Environmental services related to lead inspections involve identifying and assessing lead hazards in homes and other buildings, including lead-based paint, dust, and soil, to ensure safe environments.
Lead testing verifies that lead dust levels are below the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) established standards, which are designed to protect children and other vulnerable populations from lead exposure. Lead testing is particularly important for homes built prior to 1978.
Why lead testing is important:
Lead exposure can cause serious health problems, especially in children, so identifying and addressing lead hazards is crucial to ensuring an healthy environment and minimizing exposure to this toxic element.
The EPA has established dust-lead action levels to determine when abatement work is needed and when an abatement can be considered complete.
Many municipalities across the United States have implemented policies that require clearance examination reports to be submitted to relevant authorities, such as the Ohio Department of Health, in order to obtain occupancy permits, to evict tenants, and to sell property that was built prior to 1978.
For more information about lead hazard standards, you can contact the National Lead Information Center at 1 (800) 424-LEAD
What is an Inspection or Assessment?
Lead-based paint inspection: A surface-by-surface investigation to determine the presence of lead-based paint and its location.
Lead-based paint risk assessment: An on-site investigation to determine the presence, type, severity, and location of lead-based paint hazards and suggested ways to control them.
Lead clearance testing: A clearance examination is a visual assessment of a residential unit, child care facility, or school that is followed by the collection of environmental samples to determine whether the lead abatement, interim controls, or non-abatement lead activities have sufficiently controlled lead hazards or presumed lead hazards.
Environmental Sampling: Inspectors take samples of paint, dust, and soil for laboratory testing to identify potential lead hazards and to ensure a safe environment following lead abatement and renovation work.
XRF (X-ray Fluorescence) testing: Inspectors may use an XRF Spectrum Analyzer to identify, quantify, determine the condition, and potential health hazards of lead-based painted surfaces. or immediate results on paint samples.
Who can perform inspections and assessments?
Inspections and risk assessments can only be performed by licensed inspectors or risk assessors.
In Ohio, lead inspectors or risk assessors must follow specific procedures for conducting clearance examinations, including reviewing lead hazard control orders and ensuring that all identified lead hazards have been sufficiently controlled or eliminated.
When should you consider an Inspection?
Before purchasing, renting, or renovating a home that was built before 1978: Homes built before 1978 are more likely to have lead-based paint.
If your home or building is frequented more than two days per week by a child under 6 years of age or a woman of childbearing age. These individuals are at higher risk from lead exposure.
