Environmental & Occupational Health -
Childhood Lead Poisoning
Landlords, Property Managers and Renters
Learn how to renovate, repair and paint safely.
Get information on the
lead-safe renovator course.
Register your lead-safe property.
Know your rights as a tenant.
Half of all children poisoned by lead in Maine live in rental housing.
You don’t want this to happen in
your buildings.
Lead dust is the most common way children get lead into their bodies.
Lead dust collects on surfaces where children
put their hands and play with toys.
Children often put their hands and toys
into their mouths.
Most of the poisonings that occur in rental property are due
to
paint
in poor condition.
If a child is poisoned on your rental property,
you
must pay
for expensive abatement of the property
and the
expense of relocating the family.
If it was built before 1950 it is very likely that it contains lead paint.
Any building built before 1978 may have lead paint.
Lead dust from paint happens in three ways:
1. Lack of maintenance
2. Normal wear and tear
3. Scraping
or
sanding lead paint
Lead dust is preventable.
Paint in good repair is generally safe. Keeping paint in
good shape (called essential maintenance) is the best
way
to prevent lead poisoning.
Lead paint can also turn into lead dust
from the normal wear such as:
The friction of a wooden window being
opened and closed.
Weathering, as happens with windows and
exteriors
from exposure to cold and wet conditions.
Impacts to the paint, such as closing a door,
walking on a painted floor, hitting trim
with a piece of furniture.
Proper maintenance, cleaning and lead dust testing at unit turnover
can help prevent lead poisoning.
Lead paint can create a lot of lead dust very quickly if it is disturbed by scraping, sanding, or grinding
during renovation or repainting. Following lead safe work practicescan prevent contaminating your apartment.
How do I maintain my older building to help keep families safe from lead?
Here are a few simple things you can do to maintain your property. Unit turnover is an excellent time to perform these steps because of easy access, no tenants, and less likelihood of poisoning children or adults.
Conduct a visual inspection
Inspect walls, window sills, stairways and painted
floors for peeling or
chipping paint.
Be sure to check both interior and exterior painted surfaces.
Make sure windows and doors move easily.
Window friction can be a major source of fine lead dust.
Check outside for bare soil, particularly close to the building, on
walking paths
or places where children play.
Lead from exterior paint and prior use of leaded gasoline can build up in soil.
Lead from soil can be carried into the building on clothes and shoes.
Carefully repair all damaged paint surfaces.
Cover the work area with durable protective sheeting (plastic or poly)
to prevent the spread of lead and make cleanup easier.
Mist painted surfaces with water before sanding and scraping to avoid
creating dust.
If you use power sanders or grinders, be sure they have an
HEPA-filtered vacuum attachment.
Do not use open flame or high heat to remove paint, as these methods
are not safe for you or your tenants.
Cover painted floors, particularly stair treads, to eliminate friction and
potential dust from lead paint.
Consider replacing windows that are in poor condition.
This can result in both lead safety and energy savings.
Plant grass and small shrubs or use crushed stone or mulch to cover bare soil.
Identify and address any underlying problems.
Taking the time to fix moisture problems and water damage now
will give the work you are doing the best chance to make the unit lead-safe the for years to come.
Thoroughly clean the unit to remove any lead dust from repairs.
Pick up large paint chips and visible dust
with a wet paper towel.
Mist protective sheeting with water
before folding it up and putting
it into
a trash bag.
Using a HEPA vacuum, slowly vacuum all
floors and windowsills, including corners
and the
areas between floorboards.
Scrub window sills and floors with soap and water.
This will do a better
job removing lead dust than just wiping these areas.
Be sure to use two buckets, one with clean soapy water, and the other to
wring out your
cleaning rag or mop. Once areas are cleaned with soap,
repeat this process with clean water.
Be sure to throw out any
rags and sponges used in the clean up.
Flush all cleaning water down the toilet.
Never use sinks, tubs or storm drains.
Put all trash from your work and cleanup into plastic trash bags.
Seal all trash bags with tape before throwing them into a dumpster or disposing of them in the trash.
You can take a free one day class ;to better understand lead safe work methods.
If your building has been tested for lead, you also must tell the prospective
tenant the building has been tested and let them see the report.
Anytime you disturb ANY paint in a building built before 1978, State and Federal law requires you to:
Provide your tenants with a minimum of 30 days notice prior to starting any work that disturbs the paint. You must post a sign on the building doors stating what you plan to do AND send a written notice by certified mail
to every unit in the building.
If the building has been tested for lead, they also must tell you.
You have the right to can see the testing report.
Anytime the landlord needs to disturb ANY
paint in a building built before 1978, State and Federal law requires the landlord to:
Provide a minimum of 30 days notice prior to starting any work that disturbs the paint. They must post a sign on the building doors stating what you plan to do AND
send a written notice by certified mail to every unit in the building.
Finally, you have the right to rent unit that is reasonably safe and fit to live in.
This is called the "Warrant of Habitability" and can be found the Maine Attorney General's Tenants Rights web page.
Be sure to provide your landlord with written notice by certified mail of any problems with paint in your apartment.
Keep a copy for your records.
If you rent an apartment in an older building you should:
