Lead Paint Removal: Our Hazardous Waste Disposal & Abatement Process During Demolition

If you lived in the 1800’s, there’s a good chance your bedroom wallpaper would have contained arsenic. Those toxic ink particles and vapors would lazily float through the air, and slowly accumulate inside your body. It wouldn’t have been long before you joined the growing list of mysterious illnesses being reported.

Thankfully, we’ve learnt a lot since then about protecting our health and wellness. People no longer give whiskey to teething babies. Buildings aren’t insulated with asbestos. And lead isn’t used in makeup or paint anymore.

Even though these practices are extinct, these hazardous materials often rear their ugly heads during industrial demolition.

Lead paint is often discovered during the early phases of our demolition projects. Since the product wasn’t phased out until the 1970s, many power plants, mills, mines and other industrial buildings from before that period are likely to require lead abatement procedures.

It’s surprising that it took us that long to rid ourselves of lead-based paint. The CDC reports that “between 1925 and 1927, more commercial painters died from lead poisoning than all other occupational groups combined.” Even despite those risks, painters at the time still chose lead-based paint since it was considered vastly superior.

This article explores some important information on lead-based paint, and how we at Richmond Steel Demolition Services safely remove and dispose of it.

What Are the Dangers of Lead Paint?
Why In The World Were Lead-Based Paints Ever Used?!
Could There Be Lead Paint In My Building?
Overview of the Lead Paint Removal Process
Safety Measures: Protecting Our Crews from Lead Paint Exposure
Lead Paint, Our Hazardous Waste Disposal Process
Conclusion

What Are The Dangers of Lead Paint?

Most people know that lead-based paint is dangerous, but not many people are aware of all the associated risks. Consider this excerpt from the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety:

Effects of Long-Term (Chronic) Exposure: VERY TOXIC. Can cause permanent damage to the nervous system. Symptoms may include restlessness, reduced ability to think, muscle tremors, memory loss and personality changes. In severe cases, symptoms may include muscle weakness, loss of feeling or prickly sensation in the hands, feet, arms or legs, clumsiness and paralysis. Can cause permanent damage to the kidneys. In severe cases, symptoms may include fatigue, increased or decreased urination, nausea, and vomiting. May harm the blood. In severe cases, symptoms may include paleness, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, confusion, shortness of breath and headache.

The list of concerns doesn’t stop there. Here are just a few of the other potential risks:

Neurological Damage: Lead paint exposure can cause severe neurological and developmental damage, particularly in children. It can result in reduced IQ, learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and impaired cognitive function.

Pregnancy Risks: Lead paints can affect reproductive health, causing reduced fertility in both men and women. Prolonged exposure to lead paint during pregnancy can result in miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth, and low birth weight.

Immune System Impairment: Over time, proximity to lead-based paint can weaken the immune system, making individuals more susceptible to infections and illnesses.

While there are government set permissible limits for lead exposure, every effort should be made to minimize contact—especially for demolition crews.

Dump truck and excavator working on demolition site

Why In The World Were Lead-Based Paints Ever Used?!

After reading that laundry list of risks and health concerns, you’re probably asking: “why was lead paint ever used?” Before all of the negative side-effects became apparent, lead paint did offer several key advantages that made it popular at the time.

Durability: Lead-based paints were highly durable and resistant to moisture, which made them ideal for use on exterior surfaces and areas prone to wear and tear.

Color Brightness: Lead paints provided vibrant colors and excellent coverage, requiring fewer coats compared to other paints.

Quick Drying: Lead paints dried faster than other paints, which was beneficial for both manufacturing and construction processes.

Mold and Mildew Resistance: Lead has antimicrobial properties that helped prevent mold and mildew growth on painted surfaces.

Could There Be Lead Paint On My Site?

Earlier, we mentioned the phasing out of lead-based paints began in the 1970’s in Canada. This phasing-out process however took several decades.

In Canada, it took until the 1990s for regulations to begin applying limits on lead usage in commercial and industrial paint applications. Finally, in the early 2000s, comprehensive regulations effectively banned lead in all paints (although specific industrial uses had longer timelines, but have since transitioned to safer alternatives).

Buildings constructed before the mid-nineteen seventies are more likely to have lead-based paint. With older buildings, the likelihood is often higher.

Lead-based paints often come with some telltale signs to watch out for:

Peeling or Chipping Paint: If you notice paint that is peeling, chipping, or cracking, especially in older buildings, it could be lead-based paint.

Layers of Paint: If you notice multiple layers of paint, with older layers being particularly thick, it might indicate the presence of lead paint.

Discolored Dust: Lead paint can produce fine dust that can settle on surfaces. If you notice discolored dust on window sills, floors, or other surfaces, it could be an indicator of lead-based paint deterioration.

The most reliable way to determine if your building has lead paint is through professional testing. Methods such as X-ray fluorescence (XRF) can be used, which can detect lead without disturbing surfaces. Alternatively, paint chip sampling, where small paint samples are analyzed in a lab for lead content, can also be a reliable indicator.

At Richmond Steel, our personal experience in demolitions has shown us that old mines, mills, oil & gas, and power facilities are often likely to contain lead paint.

High reach shear demolishing an industrial building

Overview of the Lead Paint Removal Process: Lead Abatement

Lead abatement during the demolition of a building involves several critical steps to ensure the safe removal and handling of lead-containing materials.

The process begins with assessment and planning, identifying areas with lead-based paint and assessing the risk. Containment areas can be set up to prevent the spread of lead dust and debris; while workers are equipped with personal protective equipment (PPE) and follow our standard operating procedures (SOPs).

One of our key practices is avoiding blasting techniques, which can disperse lead dust into the air. Instead, our crews meticulously tear down structures, using precision and care. The use of shears helps to carefully tear apart materials while minimizing direct contact and reducing the risk of lead exposure.

Safety Measures: Protecting Our Crews from Lead Paint Exposure

Considering the many health hazards of lead paint, Richmond Steel has strict procedures in place to ensure the health and safety of our crew during lead abatement. While on site, everyone is required to follow our comprehensive written guidelines and standard operating procedures at all times.

To further protect our crews, we equip them with Powered Air-Purifying Respirators (PAPR) when necessary, ensuring they have the highest level of respiratory protection. Regular blood monitoring is also conducted to track lead levels in our employees, allowing us to take immediate action if elevated levels are detected.

These are just some of the crucial safety measures used in maintaining a safe working environment and safeguarding crews as they handle lead-based materials.

Lead Paint, Our Hazardous Waste Disposal Process

Once materials are carefully removed, they are sent to our integrated mill, which is equipped to process lead-contaminated scrap metal.

At the mill, lead-contaminated materials are processed, and any lead paint on steel is burned and captured off during the melting process. Our facility features a 'baghouse' system with scrubbers that capture fumes and lead particulates released during melting. This advanced filtration system ensures that harmful lead particles do not enter the atmosphere, safely containing and managing the lead residue.

This thorough disposal process ensures that lead paint is managed responsibly, protecting both our workers and the environment from potential lead contamination.

Conclusion

Times have changed. Wallpaper might not contain arsenic these days, but there is still a large amount of lead paint to be found—especially in older industrial sites.

At Richmond Steel, our lead abatement process handles this hazardous waste disposal in a way that protects people, and our environment. If you have a demolition or material recovery project that could contain lead paint, it’s important to follow the proper procedures. Talk to our demolition specialists today and learn how Richmond Steel’s Demolition Services can guide you through the process safely and efficiently.

Preparing for Your Project: Health & Safety Risks for Demolition Crews

Every demolition site is unique. Sometimes, even twin buildings with the exact same layout will behave and fall in different ways, as their structure or ground conditions might differ slightly. Given this, safe methodologies based on experience can be employed in similar settings.

Understanding the common hazards present in demolition sites and how to prepare in advance to deal with them can greatly reduce risks for both workers and companies.

5 Common Health & Safety Risks in Demolition

1. Noise and Vibrations

There’s no way around it: noise and vibration are constants when you work at a demolition site, and in a much less predictable way than in other construction or industrial settings.

Constant exposure to excessive noise without the proper protection equipment can cause temporary or permanent loss of hearing, as well as increased levels of stress. It can also limit communications between the crew on site, making it harder to identify other hazardous situations.

2. Hazardous Materials

Hazardous materials such as asbestos, lead, and mercury are still commonplace in older buildings – which makes them a serious concern for an everyday demolition crew. Exposure to these materials can cause heart issues, lung issues, cancer, reproductive problems, and nervous system issues.

The very nature of demolition work can turn otherwise harmless everyday objects into hazards: broken fluorescent tubes for example, can expose you to mercury.

Even your everyday building materials like wood, concrete, insulation, and drywall can become hazardous in a demolition setting, as the constant breathing in of dust particles can cause serious respiratory problems.

3. Electrical Hazards

During any demolition job, there’s a chance of encountering live electrical wires and/or systems that may not have been appropriately marked or deactivated. Electrocution due to touching live electrical wires can cause severe injury or even death, especially when water is present – which is not uncommon for demolition sites.

Exposed live electrical wires can also create sparks that, if near flammable materials, might trigger fires and explosions.

4. Working at High Heights

Risk of falls from compromised or unstable structures, scaffolding, and ladders, are among the leading causes of accidents on demolition sites.

Buildings marked for demolition are, in many cases, not structurally sound even before the process starts, which greatly increases the risk of falls and collapses.

The severe injuries or fatalities that can result from falls, emphasizing the critical need for caution.

Injuries resulting from falls from high heights are frequently severe, and sometimes fatal. Caution and adequate equipment are crucial to avoid fatalities when working at high heights.

5. Site Cleanliness

Debris, dust, and unorganized materials can lead to accidents, such as slips, trips, falls, as well as more serious injuries. Contaminated debris, if not dealt with properly, can spread hazardous dust particles and cause respiratory issues.

Keeping a tidy and clean job site goes beyond mere organization: keeping exit routes unblocked, and improving visibility by removing clutter and debris can be crucial in avoiding fatalities in the case of an emergency.

Safety Precautions On-Site of a Demolition

Having a daily schedule of reviewing plans and hazards can help you and your crew to stay on top of your safety measures.

Daily on the project, review the demolition plan, and risk and environmental assessments.
For each task planned for the day, complete a Field Level Hazard Assessment.
Identify specific permits - such as hot work permits for torch cutting, work at height permits, and confined space entry permits - that may be required depending on each task planned for the day.
At the end of the day, discuss with the team what went well, what did not go well, and what needs to be done differently the following day, and plan the work ahead.
During the project, housekeeping and dust control will be a daily task to control any environmental impact.

Richmond Steel’s Pre-Demolition and Site Preparation Checklist

Step 1: Pre-Bid Site Inspection

Scoping and estimation of the job through a pre-bid site inspection
During this walkthrough, we estimate the most effective and safe demolition process for the structure at hand.
- If structural drawings are available, we use this information to estimate the tonnage of recyclable material and determine where to make cuts to control the fall of each component.
- If drawings are not available, we will need to take measurements in the field and assess the weights of beams and floors.

Step 2: Hazardous Material Inspection

Required for any structure to be demolished to identify any hygiene or environmental risks from the building.
Materials such as asbestos, lead paint, silica, PCBs, and mercury will be identified by an industrial hygienist, and samples will be sent to a lab to confirm their presence. This information will also determine if any abatement is necessary before the demolition work can commence.

Step 3: Obtaining Safety Data Sheets (SDS)

Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for any chemicals used on-site.
From these documents, special Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) may be required when performing specific tasks, such as purging tanks and pipes or removing oils and other fluids from equipment.

Step 4: Create Demolition Plan

The Demolition Plan explains the demolition process step by step and highlights the methods and what type of equipment and personnel will be required for each step.
For complex structures or selective demolition, a structural engineer may be required to review the plan to ensure it is safe to execute.

Step 5: Create Project Safety Risk Assessment and Environmental Risk Assessment Documents

These documents examine all possible impacts the project may have from safety and environmental perspectives, ranking their severity and likelihood.
This is a team exercise that pushes the demolition team to delve into every step of the plan, identify what can go wrong, and how we can mitigate or eliminate the risks.
Often, the demolition plan will have to be revised following this exercise.

Step 6: Create a Site-Specific Safety Plan

The safety risk assessment helps us create a site-specific safety plan
What does this include?
- Emergency response plans
- Type of PPE required
- Training requirements
- Task-specific safe work procedures
- Fire control and prevention

Step 7: Confirm Project Scope and Project Planning

Then we move to project planning with the project scope, budget, Gantt chart, site layout, transportation plan, stakeholder communication plan, community notification and engagement, traffic management plan, utilities coordination, historical preservation considerations, post-demolition site restoration, and recycling and waste management plan.

Step 8: Additional Tasks to Execute Pre-Project

Prior to the project's start, the crew goes through project-specific training related to the site.
All utilities are shut down before the project starts. Overhead power lines are marked to ensure visibility.

Hire a Trusted, Safety-Focused Demolition Expert for Your Project

Identifying and preparing for possible hazards in a demolition job is crucial to ensure crew safety and optimal work efficiency. Working with a professional, trustworthy demolition expert can save you time, money, and headaches in the long run.

At Richmond Steel Recycling, we employ tried and trusted methods to ensure safety and minimize hazards that can cause accidents, while staying within budget and on time. Contact us today to discuss your demolition project.