With an increased awareness of the close relationship between health risks and exposure to lead, a lot of inspectors offer lead testing Orange County. When asked why they offer this service, different inspectors give different answers. Here are some of the top reasons why inspectors test for lead.
They want to protect you from lead poisoning
The first step that should be taken to prevent lead poisoning is removing the contamination source and taking the necessary steps to reduce the ill effects of lead if it cannot be removed completely. Finding and mitigating contamination caused by lead can help people avoid health issues related to lead poisoning. These health issues include slowed growth, learning disabilities, anemia, hearing problems, seizures, coma, and even death. That is why inspectors come in. By determining the location of lead, homeowners can be kept safe.
Regions that have a high percentage of homes with potential lead risk
Buildings that were built before 1978 are likely to have lead dust and lead-based paint. Therefore, complexes, cities and subdivisions that are older than 1978 tend to have more demand and require lead testing. If someone wants to get into the business of testing for lead, they should do it in old places that have old buildings.
So, how do inspectors and environment testing labs determine whether their area is at high risk? This can be seen if your state has a very high percentage of housing with potential contamination of lead in the national housing with a risk of lead.
Keep in mind that the overall housing in your area may not be representative of the entire housing with lead risk in the area you provide inspection services.
How to invest in lead testing
If you want to invest in lead testing and offer testing services, there are a few things you have to go through.
Education
If you want to offer lead testing services, you should get the right certification, no matter your state. If you want to get certified, you should take an approved inspection course and pass your cost. Keep in mind that earning the certification can be very expensive. Certification is the most expensive aspect of being cleared to offer lead testing.
Equipment
While there are a lot of lead testing kits you can choose from, not all these kits are approved. There are only three testing kits that are approved – the state of Massachusetts test kit, D-Lead, and 3M lead check swabs.
Endorsements
Endorsements are forms that modify or add coverage to your insurance. Most home inspection policies exclude additional services such as testing for lead. This means that the insurance company won’t provide coverage for those additional services without the necessary endorsement.
This means that if you perform lead testing Orange County or want indemnity and defense for claims involving testing for lead, you should add coverage to your insurance policy with an endorsement. Insurers charge a flat fee for lead endorsement. Some insurance policies offered by other service providers may give you coverage outright with a sub-limit.