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Checking Your Home for Lead Hazards <br /> <br />Just knowing <br />that a home <br />has lead- <br />based paint <br />may not tell <br />you if there <br />is a hazard. <br /> <br />You can get your home checked for lead haz-" <br />ards in one of two ways, or both: <br />· A paint inspection tells you the lead <br /> content of every different type of painted <br /> surface in your home. It won't tell you <br /> whether the paint is a hazard or how you <br /> · should deal with it. <br /> · A risk assessment tells you if there are <br /> · any sources of sedous lead exposure <br /> .. (such as peeling paint and lead dust). It <br /> also tells you what actions to take to <br /> address these hazards. <br /> Have qualified professionals do the work. <br /> There are s~andards in place for certi~ing <br /> lead-based paint professionals to ensure the <br /> work is done safely, reliably, and effectively. <br /> Contact your state lead poisoning prevention <br /> program for more information. Call 1-800- <br /> 424-LEAD for a list of contacts in your area. <br /> Trained professionals use a range of methods <br /> when checking ),our home, including: <br /> · Visual inspection of paint condition and <br /> location. <br /> · A portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF) <br /> machine. <br /> · Lab tests of paint samples. <br /> · Surface dust tests. <br /> Home test kits for lead are available, but <br /> studies suggest that they are not always <br /> accurate. Consumers should not rely on <br /> these tests before doing renovations or to <br /> assure safety. <br /> <br />6 <br /> <br /> <br />