Lead-based paint

Paint containing lead additives poses risks to health from poisoning and environmental contamination. Lead can have permanent health effects, especially on children, but also in adults. Childhood lead poisoning, also during pregnancy, can have lifelong health impacts including: learning disabilities, anemia, and disorders in coordination, visual, spatial and language skills. There is no known level of lead exposure that is considered safe for adults or children. Lead can be found in decorative paint for interiors and exteriors of homes, schools, public and commercial buildings, as well as on toys, furniture and playgrounds.

Most highly industrial countries adopted laws or regulations to control the lead content of decorative paints—the paints used on the interiors and exteriors of homes, schools, and other child-occupied facilities—beginning in the 1970s and 1980s. However, more than 40 lead paint studies over the last eight years show that lead paints are still widely sold in low and middle income countries, and many paints still contain very high levels of lead.

When lead paint on walls, windows, doors, furniture, playground equipment or other painted surfaces begins to chip or deteriorate, lead is released into the surrounding dust and soil.

When a surface previously painted with lead paint is sanded or scraped in preparation for repainting, very large amounts of dust contaminated with high levels of lead are produced. Ingestion and inhalation of this dust constitutes an especially severe health hazard for everyone exposed, but especially to children and pregnant women.

How to recognize lead paint hazards:

As of August 2017, only 67 of the world’s 193 countries had legally binding controls to limit the production, import and sale of lead paints.

United States: paint in homes built before 1978 should be assumed to contain lead unless there is documentation showing otherwise. New paint purchased will not contain lead.

Internationally: Independent research needs to be done into the regulations on lead paint and paint brands verified as lead free. Unless there are credible sources otherwise, all painted substances should be assumed to contain lead. New paint purchased needs to be independently verified as not containing lead. Reports done by IPEN and partner organizations have found dangerously high lead content in leading paint brands in many countries, including countries with lead regulations and brands that claim to be lead free on the labels.

Action plan if lead paint is believed to be present:

In the US, the EPA’s Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule, aims to protect the public from lead-based paint hazards associated with renovation, repair and painting activities. These activities can create hazardous lead dust when surfaces with lead paint, even from many decades ago, are disturbed. The rule requires workers to be certified and trained in the use of lead-safe work practices, and requires renovation, repair, and painting firms to be EPA-certified. These requirements became fully effective April 22, 2010.

Source: https://www.epa.gov/lead/lead-renovation-repair-and-painting-program-rules

Certification and Training requirements:

All firms paid to perform renovation, repair or painting work in pre-1978 housing and child-occupied facilities in the US must be certified. This is accomplished by applying to EPA or to the State, if it has an EPA-authorized renovation program, and paying a fee. For information about the authorization status of your state, visit www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/lscp-renovation_firm.htm or call the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD (5323). Firms must have a “Certified Renovator” assigned to each job where lead-based paint is disturbed. To become certified, a renovator must successfully complete an EPA or State-approved training course conducted by a training program accredited by EPA or an EPA authorized state program. All renovation workers must be trained. Renovation workers can be trained on-the-job by a Certified Renovator to use lead safe work practices, or they can become Certified Renovators themselves.

Source: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2013-11/documents/steps_0.pdf

Information on certification can be found here: https://www.epa.gov/lead/lead-based-paint-activities-professionals

Appropriate PPE & process:

For Do It Yourselfers or situations that aren’t bound by federal regulations, consider the health effects of the workers and community, as well as environmental effects. Carefully read and follow the steps laid out in the HUD Lead Paint Safety Field Guide as well as the EPA’s LEAD SAFE Renovation, Repair and Painting document. 

EPA approved lead testing kits are available for sale. Testing must be done on all surfaces to be affected by the work, by an appropriate qualified professional.

More information can be found at:

http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/healthrisks/hazardous-substances/lead.htm

https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/lead/

https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/topic/lead

IPEN Global Lead Paint Elimination Report (including testing results by country)

US Federal Regulations

Hazardous Substances on AHAH Programs - Examples from the field. Designed to be a living document: Add your own cases of coming across hazardous substances.