Making changes to Housing for Health – the guide

The aim of this section is to use the experience of those using the Guide to edit, refine and expand the content.

With your help the Guide will slowly become more relevant to a broad range of environments around Australia, and in time, the world. It is unlikely that all the possible solutions to all types of housing and living environment problems could ever be contained within any one place but it is hoped that the Guide can point to problems, solutions and work done  in other similar publications closer to your region or country and place of work.

Most importantly your input can help the Guide to continue to develop the universal principles that link housing, the living environment and health.

The Guide is evidence based and any changes proposed will be reviewed against your submitted evidence.

The schedule for review of the Guide will be :

Within 2 weeks : typographical errors, formatting errors and web site faults .

Within one month : adding of text or additional jpg. images with concise captions that clearly demonstrate problems or solutions.

Every 6 months: a review of content changes and edits within the existing structure of the Guide and be based on submitted evidence

Every 2 years: There will be a major Guide review where additional sections, tools and links to organisations working around Australia and in other countries will be considered. Major contributors may be invited to send their material and participate in the review panel.

To make changes now

FIRST select the SECTION of the Guide  and ITEM you wish to add to or edit.

THEN, choose the particular parts you want to EDIT.

When you then select CONTINUE, the particular section and item you selected will displayed for you to add to, or  edit. You can then add supporting files  (images or files) to support your changes. Then end the process by telling us who you are, how we can contact you and then send your suggested changes.

Follow the prompts below and suggest your  changes.

  • A1 Electrical Safety
    • A1.1 Safety switches
    • A1.2 Electrical earth connection
    • A1.3 Cabling and wiring
    • A1.4 Power points, lights and other fittings
  • A2 Gas Safety
    • A2.1 Gas Safety
  • A3 Fire Safety
    • A3.1 Fire prevention
    • A3.2 Fire and smoke detection
    • A3.3 Escape in the event of fire
  • A4 Structural Safety
    • A4.1 Structural safety
  • B1 Washing People
    • B1.1  Wet area design
    • B1.2 Hot water
    • B1.3 Water outlets, valves & taps
    • B1.4 Washing kids ― hand basin, baths, and laundry tubs
    • B1.5 Showers
    • B1.6 Wet area floor drainage (bathroom, shower, toilet and laundry)
    • B1.7 Turning off water to allow plumbing maintenance
  • B2 Washing clothes and bedding
    • B2.1 Laundry design
    • B2.2 Drying clothes and bedding
  • B3 Removing waste water safely
    • B3.1 Flush toilets
    • B3.2  House drains
    • B3.3 Septic Systems + on site waste disposal
    • B3.4 Aerated waste water treatment system
    • B3.5 Dry toilets
  • B4 Improving nutrition – the ability to store, prepare and cook food
    • B4.1 Quality of drinking water
    • B4.2  Food storage
    • B4.3  Preparing food – sinks and benches
    • B4.4  Cooking
    • B4.5  kitchen Design(General)
  • B5 Reducing the negative impacts of crowding
    • B5.1  Performance of health hardware in households with more people
    • B5.2  Developing the edges of the house and the yard
    • B5.3  Storage areas in the house
  • B6 Reducing the negative effects of animals, insects and vermin
    • B6.1  Dogs, horses, pigs and other large animals
    • B6.2  Animals: rats, mice, snakes and birds
    • B6.3  Insects: ants and cockroaches
    • B6.4  Insects: mosquitoes and flies
    • B6.5  Insects: Dust mites
    • B6.6  Insects: termites
  • B7 Reducing the health impacts of dust
    • B7.1 Reducing the health impacts of dust
  • B8 Controlling the temperature of the living environment
    • B8.1 Human comfort and climate
    • B8.2 Passive design in tropical zones
    • B8.3 Passive design for houses in arid and temperate climates
    • B8.4 Active cooling of houses
    • B8.5 Active heating of houses
  • B9 Reducing hazards that cause minor injury (trauma)
    • B9.1 Hazardous materials
    • B9.2  Personal security
    • B9.3  Preventing slips, trips and falls
    • B9.4 Preventing cuts and abrasions
    • B9.5 Preventing burns
  • C1 Water
    • C1.1 Water quantity and treatment systems
    • C1.2 Water quantity and demand management
    • C1.3  Rainwater, stormwater and recycled water for landscaping
  • C2 Energy
    • C2.1 Electricity
    • C2.2 Gas
  • C3 Waste Water
    • C3.1 Waste water
  • C4 Household rubbish disposal
    • C4.1 Household rubbish removal
  • C5 Community planning
  • C6 Landscaping
    • C6.1 Landscaping
  • C7 Communications
What would you like to add/edit?
Preliminary descriptive textEnsures textConsidersQuality ControlMaintenance and ManagementThe referencesGeneral comment on item