RALEIGH — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ Radon Program is offering 12 free, four-hour classes for licensed real estate brokers so they can ensure their clients understand the importance of radon testing of the homes or other buildings they may purchase.
Radon is the silent, colorless, odorless gas that is the number two cause of lung cancer in the United States. The radioactive gas seeps through the ground and diffuses into the air, coming from the normal decay of elements of uranium, thorium and radium in rocks and soil under homes and buildings in some areas, including North Carolina, where it is prevalent in most counties.
While cigarette smoking is the most common cause of lung cancer, radon is the second leading cause in the U.S., with an estimated 15,000 to 22,000 lung cancer deaths each year related to radon.
All building types in all areas of North Carolina have the potential for elevated radon levels, and the course will address best practices for testing and mitigation strategies for single-family homes, multi-family homes and large buildings.
Over the past three years, hundreds of real estate brokers have completed the four-hour elective approved by the North Carolina Real Estate Commission. Interested brokers can see the schedule and register for the course by visiting www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/health-service-regulation/north-carolina-radon-program. The first class in this offering will be online, on Aug. 14. All classes begin at 8 a.m. and conclude at noon. A full list of class dates and locations is available on the website.
The NC Radon Program is approved by the NC Real Estate Commission as an elective educator. This course will be taught by the NC Department of Health and Human Services’ Radon Program Coordinator Phillip Ray Gibson, who also is a North Carolina licensed real estate broker-in-charge.
Participants of this course will receive four elective credits approved by the NC Real Estate Commission and a toolkit composed of educational materials. This course is free. Online registration is required.
For additional information, those interested in the course may contact Gibson at 828-712-0972 or email phillip.gibson@dhhs.nc.gov.
