handy checklist provides tips that everyone can use to help easily eliminate and/or control these hazards.
"ACOEM's environmental checklist provides 10 practical steps that all of us can take to improve the quality of our indoor environment," said Robert K. McLellan, MD, author of the checklist. "Earth Day reminds us of an ancient wisdom — people are inextricably linked with their environment," he said. "The environment does not stop at the walls of our homes and buildings."
The checklist - part of ACOEM's ongoing commitment to protect the health and safety of workers, workplaces, and environments - focuses on household environmental hazards such as tobacco smoke, radon, asbestos, lead, combustion gases, water pollution, household chemicals and pesticides, allergens, and food poisoning. It provides tips on how to avoid and/or control these hazards in the home and includes recommendations and helpful resources from the Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission among others.
ACOEM encourages its members to disseminate the checklist to their patients and colleagues and urges the public to implement the recommendations to improve and protect their living environment.
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