Reduce Childhood Lead Poisoning

HUD has issued the 2012 edition of the Guidelines for the Evaluation and Control of Lead-Based Paint Hazards in Housing to help providers reduce childhood lead poisoning. These Guidelines help owners, government agencies and private contractors learn how to identify and control lead-based paint and related hazards in housing. This is an attempt to handle the situation without unnecessarily increasing the cost of

“HUD is committed to providing healthier housing for all families,” said 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 review existing problems and discuss how to reduce the hazards in housing in a cost effective manner, while protecting residents and their children on our properties. They address lead hazard evaluation and control in all federal housing programs. This document should be reviewed by all owners/agents. They can be used by anyone who is 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, leadbased 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 do 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), as well as policies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).