Visual Assessment Training

Training overview

This training will take you about an hour to complete. The Visual Assessment training will help you:

	understand why identifying deteriorated paint during a visual assessment is important
	how to identify deteriorated paint (i.e., chipping, cracking, chalking, damaged, separated from substrate)
	understand how deteriorated paint must be treated

You will build on your skills and experience to allow you to visually assess the properties of deteriorated paint and therefore protect children.

Note: This course will not qualify you to perform clearance sampling or lead-based paint risk assessments

Why is this training important?

Deteriorated paint is a major source of lead in dust. This dust can be ingested by children and other at risk groups and can poison them.

Identifying and eliminating deteriorated paint helps to reduce the risk that lead poses to children.

What does the regulation require?

For certain programs such as tenant-based Section 8 rental assistance, the new HUD Regulation on Lead-Based Paint Hazards in Federally Owned Housing and Housing Receiving Federal Assistance requires:

	Visual assessment of housing units for deteriorated paint
	The stabilization and repair of all deteriorated paint
	The visual assessor must be trained to perform a visual assessment

You will need to identify deteriorated paint in the units you evaluate. All deteriorated paint must be stabilized.

Background of lead-based paint

Before you start to study visual assessment, it is important to know some key facts about lead-based paint. Below is a list of topics covered in this section.

	The history of lead-based paint
	The health impacts of lead-based paint
	Facts about lead poisoning in America

The history of lead-based paint

Lead-based paint was used extensively before 1960 because it was more durable than other paints available at the time. Due to the harm caused by lead in paint, lead-based paint was banned from residential use in 1977.

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