Safety points for removing lead-based paint Take precautions to reduce the risk of lead poisoning. Unborn children can also be affected when the mother has lead poisoning and the lead is passed to the baby across the placenta. Young children who may swallow lead flakes are especially at risk. Removing lead-based paint from a building can cause harm to both the person doing the job and the people in the building. Employees and self-employed people are also required to protect themselves and others from harm. The Health and Safety at Work Act requires employers to provide a safe working environment for employees. If your pet is unwell, and a vet diagnoses lead poisoning, have a doctor check all members of your household for lead poisoning. Pets often show symptoms of lead poisoning before people. If you think your child may have been exposed to paint dust, flakes of old paint, soil with paint dust in it, or may have chewed some old paint, ask your doctor to check your child’s blood lead level. If your child has more severe symptoms, such as weakness or difficulty walking, get medical attention as soon as you can. Many adults and children with lead poisoning will have either very vague or non-specific symptoms such as:Ĭhildren who may have no obvious symptoms can still suffer some brain damage over a period of time. Contaminated soil can be brought indoors by animals or on people’s clothes and shoes. Their hands, toys or food may be contaminated and the lead swallowed when they are playing or eating. Small children may swallow paint chips and contaminated soil, especially when playing outdoors. Untreated lead poisoning in both adults and children can cause brain damage and can even be fatal.Ĭhildren, especially pre-schoolers, are particularly at risk from lead poisoning. Contact the health protection officer in your local public health unit if you are unsure. If a building was built in the 1980s or earlier, it is best to presume that it has been painted with lead-based paint.

It’s not possible to tell lead-based paints by their appearance, but there is a simple test that can detect whether the paint is a health risk. Today only special-purpose paints contain lead, and these are clearly labelled. This was particularly true of pre-1945 paints.Įven if a building has been recently painted, it may have been painted with lead-based paints or have layers of old paint covered by modern paint. Until 1965, many paints on the New Zealand market had high lead levels. The biggest source of non-occupational exposure to lead is lead-based paint.

Leadscrape license