To
protect families and employees from exposure to lead
hazards and our clients from potential liabilities,
ECT provides comprehensive risk assessments for
facility owners and managers, developers, multi-family
housing, schools, day care centers, and potential real
estate buyers.
ECT
Tennessee Department of Environmental Conservation;
Department of Solid Waste Management (TDEC; DSWM)
Certified Lead Inspectorss and Risk Assessors perform
surveys to meet all OSHA, HUD, and EPA regulatory
requirements.
ECT
uses XRF Spectrum Analyzers to determine the amount of
lead in a painted surface. The XRF analyzer provides
readings in 2-6 seconds without disturbing or damaging
existing surfaces, resulting in time savings and
reduced survey fees.
A
major effort by HUD and EPA is currently
underway to reduce exposure to lead in paints
and soil. |
To
assist building owners/managers and contractors with
compliance of the OSHA Lead in Construction Standard
(29 CFR Part 1926.62)., ECT prepares specifications
for safe work and abatement practices to be followed
by building maintenance workers and/or contractors for
demolition, painting, and renovation projects.

During
construction and abatement projects, ECT performs
containment inspections, worker protection procedures
review, personnel monitoring, and performs visual
inspections and wipe testing at the completion of the
project to verify that abatement areas are safe for
re-occupancy.
State
and federal regulations hold building owners and
employers responsible for protecting employees,
occupants, and outside contractors from exposure to
lead. ECT helps clients comply with these regulations
by conducting site surveys and providing comprehensive
assessment reports.
Every
aspect of the project is closely managed including,
collection and analysis of samples, containment
inspections, pressure differential monitoring, and
clearance visual inspections. |
In
September 2000, Title X Federal lesiglation (24 CFR
Part 35) became effective which revised the 1996 Title
X Federal legislation to not only be applicable to
"child occupied" facilities but to include
all federally funded facilities. This requires that
the building owner comply with the new legislation
while using any HUD monies on the property or the
money will have to be paid back to HUD.

This
also requires (among other things) that prospective
home purchasers be made aware of the possibility
of lead-based paint in houses built prior to 1978. It
is merely a disclosure law focusing on target
buildings. The seller must disclose whether he or she
knows of the presence of lead-based paint. Testing is
left up to the potential buyers option.
According to this law, the presence of any lead-based
paint in a building does not require that any remedial
action be taken. Current guidelines generally suggest
that intact lead paint be left alone unless there are
elevated levels of lead in the blood or another
critical risk factor.
Lead-based
paint becomes a problem if lead-based paint chips or
dust is ingested (via eating) or inhaled (via
breathing). This causes an increased level of lead in
the bloodstream, which has many serious health
effects. These effects are generally more serious in
younger children including impaired hearing, reading
and learning disabilities, and seizures, among other
things. Health effects for adults include impaired
blood formation, reproductive concerns like impotence,
premature birthrates, lower birth weights, and
behavioral abnormalities. Doctors often test lead
levels in blood for children under the age of six.
Only if these test results are high is any action
mandated by local health departments.

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