Full Risk Reduction Inspection
Vacant Property
This inspection must be done before a new tenant moves into a pre-1978 constructed property. An inspector must visually inspect the property and collect dust samples from each room. This inspection requires a Dust Inspection. Each dust sample must be analyzed by a qualified laboratory, and the results must fall below specified levels. In general, testing for lead contaminated dust is most likely to be successful in a clean, well maintained property. Flaking or chalking lead paint on windows, in particular, may be an important source of lead dust in a unit. A certificate can be issued once the lab results meet regulatory levels.
Modified Risk Reduction Inspection
Occupied Property
This inspection requires both a Visual Inspection and a Dust Inspection on pre-1978 constructed properties and is generally conducted in an occupied unit in response to either: (a) a notice of defective paint or related conditions which may increase the risk of lead exposure; or (b) a notice that a child or pregnant woman in the unit has a lead level of 10 micrograms or higher per deciliter of blood. Prior to the Visual Inspection, the property owner should review the lead hazard reduction requirements of the law. All work performed to meet the lead hazard reduction standards, including cleaning, must be conducted by an MDE accredited contractor or supervisor. After all work has been completed, an accredited Lead Paint Visual Inspector or Lead Paint Risk Assessor may verify that the necessary work has been satisfactorily completed and can then issue the certificate.
Renovation, Repair and Painting Clearance Inspection
Any contractor performed renovation, repair and painting projects that disturbs painted surfaces in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 must be followed by a Clearance Inspection. This rule applies to any modification of any existing structure, or portion thereof built before 1978, that results in the disturbance of 6 square feet or more of interior painted surfaces (the size of a standard poster) and/or 20 square feet or more of exterior painted surface (about the size of a door). Once the MDE accredited contractor completes the performed work a lead inspection is required to perform dust wipe sampling to determine if lead levels meet regulatory levels. The rule also applies to landlords who perform work themselves in rental units.
This inspection includes
- Modification or repair of painted surfaces such as doors, walls, ceilings, surface restoration, surface preparation activity (sanding, scraping) or window repair
- Removal/Destruction of building components, such as walls, ceilings, plumbing, or windows
- Weatherization projects, such as cutting holes in painted surfaces to install blown-in insulation or to gain access to attics or planning thresholds to install weather-stripping
- Renovations that convert a building, or part of a building, into target housing or a child-occupied facility are covered
Quality Control Inspection
This inspection is mostly performed on properties built after 1978. This inspection is used to capture contractor work performance or how the property was physically left by a previous tenant. This inspection includes a fully photographic report of the property’s condition property. The property owner can monitor the property condition without the headache of being there.
Dust Wipe Sampling
This protocol is performed to collect samples of dust from the window sill, window wells and/or floors of the property Even in rooms with no windows, a floor area will still be tested. A visual examination of surfaces is not sufficient to determine whether a lead dust hazard exists. The only way to determine a lead dust hazard is to have a sample analyzed in the laboratory. Dust wipe sampling is designed to provide information about the total amount of lead in a given area. It is important to remember that the results of a dust wipe test will only tell the levels of lead in surface dust at the time of the inspection. Many factors can change the amount of lead dust on a surface at any given time.
