Stay safe from lingering lead

It might be in old coats of paint, dust, or even your soil – and it’s especially dangerous to children. View our resources for understanding and dealing with lead in your home or workplace.

The ‘Stay Safe from Lingering Lead’ campaign uses videos to help alert home renovators and gardeners to be cautious and wear protective clothing when working around lead in old paint or soil.

The social media campaign is particularly targeting the Sydney Inner West, Newcastle and Wollongong council areas.

Lead in your home and workplace

Sources of lead include

  • waste from mines and industrial sources in soil and water (including tailings, mine waste rock and smelter slag_
  • interior and exterior paint in homes built before 1970
  • lead dust in ceiling cavities, carpets, furniture and in other places where dust tends to accumulate, and in the soil around the home – some of this dust may be from before the 1980s when petrol contained high levels of lead
  • lead fumes from the use of tools such as a heat gun or soldering iron to heat up a lead surface
  • lead water pipes, leadlight windows, PVC products, lead sheeting and paints in various products
  • workers in a lead industry bringing dust home on clothes or tools which can contaminate a home and family
  • hobbies involving working with lead or lead paint which can accidently expose you or others to lead

Potential sources of lead contamination - Dust, Air Water. Old plumbing or water tanks, petrol, old paint, soil, food, everyday products eg imported cooking pots.

Lead fact sheets

These fact sheets provide general guidance to people encountering lead in their environment.

The advice in this series is based on the most recent research available. We recommend you follow this advice to minimise the risks of exposure to lead in the home. We cannot guarantee that it will eliminate all risks as circumstances vary depending on the history of the house, its condition, the area to be painted and other factors.

Leadsmart

The Broken Hill Environmental Lead Program, in partnership with the EPA and NSW Health, has developed the Lead Smart website to let Broken Hill residents and the NSW community know about the local lead issue, how and where children get exposed to lead, things carers and children can do to minimise lead exposure, and the importance of blood lead screening for children under 5.

More information

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