Lead safe work practices

Mandated by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) standard 24 CFR Part 1330 (a) (4), Lead Safe Work Practices provide those performing remodeling task in homes built before 1978 with guidelines on procedures they should be using to prevent creating a lead hazard.

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Lead poisoning remains a major environmental health concern and while we most often associate the disease with childhood, high levels of lead exposure are linked to serious adult health conditions, such as high blood pressure and dementia.

Workers who remodel or renovate older homes where the likelihood of lead paint is high are particularly vulnerable to lead exposure. Their work creates contaminated dust which they then inhale. They can also put their families at risk by bringing contaminated dust home on their work clothes.

The National Safety Council emphasizes that everyone should be aware of the potential presence of lead paint in homes built prior to 1978, and notes that…”such awareness is particularly important for those engaged in the building trades, as well as do-it-yourselfers, to learn how to perform their work in a lead-safe manner.”

References

• http://www.hcd.ca.gov/fa/home/manual2006/06/D01_Lead-Based_Paint_Chapter.doc Housing and Urban Development - Lead-Based Paint Chapter

External links

• Office of Housing and Urban Developement
• Environmental Quality Institute - Lead Poisoning Prevention Program