Department of

Environmental Health and Safety

• campus:
• a to z index
• |
• map
• |
• directory
• |
• calendar

Lead Exposure (paint)

Older buildings on campus may have been painted in whole or part with paints that contain lead. Although there is no specific “cutoff,” lead was phased out of general consumer paints around 1974, but was used into the 1980’s. Any construction or renovation work that will cause dusting, flaking chipping or peeling of this paint requires an analysis of the paint to determine if it is lead based. If the suspect paint was previously analyzed for lead content, that analysis may be considered valid, as long as there is certainty that the exact same layers of paint previously sampled are considered. EHS can assist in the evaluation process.

Both the state of Utah and OSHA have regulations that address lead painted surfaces. Utah’s environmental regulations are patterned after Federal regulations, and address child occupied facilities. Briefly, child occupied facilities have to be assessed to assure that there is not a lead hazard. If there is it has to be abated. Anyone performing any aspect of this work (for child occupied facilities), including abatement work, has to be individually state accredited and work for a state accredited lead company.

Beyond that, OSHA has a regulation (29CFR1926.62) that addresses any construction related activity involving lead. Employees who work with or on lead or lead painted surfaces and perform what are termed “trigger tasks” are required to either conduct air sampling or follow mandated safe work guidelines specified depending upon the “trigger task” involved.