How to Reduce the Chances of Lead Exposure

In 2016, up to 540,000 deaths were attributed to lead exposure. Despite the restriction of lead-based paints in the 1970s, these continue to be used today. Moreover, houses built in the early 1970s are also found to be heavily laden with lead paint.

If your house falls in the same category, here’s what you need to do to lower your risk of lead poisoning.  

Limit Surface Contact

Homes built prior to the ban on lead paints usually have walls covered in heavily leaded paint. In addition to this, the ceilings, window frames, and various other wooden surfaces may also be laden with lead paint. If these surfaces come in constant contact with another, rubbing off against them in the process, they can be pretty dangerous.

For instance, opening and closing the windows can create dust infused with lead. Similarly, burning or sanding a wooden surface to remove the paint can produce lead-infused dust as well.  If inhaled, these can have a number of health risks. Avoid having these surfaces come in contact with each other to minimize the chances of lead exposure.

Rinse & Repeat

To further reduce the chances of lead exposure, it’s also best to use separate cleaning equipment for different surfaces. There are special cleaning liquids designed for lead-laden surfaces. These should be used to cleanse floors and window panes. Moreover, the mops and cloth used for wiping these areas shouldn’t be mixed with other cleaning supplies.

Children often leave their toys lying around the house, in contact with the floor. Another precaution you should take is to regularly wash their toys to keep them lead-free. Also encourage your children to get in the habit of washing their hands before they eat, and before bedtime. This will reduce the likeliness of their skin having lead remnants on it, preventing lead poisoning.

Don’t Try a DIY Method!  

As mentioned above, scraping off paint creates lead dust. This is why you absolutely must refrain from trying to remove the layer of paint on your own. Instead, have experts take care of the situation in a safe and non-hazardous way.

The huge amount of lead dust produced through scraping, sanding, or other techniques can cause lead poisoning. While experts are equipped with the right tools to prevent this, this isn’t the case for most homeowners. In fact, if you have children or pregnant women in the house, attempting this can be even more dangerous for them.

Make sure you hire a team of experts to do the job and have the occupants safely out of the way during this time.

Keep your family safe from lead exposure! ACI-TECH INC. provides lead remediation services in Pennsylvania, along with asbestos testing and abatement.

Get in touch with our team now to safely remove lead paint from your house!