Pillars of Governmental Environmental Public Health | A Guide to Scalable Environmental Public Health Programs
with a 4-year degree in science, 3 years of mentoring, and a lead risk assessor license can fully perform the duties needed for this program. It is also important to note that U.S. EPA requires individ- uals and firms who perform abatement projects in pre- 1978 target housing and child-occupied facilities to be certified and follow specific work practices. Many states have additional requirements for conducting lead services, including lead inspection, lead risk assessment, lead haz- ard screening, lead mitigation, and lead abatement work and supervision in regulated facilities. Aside from educational requirements, participants noted that meticulous notetaking skills and being able to use analytical tools and retain and apply knowledge are desir- able skills.
typically required for regulatory compliance. Access to accredited laboratory services is helpful for analysis of collected samples. Personal protective equipment supports staff safety and can include disposable nitrile gloves to prevent skin contact with lead-containing materials, N95 respirators or half-mask respirators with P100 filters specifically designed for lead when disturbing lead-containing materi- als, and disposable protective clothing such as Tyvek suits to prevent contamination of personal clothing. Shoe covers help prevent tracking lead dust, while safety glasses or goggles protect eyes from dust. Handwashing and equip- ment decontamination supplies support proper hygiene and safety protocols. Programs that conduct educational outreach can maintain demonstration kits and educational materials to help res- idents, property owners, and contractors understand lead hazards and prevention measures. Digital tools for data collection and case management are useful for tracking at-risk properties and follow-up activities. Equipment selection varies based on the program’s scope and the types of lead hazard assessments conducted. Programs that focus primarily on surveillance and edu- cational activities usually use less specialized equipment than those programs that conduct comprehensive lead risk assessments and clearance testing. Funding Sources/Barriers Research showed that many jurisdiction lead programs are funded through a variety of state and federal government money, including U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds for replacement windows and doors for qualifying property owners. State delegated authority might pay an average fee for testing, Medicaid funds testing in children, and city general funds support lead safe certificate programs. A variety of smaller grants through coalitions and other nongovernment organiza- tions can provide some funding for incentives for property owners to remediate their properties. Focus group participants believed that funding should be expanded to incentivize remediation rather than being limited to surveillance and education. Participants felt that grant funding, such as that available through HUD, should be based on the number of people served. A large portion of participant funding currently comes from U.S. EPA as their jurisdiction is a superfund site. Most of the funding for this program seems to be allo- cated to education and outreach programs for screening, assessing, and advertising.
Equipment Needs
Essential equipment for lead prevention programs includes various categories of specialized tools and safety equipment. For sampling and testing, programs might use lead dust wipe sampling supplies that meet ASTM E1792-96 standards, paint chip collection tools and containers for laboratory anal- ysis, and soil sampling equipment for exterior assessments. Clean sample collection containers that will not contaminate samples are useful, along with sample documentation mate- rials such as labels and chain of custody forms. Measuring tools such as tape measures and rulers help calculate sam- ple areas, while digital cameras document conditions. Tem- plates for standardized dust wipe sampling areas can help ensure consistent collection procedures. Analytical equipment may include X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzers for non-destructive lead paint testing, which allows for surface-by-surface paint inspection with- out damaging materials. Field test kits provide preliminary screening capabilities, though laboratory confirmation is
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