What is lead paint and why is it harmful?

Lead was added to internal and external paints, primers and other coatings in the past as it offered useful properties including durability, corrosion resistance, accelerated drying, and even decorative colours.  Its use within both domestic and non-domestic buildings, and indeed upon plant and equipment, was heaviest up until the 1960s, although its use continued in some forms up until the 1990s.

Its use was phased out and finally banned in response to the recognition of severe health effects including lead poisoning, central nervous system toxicity, and kidney disease associated with long term and excessive lead exposures. Lead paint is only harmful when it becomes degraded, chipped or is being removed without the proper precautionary measures in place, allowing lead dust to be inhaled.

What are the lead paint regulations?

Lead can be found in many buildings, structures,  and upon plant and equipment. The Control of Lead at Work Regulations (CLAW) 2002 place a duty of care on employers and building managers/owners to assess risks, prevent or control exposure to lead, and put other measures in place to protect people as far as reasonably practicable. 

For all refurbishment, development and demolition projects, there is a legal requirement for lead paint to be identified so that risks can be assessed and managed: the best way to do this is to undertake paint testing or surveying.

Lead Paint Surveys

Lead paint testing quantifies the amount of lead by sampling the paint and having it analysed within a laboratory. Alternatively, paint can be analysed non-destructively using X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (XRF), which is a handheld device that provides results at the time of testing. Our reports provide not only the results of the testing, but also interpretation and recommendations for managing risks and complying with legal requirements.

Testing of either type can be used as part of a survey, which is designed to identify the hazardous paints present in the building, equipment, or area of interest.  These can be tailored to your specific requirements, and focus on the features of refurbishment, development and demolition projects.

Should hazardous lead paint materials be identified in your report our team of hazardous material environmental consultants can help you to choose the next course of action:

• Manage your lead paint materials in situ
• Repair, make safe, or remove lead paint

Our consultants can assist you with the  identification of a competent contractor to undertake work with the lead paints or their removal, including drafting of specifications and scopes of work, vetting submissions and reviewing risk assessments / method statements.

During projects our skilled team of analysts can conduct lead air monitoring to ensure that your building and the surrounding environment is safe from lead dust.

Once you’ve conducted your next course of action to make safe or remove lead paints, our consultants can help you with your next steps of managing remaining lead paints.

What are my responsibilities?

As an employer or duty holder, you are required to to prevent, or where this is not reasonably practicable, to control employee exposure to lead.

Our team are here to help you achieve compliance and safeguard your teams through following strict controls, conducting thorough assessments and testing and giving you the knowledge to be able to implement effective risk assessments and safe systems of work that will ultimately protect you, your organisation and your people.

Control your hazardous material risks with a holistic environmental services supplier. Click 'Make an Enquiry' now or give our team a call on 0345 5040 303.