Lead dust can be quite unhealthy for both adults and children and requires proper precautionary measures and rules to be followed. Some jobs that produce more dust may require extra precautions. The following are lead handling measures to be followed when insulating either inside:
- Vacate the room where work is being done, not only from occupants but also from pets (as they can transfer dust to the whole building) until the final cleanup.
- Place signs, barrier tapes, and/or cones, to keep people away from the area. Signs should be in the resident’s native language, clearly stating:
- “Do not Enter — Authorized Personnel Only”.
- “No Eating, Drinking or Smoking”
- Remove any kind of furniture (ranging from curtains, rugs, furniture, drapes, etc.) and belongings from the work area. If it is not removable then completely cover it with heavy sheeting and secure it tightly with tape.
- Use heavy sheeting to cover floors up to at least 6 feet from the area of paint disturbance. Secure it tightly with tape.
- Close all kinds of doors (from cabinets to closets) in the work area and cover them with heavy sheeting.
- Doors that serve as an entrance point to the work area should be covered in the following special manner:
- Cut and secure (neither taut nor loose) one layer of sheeting to the perimeter of the door frame. Create some folds to give slack at the top and bottom of the door before taping or stapling.
- Now, cut a vertical slit in the middle of the sheeting leaving about 6” at the top and bottom uncut.
- Cut and secure a second overlapping layer of sheeting to the top of the door.
- Turn off any HVAC (High Voltage Alternating Current) system (to prevent any damage) and close/cover off any kind of air vents in the working area, to prevent the dust from traveling all over the house.
- Setup all needed tools (near your reach) on the protective sheeting to avoid any unnecessary stepping off the protective sheeting.