Lead is a toxic metal, which if inhaled or ingested, can cause serious illnesses. If your house or office was built before 1978, chances are that your walls have traces of lead in them. This isn’t really a cause for alarm. As long as the paint on the walls is in good condition and does not have any breaks or cracks in it – you are not exposed to any serious health risk. It’s when you see little dust particles or flakes on surfaces of furniture or windows – that’s when you have a problem.
Exposure to lead by inhaling can cause the most serious problems as the body tends to absorb higher levels of metal like this. Prolonged exposure to lead eventually leads to lead-poisoning which can be fatal if left untreated.
The risk of lead-removal directly correlates to the extent of lead exposure on the surface. While removing the paint, lead safety should be a priority. Several precautions should be taken when removing lead paint:
• All employees working on removal should be given proper lead safety information along with training prior to starting.
• Use a sheet on the ground that is large enough to cover all of the floors. This will ensure that all flakes of the paint are contained. To increase the efficiency of removal, a disposable polythene sheet is recommended.
• Avoid working in conditions when the lead dust can be blown away from the worksite. This can cause unnecessary exposure to lead and lead to contamination.
• Use suitable machinery for the extraction of lead paint.
• Keep removing the accumulated dust so that it does not spread to other places other than where the paint is being removed.
• Wear a filter mask appropriate for the work. This ensures that you are not exposed to harmful chemicals.
• Use a vacuum to remove any remaining particles. As an extra precaution, wipe every surface with a damp cloth to remove any remaining lead flakes.
• Place the lead paint debris and contaminated clothes into polythene bags. Before disposal make sure you have sealed them properly so nothing else is exposed to the lead.
• To avoid ingestion, avoid eating, drinking or smoking while removing the paint.
One can never be too safe when handling toxic metals such as lead. It is important to take the proper measures to ensure that exposure is as limited as it can be. When managing lead-based paint be sure to contact professionals to do the job. Trying to do a DIY job could be dangerous to your health and to those around you – it could actually increase the risk of lead exposure rather than decreasing it.
