D-Lead Paint Test Kit Instructional Video Released by ESCA Tech

To date, the EPA has recognized three lead paint test kits that can be used by Certified Renovators for the purposes of determining if there is lead paint present for a Renovation, Repair, or Painting (RRP) job. These include 3M™ LeadCheck™, D-Lead®, and the State of Massachusetts test kits. LeadCheck and D-Lead are also approved by the state of Wisconsin for use on RRP projects in the state.

Using the test kits properly is critical to obtaining valid results. In an effort to assist Certified Renovators and training professionals on learning how to use the D-Lead testing kit, the manufacturer ESCA Tech, Inc. has developed an instructional video for the D-Lead Paint Test Kit and Klean Strip D-Lead Paint Test Kits. D-Lead test kits are recognized for use on wood, ferrous metal, or drywall and plaster surfaces.

The training video can be viewed on ESCA's website here.
About D-Lead Test Kits
This test quickly and simply determines if a paint a paint sample contains less than the USEPA regulated lead limit (1.0 mg/cm2) and the WI regulated lead limit (0.7 mg/cm2). The test can easily be used drywall, plaster, wood and ferrous metal surfaces. The results comes in minutes and, according to the ETV Verification Report, the test is 99% accurate in determining the absence of lead-based paint.

Testing for Lead Paint and the RRP Rule 

Renovation, repair and painting activities often disturb painted surfaces. If these surfaces had been painted with lead-based paint, serious lead contamination and exposure may result. According to a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) survey of the prevalence of lead-based paint hazards in the nation's housing, approximately 38 million pre-1978 U.S. dwellings contain lead-based paint. Before undertaking this work in a home built prior to 1978, it is important to either assume that the area undergoing work contains lead-based paint and take appropriate precautions, or to accurately determine whether lead-based paint is present. In the 2008 Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program (RRP) Rule, the Agency described criteria for recognizing test kits that detect lead in paint. The federal standards for lead-based paint in target housing and child-occupied facilities is a lead content in paint that equals or exceeds a level of 1.0 milligram per square centimeter (mg/cm2) or 0.5 percent by weight. (Source: www.epa.gov/lead)