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National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week
October 18-24, 2009
Simple Steps to Protect Your Family From Lead Hazards
- Have young children tested for lead.
- Wash children's hands before eating and sleeping. Wash bottles, pacifiers, and toys
often. - Regularly clean floors, window sills, and other surfaces with soap and water.
- Remove shoes before entering the house.
- Keep paint in good condition.
- Keep your home free of lead dust.
- Watch where your children play. Look for areas with grass or other safe coverings.
Avoid bare soil. - If you are pregnant, consider having a blood test for lead.
EPA observes National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week to focus on the importance of educating parents and children about the dangerous health effects of lead exposure, especially lead paint hazards in housing.
This year's slogan -- "What's on Your Walls?" -- aims to raise awareness that the greatest lead exposures can occur when paint on the walls and trim in your home is disturbed. We would like to alert everyone -- but especially parents of young children -- that lead paint has the potential to affect many generations living in a home as a result of lead dust created from disturbing older paint during renovations and repair activities.
Common renovation activities like sanding, cutting and demolition can create hazardous lead dust and chips by disturbing lead-based paint, which can be harmful to children.
EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule
To protect against lead hazards associated with common renovation activities, on April 22, 2008, EPA issued a rule requiring the use of lead-safe practices and other actions aimed at preventing lead poisoning. Under the rule, beginning in April 2010, contractors performing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 must be certified and must follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination.
Coalition Works to Address Lead Poisoning in Nevada
The Southern Nevada Health District has convened a strategic advisory coalition to more effectively address childhood lead poisoning. The coalition shares information about educational activities, blood lead screening, and residential assessments performed throughout the state. US EPA communicates with the council to better understand the challenges to preventing lead poisoning in Nevada.
- More information on this effort or to view their Childhood Lead Poisoning Strategic Elimination Plan
Consumer Product Safety Commission to Enforce New Requirements for Children’s Products
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) will enforce new requirements of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) that are aimed at making children's products safer. The requirements that became effective on August 14, 2009 will limit the lead in children's products to 300 parts per million (ppm), down from 600 ppm. It is unlawful to manufacture, import, sell, or offer for sale, a children's proudct that has more than 300 ppm of lead in any part that is accessible to children. The limit for lead in paint and similar surface-coating materials for consumer use drops from 600 ppm to 90 ppm.