Department of Health and Human Services
| ATTENTION: The EPA has recently issued changes to the Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule. Please select this link for a copy of the new rules. Federal Register / Vol.76, No.151, dated August 5, 2011 (PDF). N.C. contractors performing applicable renovations must comply with these rule changes. These changes are effective October 4, 2011. |
Lead is a heavy metal that has long been used in the manufacturing of paint, plumbing pipes and solder, leaded gasoline, and many other products. When products containing lead deteriorate, tiny lead particles can contaminate homes and the environment. Regulations now limit the amount of lead used in paint, gasoline, and other applications, but environmental lead pollution remains a health hazard.
Lead can cause health problems for people when it is swallowed or inhaled. At very high levels, it can cause seizures, coma, and even death. While potentially harmful to individuals of all ages, lead exposure is especially harmful to children under six years of age because it affects their developing brains and nervous systems. Ingesting or swallowing lead-contaminated materials is the primary way people get lead poisoning at home. Small children are particularly susceptible because of their constant hand-to-mouth activity.
People who work around lead must take special precautions to prevent contamination to the environment and exposure to themselves or others. Special work practices and procedures must be followed for work that occurs in child-occupied facilities and housing built before 1978. For more information about lead poisoning in North Carolina, contact the Health Hazards Control Unit at (919) 707-5950 or select from the links below.
- Lead-Based Paint Hazard Management Program (LHMP)
- Lead-Based Paint Abatement Permitting
- Lead-Based Paint Hazard Management Program for Renovation, Repair and Painting (LHMP-RRP)
Fact sheets
- The Lead-Safe Certified Guide to Renovate Right (PDF 6.2MB) En Espaņol (PDF 2.5MB)
- What Volunteers Should Know about Lead-Based Paint (PDF document)
- Lead Facts: What Employers Need to Know (PDF document)
- Lead Facts: Adult Blood Lead
Testing; and
Lead Facts: Preventing Lead Exposure (PDF document)
To find certified professionals for abatement or renovation activities:
Search for North Carolina Certified Lead Professionals
For more information on lead poisoning and prevention:
- Occupational Illnesses and Injuries (NC DHHS)
- CDC Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lead information
- U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) lead information
- U.S. Dept. of Labor, Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) lead information
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Page last updated on April 16, 2012