Part 5 of 5 in our National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week series, October 25 to 31, 2026

A contractor is at your door with a quote for new windows and trim. The price works. Your preschooler is napping in the next room. You’re about to agree without asking the question that matters most in an older home: how will they keep the dust contained?

What the RRP rule requires in older homes

If someone is paid to disturb paint in a home, childcare center or preschool built before 1978, federal rules require:

a certified firm
a certified renovator on the job
lead-safe work practices throughout

The rules exist because cutting, sanding and scraping old paint releases lead dust, and children are usually exposed through dust they can’t see rather than chips they can. Good containment stops it spreading. Cleaning up afterwards can’t fully undo it.

Small jobs and big jobs

Very small repairs, such as touching up a few square feet of paint, can fall outside the rules. Window replacement and demolition never do, however quickly the crew expects to finish. If the scope includes windows, doors, large areas of scraping or opening up walls, lead-safe practice applies.

If a contractor brushes off containment because “it won’t be much,” treat that as a warning sign.

Four questions to ask a lead-safe certified contractor

Who is the certified firm, and who is the certified renovator on this job?
How will you keep dust inside the work area and out of bedrooms, hallways and the heating and cooling system?
Will you assume there’s lead paint on these surfaces, or test them first?
How will you handle the plastic sheeting, debris and final cleanup before children go back into the room?

Write the answers on the quote. If they’re vague, the quote isn’t finished.

Assume or test

Certified renovators have two responsible options. They can assume lead paint is present and work to lead-safe standards throughout, or they can test each component first. EPA-recognized kits such as LeadCheck let them confirm, surface by surface, that regulated lead paint is not present on wood, ferrous metal, drywall or plaster before they cut or scrape.

Either approach is fine. No approach isn’t. Ask which one they’ll take, and if they plan to test, which kit they use.

What good lead-safe work practices sound like

Certification details for both the firm and the renovator
Containment that matches the size of the job
A clear decision to assume lead paint or test for it
A proper cleanup plan, not just a shop vac

If the work is in a rental or a childcare setting, the rules and the risks are the same, and so is the need to ask.

Ask before the plastic goes up

The quote can wait ten minutes. Ask who’s certified, how the dust will be contained, and whether they’ll assume lead paint or test first. Then decide.

Contractors and certified renovators can find out how LeadCheck supports lead-safe work under the RRP rule at leadcheck.com or luxfermagtech.com, or call 800-503-4483.

This is the final part of our NLPPW 2026 series. Catch up on all five: Part 1, Built Before 1978? Lead Paint Could Still Be in Your Walls; Part 2, “We Got Tested” Is Not a Complete Sentence; Part 3, Your Toddler Looks Fine. Ask About a Blood Lead Test Anyway.; Part 4, Stop With the Sander in Your Hand.

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Part 4 of 5 in our National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week series, October 25 to 31, 2026

Drop cloths are down, the sander is plugged in, and the old trim in the kids’ room is already half scuffed. You only meant to knock the gloss off before dinner. In an older home, you’re one pull of the trigger away from sanding lead paint and spreading its dust across the floor your children play on.

Pause for five minutes. It’s the most useful part of the job.

DIY is outside the rules, not outside the risk

Contractors paid to disturb paint in pre-1978 homes must be certified and follow lead-safe work practices. Homeowners working on their own homes generally are not covered by those rules. They do apply if you rent out part of your home, run a childcare setting there, or renovate homes to sell for profit.

Either way, sanding and scraping old paint creates fine lead dust. It settles on floors and sills, and young children pick it up on their hands. The paperwork doesn’t change the physics.

Before you start

List the surfaces you’ll sand, scrape or cut: trim, windowsills, doors, a section of wall.
If the home was built before 1978, test each of those surfaces.
Plan for dust: seal off the area, use wet sanding and scraping where you can, and clean up with a HEPA vacuum and damp cloths rather than a broom.
Keep children and pets out of the room until the cleanup is finished.
If the job is large or a test comes back positive, consider hiring a certified renovator.

How to test for lead paint with LeadCheck

LeadCheck swabs are made for exactly this moment. There’s nothing to send to a lab, and you’ll have a result in minutes.

Use a knife to make a small angled cut through the paint, so the older layers underneath are exposed.
Crush the swab at the two marked points and shake it.
Squeeze until the yellow liquid appears on the tip.
Rub the tip on the cut area for 30 seconds.
If the tip or the surface turns red or pink, lead is indicated.

Test every surface you plan to disturb. A result on the door frame tells you nothing about the windowsill.

What a LeadCheck swab can and can’t tell you

It screens the paint on one surface you choose: wood, ferrous metal, drywall or plaster.
A negative result is the reliable one. EPA recognition means the kit rarely misses regulated lead paint that is there.
A positive result means treat that surface as lead paint, or have a certified professional confirm it.
It is not a blood test, a dust test or a clearance for the whole home.

Positive or negative, what next

Positive: don’t dry sand or scrape that surface. Use lead-safe methods throughout, or bring in a certified renovator.
Negative: regulated lead paint isn’t present on that surface, so you can go ahead with sensible dust control.
If the job has grown beyond a weekend, or you’re worried about dust elsewhere in the home, call a certified professional.

And if you’re worried that a child has already been exposed, that’s a question for your pediatrician and a blood test, not a swab.

Put the sander down for five minutes

The job will still be there once you’ve checked. Dust, once it’s made, is much harder to deal with. Test first, plan for the dust, then decide whether this is still a weekend project.

Get LeadCheck swabs from an approved distributor. For step-by-step instructions, visit leadcheck.com or luxfermagtech.com, or call 800-503-4483.

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Part 3 of 5 in our National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week series, October 25 to 31, 2026

The pediatrician’s waiting room, a few weeks after your child’s second birthday. They’re climbing the chairs, covering the exam-table paper in stickers, and very obviously fine. You’re wondering whether to ask about a lead test or wait until something seems wrong.

Ask now. Most children with raised lead levels have no obvious symptoms, and a blood test is the only way to know.

Why you can’t rely on symptoms

Lead poisoning in children usually develops quietly. When symptoms do appear, such as tiredness, irritability, stomach pain or loss of appetite, they are easy to mistake for everyday toddler illnesses. By then, exposure may have been going on for some time, which is why testing is based on age and risk rather than on how a child seems.

Why the toddler years matter

There is no safe level of lead in a child’s blood. Even low levels are linked to lower IQ, attention problems and poorer school performance.

Blood lead levels often rise through the first year of life and tend to peak between 18 and 24 months, just as children are crawling, climbing and putting everything in their mouths. Dust from old paint has plenty of chances to reach them.

When should a child have a blood lead test?

If your child is enrolled in Medicaid, blood lead tests are required at 12 and 24 months, and at any point between ages 2 and 6 if they haven’t been tested before.

If your child isn’t on Medicaid, the same ages are a good prompt to raise it. Your clinician can advise based on your child’s age, your home and any other risk factors.

What to ask at the appointment

Can we check my child’s blood lead level today, or book it in?
They’ve never been tested. Can we catch up?
If the result is high, what happens next, and who will contact us?

Many practices start with a finger-prick test. If that result is raised, a second sample from a vein is usually taken to confirm it. Knowing that in advance makes the follow-up far less alarming.

What the result means

CDC uses a blood lead reference value of 3.5 micrograms per deciliter to identify children with higher levels than most. It is a comparison point, not a safe limit. Your clinician will explain your child’s result and any next steps.

Where home testing fits

A child’s blood test and a home paint test answer different questions, and one never replaces the other. Once the health question is with your pediatrician, it’s worth thinking about the house too, especially if it was built before 1978 or you have work planned. That’s tomorrow’s topic.

Ask your pediatrician about a blood lead test at your child’s next visit. For information on testing painted surfaces at home, visit leadcheck.com or luxfermagtech.com, or call 800-503-4483.

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Part 2 of 5 in our National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week series, October 25 to 31, 2026

A neighbor posts in the group chat: “We’re good. We got tested.” Heart emojis follow. Nobody asks the obvious question: tested what? The paint, the dust, or the child?

It matters, because each test answers a different question, and mixing them up is how families end up feeling safer than they are.

Three tests, three different answers

A paint test tells you whether there is lead paint on a specific surface, like a window frame or a length of trim.
A dust test tells you whether lead dust is present on floors and windowsills, usually after work or where paint is wearing.
A blood lead test tells you how much lead is in a child’s body. Only a clinician can order it and explain the result.

None of these stands in for the others. A clear paint result on one door says nothing about a child’s blood. A normal blood result doesn’t mean the house is lead-safe. A clean dust sample today doesn’t cover the trim you plan to sand next weekend.

What “EPA-recognized” actually means

LeadCheck is one of three lead test kits recognized by the EPA, and the wording matters. Recognized is not the same as approved, and it isn’t a seal that says a home is safe.

Recognition is about negative results. On wood, ferrous metal, drywall and plaster, a negative LeadCheck result reliably shows that regulated lead paint is not present. In other words, the kit rarely misses lead paint that is there. Positive results are held to a looser standard, so a positive means treat the surface as lead paint, or have it confirmed by a certified professional.

EPA’s recognition applies to certified renovators using the kit under the Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) rule. For homeowners it is still a useful screen for a single surface, as long as you know what the result does and doesn’t cover.

What a LeadCheck swab can and can’t tell you

It screens the paint on one surface you choose: wood, ferrous metal, drywall or plaster.
A negative result is the reliable one. EPA recognition means the kit rarely misses regulated lead paint that is there.
A positive result means treat that surface as lead paint, or have a certified professional confirm it.
It is not a blood test, a dust test or a clearance for the whole home.

How to read a lead paint test kit result

Positive: treat that surface as lead paint. Don’t sand or scrape it casually. Plan for dust control or bring in a professional.
Negative: regulated lead paint isn’t present on that surface. It doesn’t clear the room, the dust or any other surface.
Unclear, or tested on the wrong type of surface: don’t guess. Test again following the instructions, or ask a professional.

How to reply to the group chat

Three short questions will tell you what a result really covers:

Paint, dust or blood?
Which surfaces or rooms?
A home test kit, or a full assessment by a certified professional?

Once you know what was sampled, you know what the result answers and what it leaves open. Celebrate the right result, and don’t borrow a neighbor’s reassurance for your own house.

Find out what a LeadCheck swab can tell you, and when you need a professional or a clinician, at leadcheck.com or luxfermagtech.com, or call 800-503-4483.

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Part 1 of 5 in our National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week series, October 25 to 31, 2026

You’re at the kitchen table with a listing printout, looking up the year your home was built. On the floor, a toddler is driving a toy truck into the baseboard. The walls look fine, and you’re about to decide whether that’s enough.

Often, it isn’t.

This week is National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, and this year’s theme is Keep Kids Safe from Lead. EPA, CDC and HUD are asking families to do three things: get the facts, get your child tested, and get your home tested. This post starts with the house, and the one detail that shapes everything else: when it was built.

When was lead paint banned, and why it still matters

Lead paint was banned for residential use in 1978. The ban stopped new lead paint going onto walls. It did nothing about the layers already there.

EPA estimates that about three-quarters of U.S. homes built before 1978 still contain some lead-based paint.
About 3.3 million American households with children under six have lead hazards from deteriorated paint, dust or soil.

If your home dates from before 1978, treat old paint as a real possibility, even under fresh coats and even when every wall looks perfect. Renters can ask the same question. The age of the building is just as useful to you as it is to an owner.

How lead gets from walls to children

There is no safe level of lead in a child’s blood. Most exposure doesn’t come from paint chips you can see. It comes from fine dust, created when old paint wears down or when someone sands, scrapes or cuts into it.

Toddlers crawl, touch everything and put their hands in their mouths. Dust on a floor or windowsill ends up on their fingers, and then inside them. A new coat of paint doesn’t remove the risk underneath. It hides it until the next project disturbs it.

That’s why the build year matters most before work starts, not after the dust has settled.

What “get your home tested” can mean

Home testing covers a few different steps, and the right one depends on the question you have:

Ask what’s already known. Sellers and landlords of pre-1978 housing must disclose any lead paint they know about, so ask for past reports.
Screen a surface before you disturb it. If you’re about to sand trim or replace a window, a paint test on that component tells you what you’re working with.
Call a certified professional for the full picture. A lead inspection or risk assessment looks at paint, dust and soil across the whole property.

LeadCheck is made for the second step. Swab the surface you plan to work on and you’ll have an answer in minutes, before any dust is made.

What a LeadCheck swab can and can’t tell you

It screens the paint on one surface you choose: wood, ferrous metal, drywall or plaster.
A negative result is the reliable one. EPA recognition means the kit rarely misses regulated lead paint that is there.
A positive result means treat that surface as lead paint, or have a certified professional confirm it.
It is not a blood test, a dust test or a clearance for the whole home.

Start with the year

The toddler is still on the floor, and the build year is either before 1978 or it isn’t. If it is, decide what testing means for your home before the next scrape or remodel. Take any concerns about your child’s health to your pediatrician, and bring in a certified professional when the question is bigger than one surface.

Find out how to test paint before you disturb it at leadcheck.com or luxfermagtech.com, or call 800-503-4483.

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From the paint on your walls to the sauce on your pasta, lead contamination is far more widespread than most people realise. We break down the hidden risks — and what you can do about them today.

Most people associate lead poisoning with old houses and peeling paint. And while lead-based paint is one of the biggest culprits — particularly in homes built before 1978 — the reality is that lead has been woven into everyday life for well over a century. It was added to paint, plumbing, petrol, solder, ceramics, and even food packaging. The result? A legacy of contamination that still affects homes, buildings, and consumer products today.

A recent study from the FDA has added another layer to this story — detecting elevated levels of lead in foods as common as tomato sauce and baking powder. It’s a reminder that lead doesn’t just live on walls. It’s in our environment, our supply chains, and sometimes our food. And the first step to protecting yourself and your family is knowing where to look.

Lead in Everyday Products: More Common Than You Think

The FDA’s Total Diet Study (TDS) has been tracking contaminants in the American food supply since 1961. In results released earlier this year covering 2021 and 2022, researchers found some striking data points that deserve attention.

Tomato pasta sauce — a staple in millions of family kitchens — recorded lead levels of 223 parts per billion (ppb) in one national composite sample, the highest lead reading across the entire five-year study period. Baking powder, an ingredient quietly present in hundreds of everyday recipes, showed consistently elevated readings of lead, mercury, and arsenic across three consecutive years of sampling.

These aren’t niche or obscure products. They’re in almost every pantry. And because the TDS uses composite samples pooled from multiple brands to reach 50% market share, a single heavily contaminated product could be pulling the average up significantly — meaning individual products may be even higher.

This isn’t cause for panic, but it is cause for awareness. Lead accumulates in the body over time. There is no safe level of lead exposure — especially for children, pregnant women, and developing foetuses. When exposure comes from multiple directions simultaneously (food, water, paint, dust), the cumulative effect is what matters.

The Bigger Picture: Why Lead Is Still a Problem in 2026

Lead-based paint was banned for residential use in the United States in 1978. That ban came after decades of overwhelming evidence linking lead to serious neurological harm — particularly in young children, for whom even low-level exposure can cause irreversible developmental delays, reduced IQ, and behavioural problems.

But here’s the thing: the ban didn’t remove lead from existing structures. It simply stopped new lead paint from being applied. According to the US Census Bureau, approximately 38 million homes in the country still contain lead-based paint. Many of those homes look fine on the surface — painted over, renovated, well-maintained. The lead is there, underneath, waiting to be disturbed.

Renovation work is particularly high-risk. Sanding, drilling, cutting, or scraping painted surfaces in pre-1978 homes generates lead dust — invisible, odourless, and incredibly dangerous. Contractors, painters, plumbers, and DIY homeowners are all at risk. Lead dust settles on floors, work surfaces, and hands. It gets tracked through the house. Children playing on the floor ingest it. Workers carry it home on their clothes.

Beyond paint, lead can also lurk in older plumbing solder, certain ceramic glazes, vintage jewellery, imported toys, and as the FDA study shows, in food and food ingredients where contamination has entered the supply chain. The range of potential exposure sources is broad — which is exactly why testing matters.

“There is no safe level of lead exposure. The science has been clear on this for decades. The question isn’t whether lead is dangerous — it’s whether the lead in your home has been identified and addressed.”

Who Is Most at Risk?

ILead exposure affects everyone, but certain groups face disproportionately high risk:

Children under 6 — their developing nervous systems are far more sensitive to lead’s toxic effects than adults. Even small amounts can cause lasting cognitive damage.
Pregnant women — lead stored in bones can be released during pregnancy, crossing the placenta and affecting the developing baby.
Tradespeople and contractors — painters, renovation specialists, plumbers, and electricians working in older buildings face regular occupational exposure. EPA regulations under the RRP (Renovation, Repair and Painting) Rule require lead-safe work practices in pre-1978 homes.
Homeowners doing DIY renovations — without professional training or testing, it’s easy to unknowingly disturb lead paint and contaminate your living space.
Residents of older housing stock — particularly in low-income communities where homes are older and maintenance resources are limited.

The Solution Starts with Testing

You can’t see lead. You can’t smell it or taste it. The only way to know whether a painted surface in your home or worksite contains lead is to test it — and that’s where Luxfer LeadCheck™ comes in.

LeadCheck™ Swabs are an EPA-recognised lead detection solution trusted by professionals and homeowners alike. They’re fast, accurate, and require no lab equipment or special training to use. Simply crush and activate the swab, apply it to any surface — painted wood, metal, drywall, ceramics, or more — and watch for the result. A pink or red colour change indicates the presence of lead. It really is that straightforward.

For tradespeople, LeadCheck™ swabs are an essential compliance tool. Before beginning any renovation or repair work in a pre-1978 property, testing for lead is not just best practice — in many situations, it’s a legal requirement. Having reliable, on-site testing capability means you can identify hazards before work begins, protect your team, and give your clients confidence that you’re working safely and professionally.

For homeowners, LeadCheck™ swabs provide peace of mind. Whether you’ve just bought an older property, are planning a renovation, or simply want to know whether the walls your children play against contain lead, these swabs give you an immediate, reliable answer — without expensive lab fees or waiting days for results.

What the FDA Study Tells Us About the Bigger Picture

The FDA’s Total Diet Study findings on tomato sauce and baking powder are a useful illustration of a broader truth: lead contamination is an ongoing, systemic issue, not a problem that was solved in 1978.

The FDA’s own Closer to Zero programme — launched to reduce children’s dietary exposure to toxic contaminants — is evidence that regulators are still wrestling with the scale of the problem. Consumer advocacy groups have been pushing for tighter lead limits in food ingredients for years. As recently as 2020, a coalition of consumer protection organisations petitioned the FDA to update standards that were set decades ago and no longer reflect current scientific understanding of the risks.

That petition has not yet been acted on.

What this means in practical terms: don’t assume that because something is on a supermarket shelf, it contains no harmful contaminants. Don’t assume that because a building looks modern it has no lead paint underneath. And don’t assume that because the ban happened in 1978, the problem was solved.

Awareness, vigilance, and testing are the best tools available — and they’re more accessible than ever.

Take Action: Test Before You Assume

Whether you’re a homeowner doing weekend renovations, a contractor starting a job in an older building, or simply someone who wants to know more about what might be lurking in your walls, LeadCheck™ Swabs make testing easy.

Here’s what you get with Luxfer LeadCheck™:

Instant, on-site results — no lab wait times
EPA-recognised accuracy you can rely on
Works on painted wood, metal, drywall, ceramics, and more
Easy enough for homeowners, trusted by professionals
An affordable alternative to expensive laboratory testing

Lead has been a silent presence in our built environment for generations. The science is clear, the regulatory history is clear, and the risk is clear. The good news is that identifying the risk has never been simpler.

Red means lead. If you see red, you know. And if you know, you can act.

What Recent Research Shows — and How to Reduce Risk at Home

Lead poisoning is often treated as a problem of the past, but recent research shows it remains a real and ongoing threat to children in the United States.

A study published in Hospital Pediatrics examined pediatric lead poisoning cases treated at freestanding children’s hospitals from 2016 through 2023. The findings confirm what many public health experts and pediatricians have long suspected: serious lead exposures are still occurring, and they continue to affect vulnerable populations at higher rates.

What the Research Found

The study reviewed hospitalizations and emergency department visits related to confirmed pediatric lead poisoning. Across dozens of children’s hospitals, researchers identified thousands of encounters tied to elevated blood lead levels, including cases severe enough to require inpatient treatment.

Several trends stood out:

Lead poisoning has not been eliminated. Children are still being hospitalized and treated for high lead exposure.
Disparities remain significant. Higher rates were observed among children from lower-income households, rural communities, and neighborhoods with fewer economic resources.
Environmental exposure plays a major role. Many cases were linked to lead hazards commonly found in older housing.

These findings reinforce an important point: medical testing identifies lead exposure after it has occurred, not before.

Why Lead Exposure Is Especially Dangerous for Children

Lead is a toxic metal that interferes with brain and nervous system development. Young children absorb lead more easily than adults, and even relatively low levels can cause lasting cognitive and behavioral effects.

Common sources of lead exposure include:

Peeling or deteriorating paint in homes built before 1978
Lead-contaminated dust from renovation or repair work
Lead in soil near older structures
Plumbing materials that leach lead into drinking water

Because symptoms are often subtle or absent, families may not realize there is a problem until a blood test shows elevated levels.

Prevention Starts Before Exposure Occurs

Public health screening and treatment are essential, but the most effective protection is identifying lead hazards before children are exposed. That starts with understanding where lead may be present in the environment.

Using LeadCheck™ Swabs for Early Detection

Luxfer LeadCheck™ Swabs provide a fast, simple way to screen surfaces for the presence of lead. They are widely used by homeowners, landlords, child-care providers, and contractors to identify potential lead hazards in living and play areas.

LeadCheck™ Swabs allow users to:

Test painted surfaces and other materials children may contact
Get immediate visual results without sending samples to a lab
Take action earlier to reduce the risk of exposure

While surface testing does not replace medical screening, identifying lead in the environment can help prevent exposure before it leads to elevated blood lead levels.

Why Environmental Lead Testing Still Matters

The recent pediatric hospital data make one thing clear: lead poisoning continues to affect children today, and many cases are preventable. Older housing, deferred maintenance, and renovation activity remain common sources of risk.

Families, property owners, and child-care operators who take a proactive approach to lead awareness can significantly reduce those risks.

Taking Action

If you live in or manage an older property, or if children spend time in your home or facility:

Test suspect surfaces for lead before renovating or repainting
Pay attention to areas where paint is chipping or worn
Use reliable screening tools like Luxfer LeadCheck™ Swabs as part of a broader lead-safety plan

Reducing lead exposure doesn’t start in the hospital. It starts with awareness, prevention, and early detection.

Learn more about LeadCheck™ Swabs and how they can help you identify lead hazards before they become a health emergency.

EPA RRP Rule Enforcement Is Increasing, and Recent Cases Show Why LeadCheck Testing Matters

One of the most common reasons contractors give for not purchasing LeadCheck is the belief that the EPA rarely checks residential job sites. In reality, enforcement of the Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule has been steady, and the penalties have been substantial. Over the past several years, the EPA has issued fines, ordered corrective actions, and halted work when contractors failed to follow required lead-safe procedures. In each of the cases below, these problems could have been avoided by starting the job with a quick LeadCheck test.

LeadCheck swabs are easy to use, take less than a minute, and provide instant EPA-recognized results. There is no additional equipment required and no waiting for lab work. Testing at the start of each job gives contractors a solid record of compliance and reduces the risk of costly enforcement.

The following examples highlight how real EPA enforcement is and why testing matters.

New York contractor penalized for multiple RRP violations

A renovation contractor in New York faced enforcement after inspectors discovered work taking place without certified renovators. Containment was incomplete, dust was spreading into living areas, required lead hazard information was not given to occupants, and recordkeeping was inconsistent.

The contractor ultimately agreed to pay $168,000 in penalties and had to implement additional corrective measures. A simple LeadCheck test at the start of each project could have prevented most of these violations.

Chicago area contractor ordered to pay penalties and perform additional lead abatement

In another significant case, a contractor operating in the Chicago area was cited for widespread failure to comply with the RRP rule. Investigators found uncertified subcontractors, poor use of lead-safe work practices, inadequate dust control, and missing paperwork across several project sites.

The settlement included a $400,000 civil penalty along with up to $2 million in required lead-based paint abatement work in affected communities. This case stands out because many of the issues stemmed from starting work without confirming whether lead-based paint was present. A quick test could have changed the outcome entirely.

National contractor fined for subcontractor lead safety failures

A national home improvement company was also fined after EPA inspectors found that subcontractors were performing RRP work without proper certification. Required lead-safe procedures were not consistently followed, and pre-renovation testing documentation was missing or incomplete.

The company paid $400,000 and was required to establish a company-wide lead safety compliance program. Even large firms face significant consequences when they fail to verify lead conditions before starting work.

Why LeadCheck remains one of the most valuable tools for RRP compliance

These enforcement actions make one thing clear: the EPA is paying close attention to lead safety, and contractors who skip testing are putting themselves at unnecessary risk. LeadCheck provides fast, reliable confirmation of whether lead-based paint is present and gives contractors the documentation they need to show compliance.

A LeadCheck swab costs only a few dollars and delivers results in under a minute. Compared to fines of $168,000, $400,000, or even multi-million-dollar settlements, testing is one of the most cost-effective steps a contractor can take.

In honor of National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (NLPPW), Luxfer LeadCheck™ is proud to offer 10% off all wholesale orders from October 19th through October 25th. This is your chance to stock up on the EPA-recognized lead detection solution trusted by professionals, contractors, and safety-conscious homeowners across the United States.

LeadCheck National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week offer: 10% off all orders

🛡️ Why Choose Luxfer LeadCheck™ Swabs?

✅ Instant, Reliable Results Detect lead-based paint in seconds with a simple color change — pink or red means lead is present.

✅ EPA-Recognized Accuracy Our swabs meet stringent EPA standards, ensuring dependable results for both DIY users and certified professionals.

✅ Easy to Use Just crush, shake, and swab. No lab equipment, no waiting — just fast, actionable answers.

✅ Versatile Application Effective on painted wood, metal, drywall, and more — perfect for home inspections, renovations, and property management.

✅ Cost-Effective Safety Avoid expensive lab tests. LeadCheck™ Swabs are an affordable, accessible way to protect families and communities.

🏠 Lead Safety Starts with Awareness

Lead exposure is a serious health risk — especially for children and pregnant women. During NLPPW, we’re doubling down on our mission to make lead detection simple, fast, and accessible. Whether you’re a contractor working on pre-1978 homes or a parent concerned about your child’s environment, LeadCheck™ gives you the power to act.

📦 Don’t Miss This Limited-Time Offer

From October 19–25, enjoy 10% off all wholesale orders placed through our distributor network. It’s the perfect time to replenish your inventory and reinforce your commitment to lead safety.

👉 Stay tuned — we will share how to claim you discount week starting 19th!

Red Means Lead. Let’s build a safer, lead-free future — one swab at a time.

Update for 2026: National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week 2026 runs October 25 to 31, with the theme Keep Kids Safe from Lead. Follow our five-part series for this year, starting with Part 1: Built Before 1978? Lead Paint Could Still Be in Your Walls.

National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (NLPPW) runs from October 19th to October 25th, spotlighting the ongoing risks of lead exposure and the importance of prevention. Led by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Center for Disease Control (CDC), and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) this annual campaign raises awareness about the dangers of lead, particularly from older buildings and household materials.

Despite decades of progress, lead poisoning remains a serious public health issue in the United States. According to EPA data, up to 41% of U.S. census tracts show elevated risk for lead exposure, especially in states with older housing infrastructure like Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New York. Since the ban on lead-based paint use in 1978, overall exposure to the dangers of lead poisoning has been significantly reduced. However, for individuals living in older homes or spending time in aged buildings, the risk of exposure remains higher than we would like. Children are particularly vulnerable, with even low levels of lead exposure linked to developmental delays, learning difficulties, and behavioural issues.

This year, LeadCheck™ is proud to take part in NLPPW through active engagement on Facebook and LinkedIn. The campaign will share timely updates, educational content, and community-focused messages to help raise awareness and encourage safe practices. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about lead risks and how to detect them whether you’re a homeowner, contractor, or inspector.

And there’s more to come—distributors should keep their eyes peeled for a special promotion during NLPPW. LeadCheck™ will be offering an exclusive discount to support wider access to lead detection tools. Details will be announced via social media and email, so stay tuned!

Why choose LeadCheck™? These swabs are a simple, fast, and reliable solution for detecting lead on wood, metal, and drywall. Just crush, shake, and swab if lead is present, the swab turns bright red. Red Means Lead™. They’re odorless, non-staining, and disposable, making them ideal for quick checks in homes, schools, and workplaces. Whether you’re renovating a pre-1978 property or simply want peace of mind, LeadCheck™ Swabs offer an immediate and accurate way to detect lead hazards.

Join us this NLPPW in spreading awareness, protecting families, and promoting safer environments. Follow LeadCheck™ on Facebook and LinkedIn, share the message, and help make lead poisoning a thing of the past.