Old lead paint

This talk is about lead in the paint, the flashings and the old pipework on this job. HSE's construction page on lead says lead is used as a specialist material, for example roof flashings, and it is present in older buildings, for example in paint or pipework. Breathing or ingesting lead dust or fume is the harm. HSE's page says lead can cause serious health problems such as anaemia or kidney disease, and that published research has linked exposure to a small number of occupational cancers. The busy-builder sheet CIS79 says breathing or ingesting lead dust or fume can cause serious problems such as kidney, nerve and brain damage, or infertility. I am using those words. I have not added a count of my own. I read the construction lead page, CIS79 and HSE's lead FAQ on 20 October 2026.

The Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002 say employers must protect employees against the risks from lead. HSE's model is assess, control, then review. The assessment has to find the tasks that use lead or create lead dust or fume, and pay attention where significant exposure is expected. HSE's list includes stripping or preparing leaded paint on doors, windows and similar; working with lead on roofs; hot cutting of lead or leaded paint in demolition and dismantling; and blast removal of old leaded paint. Lead pigments were widely used in paints for homes, schools and offices until the 1960s. They were not removed from all commonly used paint until the early 1980s. Lead paint can sit underneath the paint you can see, in an older building. CIS79 says you are most at risk if you regularly remove existing paint in properties built before the 1980s, strip old paint with blow lamps or gas torches, or dry sand old paint.

The first control is to stop making the dust and the fume. Where you can, use a different material, or a different method. HSE says leave paint in place when it is in good condition, or when it is covered by paint that does not contain lead. Make a key for the new coat with wet abrasive paper. Only strip old paint if it is flaking, chipping, giving off dust or particles, or it is a risk to children. CIS79 says the same plan in a shorter line: only strip back old paint if it is flaking, chipping, or a risk to children. If the paint is in good condition, wet abrasive paper is the key, not a dry sanding disc. Cold or mechanical cutting comes before hot cutting. Do not overheat leaded paint with a blow lamp or a gas torch. HSE says keep hot air guns and infrared equipment below 500 degrees Celsius. That figure is HSE's. It is not a target to work up to.

If the paint is in poor condition and it has to come off, HSE's methods are a chemical paint stripper, wet abrasive paper and a scraper, on-tool extraction with an H or M class unit, and an infrared tool or a hot air gun used with a scraper, kept below that 500 degree line. CIS79 says use a combination of chemical paint stripper, wet abrasive paper and on-tool extraction, and it says passive capture bags on tools are less effective. A general vacuum is not the unit this page is describing. The silica talk on this site is the one for bricks, concrete and plaster dust. This talk is lead. The extraction class HSE names here is still H or M.

Respiratory protection is often still required. HSE says wear RPE with an assigned protection factor of 20, for example an FFP3 disposable mask or a half mask with a P3 filter. For longer work, consider powered RPE with the same protection, for example a TH2 powered hood or helmet. It has to be compatible with the other kit. Tight-fitting masks need a face-fit test. Stop the dust spreading. HSE says use plastic sheeting to separate the work and cover surfaces, remove or protect soft furnishings, wash the surfaces, and dispose of contaminated waste safely. Pay particular attention to keeping children and pregnant women away from the work area. CIS79 says put debris, cloths and abrasive paper in a plastic bag, and remove debris with a damp cloth. Wear disposable coveralls, and washable gloves such as PVC, or disposable gloves, if lead dust is likely to contaminate them. Take them off when you leave the work area. Do not wear them in the rest area. Keep them away from the clothes you wear home. Avoid washing contaminated clothing at home.

Washing is a control, not a courtesy. HSE says standard site welfare is enough in many cases, and that people should wash hands and forearms before eating, drinking, smoking, using the telephone, or taking medication. Avoid hand-to-mouth contact in the contaminated area. Take breaks away from the work. CIS79 says the small sink is not suitable: provide a large sink, hot or warm running water, and soap. People need to know the coating can contain lead, and how to use the controls. If we do not know whether the old paint contains lead, we treat the stripping, the burning and the dry sanding as this talk until we do know. A photo is not an analysis.

What we do on this job: is the paint staying because it is sound; if it is coming off, are we using wet paper, stripper or H or M class extraction rather than a dry disc or a flame; is the hot air kit below 500 degrees Celsius; who is kept out, including children and anyone who is pregnant; where the waste bag goes; and where people wash their hands and forearms before they eat. If the plan is to burn it off because that is quick, we do not start.