Safe removal of lead paint

[cjc280279]

Hi,

I have been stripping several layers of paint from my banisters, using Nitro Mors. I know that some of the layers contain lead.

I have since found out that I have perhaps not been as careful as I should have been and I still have some more paint to remove.

I was under the impression that as I was not doing any form of sanding, then I didn't need to use a vacuum cleaner with HEPA filter, so have been using a standard hoover.

As I have been doing this job over a few months, the paint is flaking off next to the completed areas. These flakes have spread around the house, and some are attached to the floor or in crevices on the banisters.

I have also not been rigorous about making sure that any of the removed paint flakes did not spread around the house, although I have cleaned up after evey day's work.

Can anybody suggest what I should do next? Should I hire a specialist to complete the work? If so, would a painter/decorator be suitable? Or will I be OK to complete the work, and perhaps hire a HEPA vacuum cleaner to clean up afterwards.

Although there are no children in the house, I want to be sure that it won't cause any visitors any harm, or to any children that my wife and I may have in the future.

Thanks in advance

 

[Robbie uk]

Have you done a lead test to see if it coantains any lead. These kits cost only about £5-£10 in the big sheds.

 

[TristanOlivier23]

I'd STOP whatever you're doing and BUY a HEPA vacuum cleaner. If your home has banisters with old lead paint, the chances are most of the other original painted timber/joinery is also going to contain lead. Although you are right to be concerned about your current paint stripping, the friction surfaces on doors and windows probably already are, and most likely will continue to be, a source of microscopic (invisible) quantities of lead dust - which, if ingested mainly through normal hand-to-mouth activity, can have a poisoning effect. The spread of visible paint chips is less of a worry than those that have already been ground down underfoot! So, clean up and review your options.

Regular wet mopping and HEPA vacuuming of all surfaces where dust can settle can be a very effective way of managing/controlling any ongoing exposure risk.

AND PLEASE be really thorough about washing and drying your hands before smoking, eating etc.

Check out LiPSA - the Lead in Paint Safety Association (http//:www.lipsa.org.uk) for some really good information on the subject.

Follow their link to the British Coatings Federation guide for old lead paint and read it. If you are happy about finishing the job yourself, just be careful. As for hiring in a 'professional' painter and decorator - DON'T BOTHER. In my experience very, very few know how to deal with lead paint safely although they will claim they do. In fact, most of the construction industry is unaware of, or ignores, CLAW - the Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002. If you do want to hire in someone LiPSA can give useful guidance or ask the decorators a few questions:

Do they have any specialist training in lead-safe work practices?
What are the requirements of CLAW and how do they comply?
How do they clean up at the end of a job? How can they guarantee that they have cleaned up thoroughly?

It is a relief to know there are no children about (yet!). When it comes to the pitter patter of tiny feet, however, any lead absorbed by the mother can be transferred to the developing foetus, that is if conception is not a problem (which itself can be caused by lead exposure!). There is a company called Foresight, who specialise in pre-conceptual care, for people who want to 'detox', as it were, before conceiving. Hair sampling and blood sampling are the only reliable indicators of actual lead exposure. Blood sampling will tell you your exposure level NOW, whereas a hair sample can give an exposure profile for the previous 6 weeks or so.

ANOTHER WORD OF WARNING: be careful when rubbing down old/stripped pine doors before repainting. Some of the lead in paint actually migrates into the timber itself, so a paint-free door can still be a source of lead dust. GOLDEN RULE - work wet .

All of the above should help to get you heading in the right direction!

 

[cjc280279]

Thanks for your help and advice, should help me to complete the job safely. Cheers