Lead

Let's keep our children safe from lead at home!

LET’S STOP LEAD POISONING IN CF!

 

Why is lead a problem in CF?
Lead poisoning is extremely dangerous, even life-threatening, especially in young children. The damage is irreversible, but it’s completely preventable! Homes built before 1978 have a higher risk of lead in chipped paint, soil, and old pipes. In 1978, lead was banned from house paint, but many of our city’s homes and apartments pre-date this lead paint ban and expose our families to poisonous lead.

How do families get poisoned by lead at home?
Lead poisoning happens by ingesting or breathing dust from lead paint, ingesting lead chips from chipped window sills, drinking tap water that has lead from old pipes, or even eating fruits or vegetables that have lead on them from the soil outside of an old home. 

Did you know CF children have the highest rate of lead poisoning in Rhode Island?
Anyone can get lead poisoning, but it has the most devastating impacts on children younger than 6 and women who are pregnant. Exposure to lead can seriously harm our young children's health:

  • Damage to the brain and nervous system
  • Slowed growth and development
  • Learning and behavioral problems
  • Hearing and speech problems

 

WHAT TENANTS NEED TO KNOW

Tenants have rights! Ask your landlord if your home is lead safe, and to see the Certificate of Lead Conformance (required by law for most rental properties built before 1978). If you are concerned lead is a problem in your unit, free programs are available to help your landlord make your unit lead safe, like RIHousing’s LeadSafe program.

Need help? Contact our city’s Office of Constituent Services and Health (401-616-2451 or email housing@centralfallsri.us).

WHAT LANDLORDS NEED TO KNOW

Most rental properties built before 1978 must have a Certificate of Lead Conformance – proof that a unit has met the requirements of the Lead Hazard Mitigation Law. This means that a Licensed Lead Inspector or Lead Inspector Technician has performed an Independent Clearance Inspection and that any lead hazards on the property have been corrected. It does not mean that the property is free of lead, but rather that your property does not currently pose a hazard to tenants. The Certificate is issued by a Rhode Island Licensed Lead Inspector or a Lead Inspector Technician once a rental property has met the requirements of the law based on visual inspection and dust testing.

Need lead remediation? Free resources are available through RIHousing and RI Department of Health to help make your property safe from lead inside and outside, for both single and multi-family properties.

Contractors who specialize in lead are available (find them here) to help update your property to ensure it is lead safe.

Contact our city’s Office of Constituent Services and Health (401-616-2451 or email housing@centralfallsri.us) if you need help.

WHAT HOMEOWNERS NEED TO KNOW

Look for sources of lead in and around your home, and wet-clean regularly to help reduce your exposure to lead in paint, dust, and soil.

Hire licensed lead professionals when you renovate, repair, or paint your property. If your home is older than 1978 and you’re considering a renovation that will disturb potentially lead-filled paint, you may be required to abide by the RI Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule and hire a licensed Renovation Firm.

Have your home inspected for lead hazards! You can hire a RI licensed Lead Inspector to test paint, soil, dust, and water in and around your home for lead hazards.

Contact our city’s Office of Constituent Services and Health (401-616-2451 or email housing@centralfallsri.us) if you need help.

WHAT PARENTS AND FAMILIES NEED TO KNOW

Lead poisoning is preventable!  Some tips to help prevent lead poisoning:

  • Cover peeling or flaking paint with contact paper or duct tape and wash windows, doorways, floors, and dusty areas often with a wet mop or cloth.
  • Run cold water from the faucet for at least one minute or until the temperature drops before you drink it or cook with it. Never use hot water from the faucet for drinking, cooking, or making baby formula.
  • Keep children from playing in soil near older buildings that may be contaminated by lead paint chips or dust.
  • Ask your doctor about getting a lead test for your young child at your next visit.

Contact our city’s Office of Constituent Services and Health (401-616-2451 or email housing@centralfallsri.us) if you need help.