# Presentation: 259481

## Module 2Set-Up Your Workspace to Contain Lead Dust

- 6/11/03

## Module 2 Overview

**What is containment?**
**Four steps for interior activities**
- Special considerations for high dust jobs
**Two steps for exterior activities**
- Special considerations for high dust jobs

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**Notes:**
Upon completion of this module you will be able to
Perform set-up techniques to contain lead dust and allow for easier clean-up at the end of the day and at the completion of the job.
Identify appropriate set-up techniques for high dust jobs that may require additional containment.

What is a high dust job?
A working definition of a high dust job is one that creates dust and debris that will spread beyond five feet from the area that you are working on.  Conversely, a low dust job is one in which dust and debris will not spread beyond five feet from the work area.
In general, jobs that involve only a small work area create less dust than jobs that involve a larger work area.  However, in addition to the size of the job, the work practices (e.g., sanding), and equipment (e.g., power sander) used will affect how much dust is created.  So, for example, using a power sander without a HEPA-filter vacuum attachment on a two square foot area could be considered a high dust job.  Using power tools equipped with HEPA filtered vacuum attachments will create less dust than using power tools without these attachments.
Examples of high dust jobs include:
 Hand-scraping large areas
 Using power sanders (e.g., orbital, belt) without HEPA equipped vacuum attachments and shrouds
 Using electric planer without a HEPA equipped vacuum attachment and shroud
 Removing paint with a heat gun and scraper
 Using circular or reciprocating saw 
 Removing dry residue and paint after using chemical strippers
 Demolishing painted surfaces using hand or power tools
 Removing building components with painted surfaces that are in poor condition

## What Is Containment?

**Keeping lead-contaminated dust in the work area**
**Benefits of containment**
- Protects residents and workers
- Easier clean-up at the end of the job

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## Current Interior Set-Up Practices Spread Lead-Contaminated Dust

**Current Interior Set-Up Practices Spread Lead-Contaminated Dust**

**Reusable drop cloth**
**Furniture and household objects in the room**
**Open doors and  windows**
**Broom or shop vacuum**
***Do not use these practices when lead is present!***

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**Notes:**
Current practice for interior set-up typically involves
A reusable drop cloth is an improvement over not using any drop cloth, but it can carry dust from one job site to other job sites, and contaminate vehicles and storage areas.  Some of the dust captured by a drop cloth falls to the floor when folding the cloth to carry away.  However, some of the dust stays with the drop cloth.  When it is used again it may contaminate the new (clean) job site with lead-contaminated dust.
Allowing furniture and household objects to remain in the work area while the work is being performed. Lead-contaminated dust may fall and remain on these furnishings and objects after the job is completed.  Residents could easily come into contact with the lead-contaminated dust on them and get poisoned. 
Allowing residents access to work area while the work is underway. The residents are then exposed to the lead-contaminated dust and can track the dust to other parts of the building where it could linger.  Again, residents could easily be exposed to the lead-contaminated dust on the furnishings and get poisoned. 
Open windows and doors allows lead dust to float into other parts of the building or over onto neighboring property.
Brooms and shop vacuums are typically used to clean up. Both clean-up methods capture some dust, but shop vacuums especially can put more dust into the air than they clean up if the filters are dirty or inadequate.  Vigorous sweeping may also put a lot of  dust into the air.  To be effective, containment must be practiced even when cleaning up after the job.

## Overview of Interior Set-Up Steps

**Step 1: Limit access**
**Step 2: Cover belongings that can not be moved**
**Step 3: Cover floors**
**Step 4: Close windows, doors, and HVAC system**
**Special consideration for high dust jobs**

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**Notes:**
Overview of interior set-up steps
Details for these steps are on the following several pages. These four steps will help contain lead dust to the work area for interior jobs. 
See page 13 in the Lead Paint Safety Field Guide for additional information. Appendix 1 contains a copy of the text from the Lead Paint Safety Field Guide.

## Set-up Toolkit

**Barriers and signs**
**Coverings for furniture, fixtures, plants, or outdoor play areas**
**Other set-up containment items**

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**Notes:**
Typical items for work area set-up to contain lead-contaminated dust

Barriers		
Rope or other barrier
Tape (bright color preferable)
Saw horses
Orange cones or other similar marker
Signs

Coverings for Furniture, Fixtures, Plants or Out door Play areas
Duct tape, painters tape, or masking tape
Stapler
Heavy plastic sheeting
Utility knife or scissors
Disposable mesh materials such as burlap, cheesecloth, or landscaping mesh

Other Set-Up Containment Items
Tack pad (sticky pad for walking on to remove dust from soles of shoes)
Small disposable towels or wipes
Misting bottle 

Ask your trainer if you have questions about where to find these supplies.

## Interior Set-UpStep 1: Limit Access

**Instruct residents to stay away from work area**
**Do not allow small children (under 6 years) or pets near work area**
**Place a barrier or tape across entrances**
**Post a sign**

**Do not allow eating, drinking, or smoking in the work area**

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**Notes:**
Restrict access to the work area and ask residents to stay away while work is underway
Restricting access to the work area will avoid unnecessary exposure of residents, especially children, to lead dust and minimize its spread to non work-areas. 
Before the job starts, tell the residents to stay away from the area as much as possible. Residents and pets coming and going can easily track lead-contaminated dust throughout the home and into areas that are not being worked on and therefore to areas that are unlikely to be cleaned up promptly.
This is especially true for small children under six years old. Be sure to explain to residents that this is for their own protection and that small children are most at risk of health problems from exposure to lead.  
You may need to provide an indication of how long you will be working in a particular area so that residents can plan ahead to obtain items that they may need before you begin working. 
Post a sign instructing people to stay out of the work area.
The sign should be in the residents’ native language if possible.

Place a barrier across entrances
A physical barrier, such as a cone or masking tape, should be placed across doorways to remind residents to stay away, especially in buildings where more than one family lives.  The barrier serves as a reminder to residents that people and pets should not enter the work area, and also signals that the area has not yet been cleaned up.

Do not allow eating, drinking or smoking in the work area
This is primarily a protection for workers, but is also important if residents are living in or near the work area.  Post signs that prohibit eating, drinking, or smoking in the work area.  Dust in the air can land on food or be breathed when smoking.  If food is set on an unwashed surface, it can easily pick up lead-contaminated dust, which is swallowed when eating the food.

## Interior Set-UpStep 2: Remove and Cover Belongings

**Interior Set-Up****Step 2: Remove and Cover Belongings**

**Remove belongings**
**Cover furniture and objects in protective sheeting**
- Furniture
- Carpet
- Lamps, pictures, and other fixtures

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**Notes:**
Remove belongings
For low-dust jobs, removing small items and covering furniture should adequately protect residents belongings.  For high-dust jobs, see Page 2-11.
Cover furniture and other objects in the room with protective sheeting
Cover all objects that were not removed from the room in protective sheeting. Completely cover all non-movable furniture, carpets, and other personal items with protective sheeting. Secure the protective sheeting to the floor with tape so that no dust can get onto the covered items.  Optimally, everything should be removed.
Protective sheeting such as heavy duty plastic sheeting is commonly used in many remodeling jobs. Protective sheeting can be bought at many hardware stores.
If it is a high-dust job, remove all furniture from the work area.

## Interior Set-UpStep 3: Cover Floors

**Cover floors with protective sheeting**
- At least five feet on all sides of work area
- 2nd smaller layer if using chemical strippers
- Place a tack pad at edge of protective sheeting, lay protective sheeting on frequently used walking paths to outdoors and bathrooms

**5’**

**5’**

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**Notes:**
Cover Floors
Use protective sheeting to cover the floor.  The protective sheeting should extend at least five feet to the left, right and front – and in some cases to the back – of the work area.  It should be tightly secured to baseboard or flooring using duct tape, painters tape, or masking tape. The corner edge of the protective sheeting should be reinforced using duct tape or a staple. 
A second smaller layer of protective sheeting should be used with chemical strippers. This second layer should be taped to the top of the first layer. Place the second layer immediately below the work area. This layer will capture any waste and aid in cleaning up. 
Tools that are used frequently should be left within the work area throughout the job to avoid tracking dust to non-covered areas.  
Consider covering shoes with removable shoe covers, wiping off the tops and soles of shoes with a damp paper towel each time you step off the sheeting, or using a “tack pad” that removes dust from the soles of shoes.   Immediately place used paper towels in a covered garbage bin.  A tack pad can be found at most hardware stores or bought through a supply catalog; it is a sticky pad that you walk on to remove dust from the soles of your shoes. The tack pad can be taped to an outer corner of the sheeting.

## Interior Set-UpStep 4: Close Windows, Doors, HVAC

**Close all windows and doors**
**Close and seal HVAC vents**

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**Notes:**
Close and cover windows and doors
Close windows (if no work is being done on the window) and doors, including closet and cabinet doors in the work area.
For higher dust jobs, seal windows with protective sheeting to prevent dust from getting into the trough or on sill. 
Cut plastic sheeting layer slightly larger than the window that you are covering.
Attach the plastic sheeting with tape over the window to completely seal it.
Make sure that the tape or the sheeting does not cover part of the area that you are working on.  

Close and seal HVAC vents
Heating ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems distribute air throughout the building and thus can allow dust to move to other rooms.  Close the HVAC supply and return vents in the work area and then cover them tightly with plastic sheeting to prevent air from blowing the dust out of the contained work area and to prevent dust from getting into the HVAC system.

## Special Considerations forInterior High Dust Jobs

**Remove furniture, fixtures and belongings from work area**
**Cover door openings with a 2 layers of protective sheeting**** ****to form an “airlock”**
**Close and cover HVAC vents**

- 6/11/03

**Notes:**
Remove rugs, draperies, and furniture from the work area when completing a high dust  job
Before starting work, request that the homeowner remove furniture and fixtures from the room.  This will prevent lead-contaminated dust from getting into these items.  
Cover door openings with a 2 layers of protective sheeting
Covering the door with this two-layer system will contain the dust within the work area.  Follow the steps below:
1)	Cut first plastic sheeting layer slightly wider and longer (three inches) than door frame. 
2)	Make small “s” fold at the top of sheeting and tape to top of door frame.  Make a similar “s” fold at the bottom of the sheeting and tape to flooring.  This will ensure that the plastic is not taut.  Staple top corners for reinforcement.  
3)	For exiting and entering the room, cut a long vertical slit in middle of protective sheeting; leave six inches at top and bottom uncut.  Reinforce the top and bottom of the slit with tape to prevent the plastic from tearing. 
4)	Tape a second layer of protective sheeting to top of door frame. This layer is cut slightly shorter than door frame so that it will hang down flat against the first sheet of plastic.  
5)	Tape and staple top corners of second layer to door frame and first layer. Leave hanging over first layer. 
See Page 46 in the Lead Paint Safety Field Guide for more information on how to put the two layer system in place.
 Close and seal HVAC vents in the room
If possible, turn off the HVAC system for work area. The vents should then be closed and covered with cardboard and protective plastic sheeting. After the work is complete the vent covers should be removed and washed. All filters for the HVAC system should be changed after any work that disturbs lead-based paint.

## Special Considerations For Interior High Dust Jobs 

**For work on removable objects that create lots of dust**
**Select a room that can be easily closed off**
- Follow Steps 1 through 4 for interior set-up
- Follow the procedures for high dust jobs

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**Notes:**
Consider setting up a work room (“dust room”) for high dust-generating work on
components that can be moved out of their original room and into the dust room.
A dust room prevents the spread of lead-contaminated paint and dust to non-work areas and also makes clean-up easier.
Use this technique for high dust activities, for example, planing and scraping doors or window sashes where you are maintaining the original windows.  
Set up a dust room if work is being done on components in a room that residents must have access to, such as the kitchen.  Rather than keeping the resident out of the kitchen, remove the components to the separate dust room and complete surface preparation there.  After preparation is complete, the components can be returned to the kitchen.
You may also consider taking components off-site to work on them.
Select a room that can be easily closed off from the rest of the home to use as a 
dust room.
A dust room can be any room that can be closed off.  Residents should not have to enter this space for the duration of the job.  For example, a spare bedroom or other unused room that residents do not need to access during the time that the work is being performed.  It should not be carpeted.
The dust room should be close to the work area, if possible.
Follow the four set-up steps for all work with minor modifications or additions:  1) limit access, 2) remove furnishings, 3) cover the floor, 4) seal windows, doors, and HVAC vents.
Workers should wear protective clothing, NIOSH approved respirators (e.g., N-100), and safety goggles.
Plan your work so that necessary supplies and equipment are in the room to minimize the number of trips outside the room while work is being performed.
See Page 14 in the Lead Paint Safety Field Guide for more information.

## Current Exterior Set-Up Practices Spread Lead-Contaminated Dust

**Ground uncovered**
**Reusable drop cloth**
**Paint chips**
**No barriers**
**Windows and doors open**
***Do not use these practices when lead is present!***

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**Notes:**
Current practices for exterior set-up
Leaving the ground uncovered allows lead contaminated dust to get into the dirt, washed into storm drains, and into nearby play areas. 
Covering with reusable drop cloth.  Similar to the problems associated with using a reusable drop cloth for interior jobs, a reusable drop cloth for exterior jobs can carry dust from one job site to other job sites. Some of the dust captured by a drop cloth falls to the floor when folding it to carry away.  However, some of the dust stays with the drop cloth to the next work site, thus potentially spreading lead-contaminated dust to a new work site.
Small paint chips and piles of dirt are often overlooked. This poses a considerable hazard to small children.
Residents and passers-by usually have unlimited access to area.  Similar to interior work, residents and passers-by may come into contact with lead-contaminated dust and breathe or swallow it.  
Windows and doors are left open and may allow lead contaminated dust to enter the house.

## Overview of Exterior Set-up Steps

**Step 1: Establish work area**
**Step 2: Close windows and doors**
**Special considerations for high dust jobs**

- 6/11/03

**Notes:**
Two steps for exterior set-up to contain lead dust

Details for these steps are on the following two pages. These two steps will help contain lead dust to the work area for exterior jobs. These steps may be modified for high dust jobs.
See page 22 in the Lead Paint Safety Field Guide for more information.

## Exterior Set-UpStep 1: Establish Work Area

**Cover the ground with protective sheeting**
- If space permits, extend at least 10 feet from work area
- Cover nearby vegetable gardens and children's play areas
**Limit work area access**
- Establish a 20 foot perimeter around work area if space permits

**20’**

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**Notes:**
Cover the ground with protective sheeting
If space permits, lay protective sheeting on the ground below the work area to at least 10 feet from the house. This creates a visible work area and helps remind residents and passers-by that they should not enter the work area unless they have a compelling need.  Note:  Plastic sheeting can kill plants.
Cover grass, shrubs, and gardens with a disposable mesh material such as landscape fabric or burlap. Landscape fabric is an inexpensive plastic mesh that is often used by landscapers. It can be found in many plant nurseries or hardware stores. This covering will protect the soil and plants from lead contamination. Remember children often play in the dirt and may put their hands in their mouth while playing.  Any dirt on their hands will go into their mouths and may be swallowed.
Remove toys and other items from work area and cover all play areas including sandboxes.
Staple or tape the protective sheeting to the wall of the building, or use a 2x4 wrapped in protective sheeting to hold the material next to the wall. Use heavy objects (e.g., rocks) to weight the other edges of the protective sheeting to the ground so that it won’t blow in the wind.
When using ladders on plastic sheeting consider placing a sturdy piece of plywood on the plastic and then setting the ladder on the plywood.  This will prevent the ladder from puncturing the plastic and also will provide a stable surface for the ladder.

Limit work area access
Limit access to work area by placing orange cones, saw horses, or tape around a 20 foot perimeter of the work area. This will help to discourage residents and passersby from entering the work area. 

## Exterior Set-Up Step 2: Close Windows &Doors

**Close nearby doors and windows within 20 feet of the work area**

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**Notes:**
Close and cover windows and doors  
All windows and doors within 20 feet of the work area should be closed to prevent dust from entering the home. Consider requesting that the neighbors also close their windows and doors.

## Special Considerations ForExterior High Dust Jobs

**For high dust jobs:**
- Cover doors and windows with protective sheeting
- Use the two-layer protective sheeting system to cover the door
- For multi-story jobs, attach protective sheeting to scaffolding to cover house entrance

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**Notes:**
Cover windows and doors with protective sheeting
For high dust jobs, close, lock, and seal windows and doors with protective sheeting. Follow the procedures for sealing doors and windows that were described earlier for interior high dust jobs. 
Entrances that must be used while work is underway should be protected with a covering when performing high dust jobs.  Either place the 2-layer protective sheeting flap system over the entrance or cover the entrance with protective sheeting that is attached to scaffolding.  
If working with water, consider using landscaping mesh on the ground as described on the previous page.
Be aware of wind conditions.  On high wind days, it is not advisable to perform dust creating activities.

## Exercise: Setting Up

**Work in groups of 2 or 3**
**Choose the right tools and materials**
**Set up the work area designated by the trainer**
**You have 15 minutes**

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**Notes:**
Setting Up

This exercise gives you a chance to practice setting up.  The slide provides basic instruction.

Make groups of 2 or 3.

Your trainer will assign you an area to set up for a job.

Choose the right tools. Set up the work area to provide proper containment.

## Debrief: Setting up

**How did it go?**
**What were some of the hard parts?**
**What would you do differently for a larger job?**
**A high dust job?**

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**Notes:**
Setting Up – A debrief

Consider the questions above.  Discuss as a large group.

Your trainer will demonstrate some techniques.

## Now You Know

**How to set up for a job**
- Interior containment
- Exterior containment
- High and low dust jobs

- 6/11/03

**Notes:**
Now you know how to set up for a job.  In the next module, we will discuss lead safe work practices during the job.