Lead Abatement Specifications

Lead abatement specifications vary widely depending upon where lead is located. Lead is harmful to breathe or ingest and removing this substance is important for general health and safety. Removing lead paint, for example, is a delicate process that requires careful planning and execution. Nevertheless, lead paint abatement is an important means of keeping fumes or paint chips away from your nose and/or a child's mouth.

Wall Testing

• Wall testing is an essential means of identifying the presence of lead paint. Lead paint that flakes off walls can produce dangerous fumes and dust and leave residual paint chips for children to grab and place in their mouths. Wall testing must commence with the use of spot chemical analysis. This procedure requires the use of an eight percent sodium sulfide solution. The solution must be rubbed or sprayed onto walls. If paint darkens it is a clear indicator of lead paint.

Priority Containment

• Lead abatement procedures must be prioritized based on degrees of danger. Because lead dust is generally stirred up from cracked or chipped paint, most flat surface walls or baseboards with lead paint pose less of a threat than window frames or misaligned floors with damaged paint. The Virginia Department of Historic Resources abatement specifications note that flaking window sills, chipped doors and uneven floors and walls must be tended to before flat and/or smooth surfaces.

Working in Contaminated Areas

• The DHR notes that all lead abatement personnel must first rope off the contaminated area to prevent access from unprotected individuals. Roping off a perimeter can be completed with hazard tape. Lead removal workers must also wear protective clothing and a respirator with many filters must be on hand. Dust resistant shoe covers must be worn and workers are to wear gloves made of neoprene or butyl. Additionally, a high efficiency particulate air vacuum cleaner must be available on site.