What Are The Risks of Lead Exposure?

OP and Envirocheck Inc. CEO, John Meador discusses with Allied Restoration the new guidelines for lead based paint. The EPA has placed major sanctions on using lead based paint in restoration projects. John explains to Allied Restoration what a contractor has to do when dealing with lead, how to test for contamination, and what insurance claim adjusters should know when dealing with lead on every site.

Why Is the RRP Rule Important?

There’s so many poisonings in children in America right now, which is why the EPA installed the RRP Rule. High doses of lead can cause brain damage, mental retardation, behavior problems, anemia and a wide variety of other serious damage to the body parts, and in extreme cases even death. Lead poses health risks for everyone, but young children and unborn babies are at greater risk.

Renovation, Repair and Paint (RRP) Rule: Installed in April 2010, this Rule offers guidelines on how to test and assume for led-based paint. Also, it explains what Allied Restoration contractors will need to test and go through the process of removing lead from your home. Failing to comply with the EPA RRP Rule will result in a fine of upwards $37,500.

The RRP course teach Allied Restoration that we can assume that anything pre-1978 uses lead paint. However, EnviroCheck found that 95% of their cases in California are coming up negative. Even though this is good news, we advise you check to be save. Spending a few hundred dollars might save you thousands later on, and keep your family safe from lead exposure in your home.

How EnviroCheck Processes Your Lead Check

John lays out the three steps he takes to make a home safe from lead exposure. He refers to them as the three C’s:

• Containment: In order to contain the area, we will put plastic on the ground and tape it down with heavy duty tape so that the lead in confined. Since lead is heavy, we will have stuff falling to the ground and this way we avoid having it touch your floors.
• Control: Allied promises to control your dust, not letting it get into your living room. Precautions are taken by, for example, not using the Power Sanders unless it has a Shroud System on it to avoid spreading the dust beyond the contaminated area.
• Cleaning: We will clean our feet, hands, tools and area we worked in. At the end of every job we verify that everything is back to how it looked and leave your home feeling clean and lead free!

Two Methods for Lead Testing We Use

• XRF Method: An x-ray fluorescence test uses an x-ray gun that you point at a surface and it will tell you how much lead is in there. We use this method for larger projects, to get a number of samples and instantly get results.
• AAS Method: Also known as the Atomic Absorption Spectrometry, where you take a knife or a tool and you scrape off the paint off your substrate you put it in a little bag. This substance gets processed in the lab for lead. We run the test by immersing it in a heated acid compound, actually using nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide, shining a light across it which returns a spectrum analysis of your lead exposure.

To learn more about the lead testing process and pricing, or to find out if your home is safe from lead lead exposure, please contact us. We are very quick to respond and want to help you feel safe in your home.