As the days get warmer, your kids and your inner child will head outside to enjoy the outdoors! Do you know if your play area is safe for your family? 

Playing outside is great fun and exercise, but dirt around older homes can contain lead. Unfortunately, lead was used in gasoline many years ago and can now be found along our curbs and yards - especially homes near freeways. 

Lead is a heavy metal and a poison to the human body; It is the #1 environmental health threat impacting children under the age of six. Lead poisoning can cause brain damage, hyperactivity, learning disability, and aggressive behavior. Without an identifiable smell or taste, it is up to us to take precautions to protect ourselves.

Here are some tips to keep the kiddos happy and safe!

• Cover bare soil with grass, mulch, wood chips, stones, bark or gravel to avoid exposure to lead, which may be in the soil.
• If you have bare soil, it's time to do some planting!
• If you are planning on making home improvements to the exterior of your house (i.e. repainting), make sure you or your contractor use lead-safe work practices. This includes: safely containing any dust, thus avoiding lead contaminated dust from filtering into indoor of your home. For more information about lead-safe work practices, contact EHC.
• If you are at a new play area and you do not know if the bare soil is contaminated, tell your kids to stick to the #1 Play Rule: Play in the grass, not in the dirt!
• When it is time to go inside your home, ask your children to remove their shoes or wipe them off at the doormat.
• When heading outside to play, be sure to turn off all of your household lights to save energy, save money, and help our planet!