I have been appointed to carry out a pre demolition building surveys on an old administrative building in order to identify Lead contain materials on site. The building I have visited was situated in close to city centre and was destined for partial demolition and complete refurbishment. The property was a four storey building consisting of a lower basement car park and storage facilities, ground, 1st-4th floor offices and roof top terrace with enclosed water tank and lift motor room.
The purpose of the survey was to locate and identify the presence of any Lead containing materials within all reasonably accessible areas. The extent and type of all lead containing materials found on the site were defined for the purpose of providing a Lead register in compliance with current legislation.
The lead survey are different from other hazard surveys such as asbestos mainly because they need to be timed correctly. A lead surveys is best carried out after initial soft strip of the building has been completed. That means that all the internal furnishing, carpeting, plasterboard partition walls and insulation have been removed. Timing the lead survey after the soft strip of the building allows for easy access to normally inaccessible materials and construction elements.
After an initial consultation with my client we have organised and timed the lead surveys in such a way as to maximise the accessibility of likely lead containing materials. This structured approach allows me to minimise the number of materials which needs to be presumed, due to non-access, and allows me to provide the most accurate review of the lead containing materials on site.
In this particular situation I have identified a significant lead content in the surface coating of all the windows and door frames, some skylight surrounds and protective coating to the lift motors. Some of these materials had lead content relatively low and disposal as non-hazardous material was possible. Other however had significant Lead content and had to be handled appropriately.
Lead Paint Control Methods
Sysco Environmental can carry out lead surveys for homeowners and business owners whether you’ve just moved into a new house, or you’re a construction company wanting to make changes to an old house but worried if there are any lead containing materials. You can also purchase our lead test kit that will allow you to easily identify any lead containing materials. Find them here.
If you already know you have lead-containing materials there are some control methods you will need to follow to be able to remove it. Before you start any work you firstly need to identify the source of the lead. Use our test kit or contact us for a free consolation and tailored quote for a full lead inspection.
If you decide to then remove the lead paint you must use the correct RPE (respiratory protective equipment)
Cover the inside and outside of all window units using polyethylene sheeting and seal all windows, doors in the workplace to prevent spread of lead paint. And turn of all fans/air conditioning units within the work area.
Important information
- Never dry-sand to removed lead-based paint. Dry sanding creates harmful dust that can spread contaminants and cause risk to health.
- Never use a heat gun at temperatures of 700 degrees+ or an open flame torch to remove lead-based paint. This level of heat can cause dangerous lead fumes.
Removing Lead-Based paint
Dampen the surface before you carry out any work, this prevents any dust being emitted from the work taking place and makes it easier to remove.
Use a paint scraper or wire brush to remove all loose peeling or chipping paint. And remove all paint within a two-inch area around the peeling paint. Leave any intact paint beyond this area.
Place the scraped materials in a bag and dispose of as hazardous waste.
dampen the area once again and lightly sand the edges of the scraped area to remove all loose paint.
