Lead Safe Work Practices Ordinance

Today, the Council passed an ordinance and a resolution I authored on the subject of Lead Safe Work Practices. It requires that in situations where City inspectors have charged a property owner for having chipping and peeling interior paint in a pre-1978 home, the person doing the work must prove to the City that he/she has attended a lead safe work practices training. These are available at low or no cost to contractors and policy owners.



The point is that when the City tells someone they have to fix their paint, and it's likely to contain lead, they have to at least know how to do the work safely. Sanding lead paint, for instance, can create a large amount of very hazardous lead dust, which is easier to ingest than paint chips and therefore can pose a greater health risk.



This ordinance is a very small step in the right direction. I look forward to building on it, through the good work of the City/County Lead Task Force on which I serve, to develop requirements that will even better protect residents' health.