To help ensure families protect their children from lead poisoning, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently announced new Guidelines on how to identify and control lead-based paint and related hazards in housing, and to help property owners, government agencies, and private contractors sharply reduce childhood exposure to lead without unnecessarily increasing the cost of renovation. This second edition of the guidelines replaces the 1995 edition.
“HUD is committed to providing healthier housing for all families,” says Jon L. Gant, Director of HUD’s Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control. “These Guidelines will help communities around the nation protect families from lead exposure and other significant health and safety hazards.”
The Guidelines for the Evaluation and Control of Lead-Based Paint Hazards in Housing support HUD’s vision to reduce hazards in housing in a cost-effect manner while protecting the health of children. The Guidelines apply to lead hazard evaluation and control in all federally associated housing.
These Guidelines can be used by those who are required to identify and control lead paint hazards, as well as property owners, landlords, and child-care center operators. They offer helpful advice on renovations in older housing, lead-based paint inspections and risk assessments, and where to go for help. The Guidelines also outline what users have to do to meet requirements and recommendations; identify training – and if applicable, certification – required for people who conduct the work; and describe how the work should be done.
The Guidelines complement regulations that have been issued by HUD, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and policies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
For more information, visit www.hud.gov.
