Last week, I described the dangers lead-based paint poses to children. This week, let's discuss how you can reduce the health risks.

Lead Paint Risk Assessment & Inspection

First, you need to know if you have lead-based paint in your home or apartment. As noted last time, lead-based paint was outlawed in 1978. If your house or apartment was built before that time, you could be at risk.

If you live in an older home and suspect the presence of lead-based paint because you or your children exhibit the symptoms of lead poisoning (see the second to last paragraph below for what constitutes high levels of exposure), you or your landlord should contract with a licensed professional to provide you with an inspection and risk assessment.

The inspection involves a surface-by-surface check for the presence of lead using an X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) lead paint analyzer. The risk assessment determines the hazard posed by the lead-based paint and any other lead hazard, such as lead in pottery or hobbies where lead is used.

Two Lead Paint Solutions

Once the report confirms the presence of lead paint, you'll need to do something to control the hazard. There are two options:

Option 1: Full removal of all lead-based paint and fixing all lead hazards; or

Option 2: Enclosing or encapsulating the lead-based paint.

Option 2 is generally less expensive than removal. But it requires periodic inspections to ensure that the enclosure is not damaged or that the encapsulant is not removed.

Lead Paint Removal Considerations

Removal of lead painted surfaces might be a relatively simple task, such as removing the moldings and replacing them with new moldings. Or, it could be complex, requiring wet sanding and wet scraping of surfaces to remove all of the lead paint.

As with asbestos removal, lead paint removal requires the use of enclosures like plastic sheeting covering floors, doorways and other openings. You will need to check your state's regulations for disposal of the lead debris. Some states are covered by an EPA program that allows for the disposal of lead debris to go to a regular landfill. Other states require lead debris to be shipped out as hazardous waste, with the correct paper work and associated costs.

Regardless of the complexity of the process, the family should be temporarily moved out of the residence while the work is being performed and until after the clean up clearance testing has been completed and the area tests clean.

Where to Go for Help

If you need help getting your landlord to deal with a possible lead-based paint problem, there are a few agencies you can turn to for assistance. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are the top agencies for the various regulations that cover lead-based paint hazards and control. HUD even publishes guidelines explaining how to test for the presence of lead-based paint and how to remove it.

However, if a child is found to have an elevated level of lead in their blood (10 micrograms/deciliter or more), then the local Health Department will get involved and force the property owner to deal with the problem, regardless of whether the property is a single family dwelling or a multi-family dwelling. For information on lead-based paint safety in Canada, you can go to Health Canada and their health question page here.

Conclusion

Whether you own your home or you rent it, take matters into your own hands to ensure that you and your family are not being poisoned by lead-based paint.

SAXCIES PROFILE

WINNER FOR SAFETY HERO OF THE YEAR:

Jeffrey D. Ambrose

Jeffrey D. Ambrose (middle) accepting the Safety Hero of the Year Saxcie from Catherine Jones (left) and Mark Ziebarth (right) of Bongarde Media, parent company of SafetyXChange

Criteria: The Safety Hero of the Year is awarded to a safety professional who demonstrates an extraordinary personal commitment to safety both inside and outside the workplace.

The Winner: Jeffrey D. Ambrose, ASP, CHST, CET of Clark Construction Group, LLC

Profile: The person who nominated Jeffrey Ambrose for Safety Hero of the Year wrote a stirring essay about Mr. Ambrose's many qualities: "I don't have to travel far in any direction in the safety community," wrote the nominator, "to find many others who would agree with me on Jeff's outstanding abilities and contributions to the profession." The person who wrote this knew whereof she spoke. You see, she's Mr. Ambrose's wife!

When we envisioned a Safety Hero, we were thinking of somebody who lived and breathed safety, someone who never set it aside for a moment, someone whose safety identity you couldn't separate from their personal identity. We were thinking of someone just like Jeffrey Ambrose. Here are just a few of Jeff's routines:

• Travels daily 75+ miles in the nation's second worst traffic congestion to his job as Area Safety Manager with Clark Construction Group in Washington, DC
• After a 12-hour day, he returns home and barely finishes dinner before heading to the computer to put in more hours
• Spends Saturdays in the basement, sawing and hammering away on material for an upcoming fall protection training program
• Mentors new safety managers
• Has 30+ years as a volunteer firefighter, including fire line officer and training officer, often answering emergency calls in the middle of the night
• Member of Harford County Hazardous Materials Response Team
• Donates blood
• Participates in industry groups and meetings
• Teaches at the local community college

Perhaps the most impressive display of safety heroism is Jeffrey's assimilation of his family into the field of safety. Not only has he helped mentor his wife through her career development as a safety professional, he has also mentored their son into the volunteer fire service. Congratulations, Jeffery. You're an inspiring example for your family and your industry!

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