Get the lead out : renovation : how to safely remove old paint

6 Pages·2002·0.41 MB·English

by  Illinois. Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program

LEAD-BASED PAINT DANGER
MostIllinoishomesbuiltbefore 1978
werepaintedwithlead-basedpaint.
Renovatingorrefinishinglead paint
surfacescreates dust, fumesandde-
bris thatcancauseleadpoisoning.
Leadpoisoningisaconditioncaused
mostoftenbyeatingleadpaintchips
orinhalingoreatingleaded dust.
Leadpoisoningisoneofthemost
commonand mostseriouschild
healthproblems. Itisestimated that
twooutofevery 10childreninIllinois
havebloodlead levelsthataretoo
high. City, suburbanandrural
childrenare allatrisk.
NOVATION
-
Childrenages 6months through6
How
to safely remove yearsareatgreatestriskforleadpoi-
soninginpartbecauseyoungchildren
old paint
puteverythinginto theirmouths.
Lead isespeciallyharmfulto infants
and toddlersbecausetheirbodies
absorb lead moreeasilythanadult
bodiesdo. Lead poisoningcanslow a
child's developmentandcauselearn-
ingandbehaviorproblems. Even
smallamountsoflead canseriously
harmayoungchild, causingdamage
tothebrain, kidneys and stomach.
Lead alsocanharmpregnantwomen
and theirunbornchildren.
Ifyouplan to renovateyourhome, have
Jheonlywaytofind outifyour poisoning and
homecontainsleadpaintis tohave how topreventlead
aninspection. Contactyourlocal exposure.
health departmentfor information
on lead inspections. • Ifyou mustdo theworkyourself,
useproperprecautions to remove
BE ALERTTO THE DANGERS OF old paint and painted surfaces safe-
REMOVING OLD PAINT ly. Contact the Illinois Department
ofPublicHealth's Childhood Lead
Toprotectyourfam—ilyfromlead PoisoningPreventionProgramat
duringrenovation
217-782-3517or217-782-0403
or800-545-2200orTTY800-547-0466
• Donotremainathome during the forinformationonsafemethods of
renovation. Itisespecially impor- renovationorre-modeling.
tant thatyoungchildren and
pregnantwomennotremainin RENOVATION SAFETYTIPS
areas whereworkis underway.
Whenworkis complete, do not • Thesafesttimetorenovateorremod-
reenter the area untilithasbeen eliswhenthehouseisunoccupied.
thoroughlycleaned.
• Protect all food appliances, cook-
• Onlyproperlyprotected workers ingand eating utensils, furniture,
should enter the workarea. bedding, toys and clothing from
lead dust. Remove these items
• Renovators workinginresidential from thework area or cover orbag
dwellings and daycare facilities them inplastic and seal tightly.
mustprovide the owner and occu-
pantwithaneducational pamphlet. • Donoteator smoke in thework
Additionally, the owner and occu- area to avoid getting dustfrom your
pantmustsign a statementthat the hands or clothing inyourmouth.
renovator distributed the pamphlet. Washyourhands thoroughly.
Ifyou hire contractors, make sure
they understand thenotification • Place a damp floormat outside the
requirements and are familiarwith work area to collectdust from
the causes oflead thebottom ofshoes.
• Even removingwallpaper or loose
plastercan create lead dust. To
clean up, use a clean damp cloth or
mop dampened with a cleaning
product. Do notvacuum dust
SCREENING FOR LEAD
POISONING
Have family members, particularly
children 6 months through6 yearsof
age, tested for lead poisoningby a
physicianorother healthcare
and debris as provider when renovationofan
vacuuming may olderhome iscomplete.
push lead dust into
the air, spreading it A child may have lead poisoningyet
to other parts of the house. not have any symptoms. Ora child
may have symptoms like thoseofa
• Wash work clothes and clean- cold or the flu. Theonly way to
up rags separately from other detect lead poisoningearly is to
laundry. bring yourchild to your local clinic,
public health clinicor physician to
WHAT ABOUT RENOVATING havea simpleblood test.
MY HOME'S EXTERIOR?
Foradditional information on how
• When removing exterior paint, to safely removeold paint and clean
seal windows and vents so dust up lead debris, paint chips and dust,
cannot get inside the house. or for information on lead poisoning,
call the Illinois Department ofPublic
• Wipe shoes on damp floor mat. Health'sChildhood Lead Poisoning
Remove shoes before entering the Prevention Program at217-782-0403
house. or 800-545-2200orTTY 800-547-0466.
• Do not walk around clean areas of
the house in work clothes.
• To remove paint chips and dust
from around the outside of the
house, hose offporches, sidewalks,
driveways and the sides ofbuild-
ings. Scrub with a stiffbrush or
broom and soapy water; then rinse GET THE
LEAD
as clean as possible. Pick up and
dispose of paint chips. our
WHERE LEAD FOUND
IS
Differentsurfacesinahomeposevarying
lead-paintrisks. Friction from opening and
closingwindows and doors canturnhaz-
ardous exteriorpaintinto lead dust,which
canbe ingested bypeople inside. Ifthepaint
is intact, large interior surfaces, like walls and
ceilings, are farless likely topose a danger.
Where Lead Is Found in the Home
Veryfrequently Frequently Occasionally
ALL CHILDREN AGES 6 MONTHS THROUGH 6 YEARS
SHOULD BE ASSESSED EOR LEAD POISONING EVERY YEAR.
For further information, contact the Illinois DepartmentofPublic Health's
Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program.
800-545-2200
217-782-0403
TTY 800-547-0466
Illinois Department of PrintedbytheAuthorityoftheStateofIllinois
P.O.#372417 22.5M 1/02
Public Health
535 W. Jefferson St. 0
Springfield, IL 62761 PrintedonRecycledPaper