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You occupy an important role in preventing lead poisoning in children. Parents look to you for your advice, your expertise and most importantly, your help in safeguarding their home and their family.
Lead paint poisoning affects over one million children today.
Buildings built before 1978 are much more likely to have lead-based paint. It is urgent that you take every step to protect those in your care.
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PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY >> MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS >> WHAT TO ASK YOUR PATIENTS
Here are some questions to ask your patients regarding a child's environmental history:
Paint and soil exposure
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What is the age and general condition of the residence? Is there evidence of chewed or peeling paint on woodwork, furniture, or toys? |
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How long has the family lived at that residence? Have there been recent renovations or repairs in the house? Are there other sites where the child spends significant amounts of time? |
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What is the character of indoor play areas? |
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Do outdoor play areas contain bare soil that may be contaminated? |
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How does the family attempt to control dust/dirt? |
Relevant behavioral characteristics of the child
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To what degree does the child exhibit hand-to-mouth activity? |
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Does the child exhibit pica (eating things that are not food, such as dirt)? |
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Are the child's hands washed before meals and snacks? |
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What are the exposures to and behaviors of household members? |
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What are the occupations of adult household members? |
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What are the hobbies of household members? (Fishing, working with ceramics or stained glass, and hunting are examples of hobbies that involve risk for lead exposure). |
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Are painted materials or unusual materials burned in household fireplaces? |
Miscellaneous questions
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Does the home contain vinyl mini-blinds made overseas and purchased before 1997? |
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Does the child receive or have access to imported food, cosmetics, or folk remedies? |
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Is food prepared or stored in imported pottery or metal vessels? |
PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY >> MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS >> EDUCATE YOURSELF
Links to Sites for Medical Professionals
Training
PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY >> MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS >> EDUCATE YOUR PATIENTS
PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY >> EDUCATORS/CAREGIVERS >> HOW TO KEEP YOUR PLACE LEAD-SAFE
| Schools and child care facilities that were built before 1978 are likely to contain lead-based paint. If your school was built before 1978, make sure to follow these simple steps: |
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Have your students wash their hands before snack and lunch, and after recess. Head Start Staff Talking Points |
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Promote a healthy diet to your class. Children with healthy diets absorb less lead. |
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Perform visual examinations of every classroom for deteriorating paint. |
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Make sure all arts and crafts supplies are lead-free. |
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Supply a rough mat at the entrance of your classroom door for kids to wipe their feet before entering the classroom so they don't track in soil that could contain lead. Read about entry mat systems to prevent the spread of pollutants in buildings. |
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If your school is undergoing renovations: |
PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY >> EDUCATORS/CAREGIVERS >> GUIDELINES FOR SCHOOLS
EPA's Healthy School Environments web site designed to provide one-stop access to the many programs and resources available to help prevent and resolve environmental issues in schools.
PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY >> EDUCATORS/CAREGIVERS >> WHY YOU SHOULD GET CERTIFIED
After April 22, 2010, contractors performing work that disturbs lead-based paint without proper certification and training could face tens of thousands of dollars in fines. Plus you put the health of yourself, your workers and your customers at risk, which could result in lawsuits. These costs far outweigh the price of becoming certified. Plus, it's the right thing to do.
Lead paint is an invisible danger, and can cause adverse health effects at lower levels of exposure (high blood pressure, headaches, feeling tired, etc.). Here are the facts about lead paint poisoning that everyone should know:
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Over one million kids each year are affected by lead paint poisoning with some level of irreversible damage such as lower intelligence, learning disabilities, and behavior issues. |
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Adults exposed to lead paint can suffer from high blood pressure and hypertension and lead exposure at higher levels can cause headaches, dizziness, and fatigue. Even minor levels of exposure to lead paint can harm adults. |
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It's not just lead paint chips that poison. An entire home can be contaminated from only a small amount of lead dust that is easily inhaled by workers and or ingested by young children living there. |
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You cannot tell that you are being poisoned. Once the damage is done, it can affect you throughout your life. |
| Recent research shows that many new cases can be directly linked to home renovations where the work environment was inadequately contained. |
Take a one-day Renovation, Repair and Painting Rules Course. The price for this course is set by private EPA-accredited trainers. To find an accredited trainer near you, click here. |
PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY >> PROPERTY RENOVATORS/CONTRACTORS >> HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF
Completing a Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule Course taught by EPA-accredited trainers will give you in-depth knowledge to minimize the risk of lead poisoning during the renovation of homes and buildings built before 1978. Do it to protect yourself, your workers and your customers. To find a certified trainer near you, click here
| Here is an overview of some of the simple safety practices you will learn: |
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How to contain the work area. The area should be contained so that dust and debris do not escape. Warning signs should be posted and heavy-duty plastic and tape should be used to delineate the area being worked in, including doors and HVAC vents. |
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How to minimize dust. Some methods of paint removal generate large amounts of lead-contaminated dust and vapors and should not be used. These dangerous methods include open flame burning or torching, sanding, grinding, planing, needle gunning, or blasting with power tools without a HEPA shroud. |
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How to clean up thoroughly every day and do a special clean up at the end of the job. Use a HEPA vacuum to clean up dust and debris on all surfaces and wet mop with plenty of rinse water and cleaning verification. All of these procedures are taught in the training course. |
| The EPA website has a number of additional resources that you can download and print for free. |
| Learn all the details on how to get your company Lead-Safe Certified. |
PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY >> LANDLORD/PROPERTY OWNER >> HOW TO PROTECT YOUR TENANTS
As a landlord, you can protect your tenants by keeping your
property free of lead paint hazards.
Most buildings built before 1978 have some lead paint. Properties
built before 1960 contain the most lead paint. Lead paint can be present on any painted surface, but it is most often found on windows, trim, doors, railings, columns, porches and outside walls. Surfaces that have been repainted may have layers of lead paint underneath. A lead inspection can tell you where lead paint is located. Find Help.
Peeling or damaged paint is dangerous. Lead dust can be released
from peeling or damaged paint or by sanding or scraping paint in older homes. Lead dust settles on floors, window sills and other surfaces where it can get into children's toys or hands and their mouths. Lead paint in good condition is usually not a problem.
| Protect your tenants: |
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Keep paint in good shape. |
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Watch out for lead dust when you repair, repaint or renovate. |
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Make lead safety a habit. Most homes built before 1978 contain lead paint which, if not managed properly, can endanger young children. |
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Provide tenants with the EPA's lead hazard information pamphlet, as required by EPA's Lead Renovtion, Repair and Painting rule (RRPrule).
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If you are renovating or doing building repair:
If you or your employees conduct renovation or repair activities in a pre-1978 residential building, you:
PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY >> LANDLORD/PROPERTY OWNER >> YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO YOUR TENANTS
The Lead Disclosure Rule requires owners to give tenants a
brochure and to provide test results and standard warning
language in leases. This must be done before a new tenant signs a lease
and before an existing tenant renews a lease for properties built before 1978. Call 1-800-424-LEAD for free copies of the brochure, Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home, the standard warning language and other information about the Lead Disclosure Rule.
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