leaded paint

[wheelinround]

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/testing-of-imported-toys-defective-watchdog/2007/08/15/1186857596822.html

All this hype of imported goods Blankets matresses & Toys which have chemicals we have banned the use of many years ago, got me thinking of our tools/machinery which we buy from OS what assurances have we these aren't also being sprayed with leaded paints.

[munruben]

Well we dont really know if they are or not but I don't think its going to be a problem unless we start licking our machinery or putting parts of the machine in our mouth.
The banning of lead paints used in children's toys was because young children have a habit of putting things in their mouth and the lead paint could harm the child.
Painting roofs with lead based paints is also outlawed for the same reason, drinking the rainwater from the roof could cause people to become very sick, but I take your point and guess we just have to hope that manufacturers are responsible and use non toxic materials. There are so many modern materials on the market today, I don't see why anyone would want to use lead based paints. I see no reason for using it.
But you raise a good point.

[wheelinround]

http://www.news.com.au/business/story/0,23636,22253052-462,00.html

Just saw this nothing coming into AU is checked

You don't need to put lead into your mouth to get lead poisoning one rason why panelbeaters had to give up using it to do repairs just touching the stuff gets into your skin and blood stream.
It amazes me though most of these a no small corperations which have had the problem makes me wonder what their quality control management get paid for.

[Sebastiaan56]

Not quite true Wheelin, AQIS have a system that no longer inspects every item that arrives in Aus but they have a hit list of products, countries and suppliers they target for inspection. All based on statistical sampling methods. It would be impossible to sample and test everything for everything. Expect goods from China to be added to the watchlist, worldwide these agencies talk to each other.

Suppliers have the responsibility but suppliers can get duped. From what Ive been able to determine all af the chinese product scares have been due to these companies not meeting basic product standard requirements. That said there appear to be lots of unscrupulous operators in China who think they can take anyone for a ride. Witness the plethora of reports on labour conditions etc. They even shoot the perpetrators but with a population over 1.3 billion there are bound to be a few bad eggs.

Moral is, dont buy chinese

Sebastiaan

[Andy Mac]

I don't think their WH&S and accountability are in anyway comparable to ours. The notion of using a type of paint banned in other countries would be of no concern...except when it rebounds like this. Lead paint may be quite acceptable, and is prolly cheaper to get hold of over there...maybe, and I'm purely speculating here, they have stockpiles of the stuff obtained from, or originally destined for, o/s markets. Use it up, make the quick profits, then comply??
Can it be likened to Australia continuing to use stuff in the domestic market that are banned in other countries already, things like MDF in the US, or types of polyurethane on floors no longer sold in Europe? I believe we continued to use DDT here in agriculture for years after the US stopped. Business profit margins and lobby pressure dictate government pressure in other words.

Cheers,

[Alastair]

Lead in paint is bound, and cannot harm you while it stays intact. The problem comes when kids gnaw on it, and then their digestion frees it in soluble form. Same with water pipes, (go figure).
With panel beating, you are sweating it on with a flame, (fumes) or grinding it off (dust) hence the problem.

So unless you are going to chew your jointer, or burn it, you are probably OK. If you absolutely have to strip the paint off, use a mask!

[rtfarty]

Lead based pigments are probably used because some colours have much better opacity (hiding power) than the newer non toxic pigments.
This became very obvious to me when I was an apprentice decorator in the 60's and all of a sudden some of the new tinters that we used to stain the paint didn't have the same guts as the old ones. This was because the lead based pigments were withdrawn and new dye type pigments were introduced.
Some of you older guys may well remember when you had to apply 2 coats of the finishing colour to get good opacity when previously you could get away with one finish coat.

Still doesn't excuse people breaking the law and using paints that are now deemed to be toxic, especially on kiddies toys.

[durwood]

You can still buy paint in Australia which has lead in it. Its not banned just restricted in use to certain applicatioins. Lead was only banned in paint for toys and where it may be able to find its way onto applications where it may be chewed etc.

For instance most reds, oranges, and yellows on cars are lead based (especially Holdens) lead is one of the best sources of bright clean reds,oranges and yellows and not many better alternatives are available still. All spray painters have to get a yearly medical examination, my employer always has a blood test for lead included.

Unfortunately a lot of people don't read labels often, the lead content of such paints by law is labeled as such, we have one yellow tinter which is 40% lead. Paint and other manufacturers are eliminating lead where they can as its a problem for them with OH&S .

Although hard to get you can still purchase red lead, its is used by boat owners because it offers such good protection from corrosion in salt water.

Panel beaters also still use lead where it is applicable ( the lead sticks are still sold for such use). You will see it being used on most of the hot rod type shows in the USA on TV. It is far superior to plastic filler. Its lost favour in the car repair industry because most vehicles now have such thin flat panels they buckle if you try to apply lead. Weight is a problem so cars are designed to eliminate the need to join the panels with lead filling so its use has reduced but lead is far superior for long term filling of metal panels than plastic filler and most owners of classic cars insist on it being used.

When lead is used it is never grinded only filed and lead wiping must be done in good ventilation and having worked with panel beaters who use it daily havn't known of one who has suffered lead poisoning. Painting lead paints requires using the proper masks and rubbing it wet.

The trouble these days is everyone thinks lead is long gone, its not. I had students who suffered months of ill health along with their tradesmen and the medical athorities overlooked lead as a cause but they were sanding yellow Holden vans with electic sanders (dry) for a company whose fleet had yellow vans. They had to take rest away from the industry for 12 months to allow their levels to drop.

If you dry sand there is equipment meant to be used with it ( vacuum attachments ) follow a sensible aproach to working with paint and you won't have a problem even if your tools come from China with lead paint on them.

[munruben]

I don't think its going to be a problem unless we start licking our machinery or putting parts of the machine in our mouth.
The banning of lead paints used in children's toys was because young children have a habit of putting things in their mouth and the lead paint could harm the child.
Painting roofs with lead based paints is also outlawed .

Lead paints have not been banned but the use of lead paints were, as far as I recall, banned in the use of childrens toys etc and for painting roofs of houses.

In 1969, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) amended the Uniform Paint Standard to reduce the amount of lead in domestic paint to 1% (National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Reducing Lead Exposure in Australia,

One has to ingest lead into the system to become poisoned and this is almost certainly not going to happen by touching paint that is already cured and dry but sucking, licking or placing the object in your mouth could result in lead poisoning.
The situation with spray painters (I was a spray painter for 40 years) is somewhat different when spraying materials you will ingest the materials through breathing and through open pores of the skin. Likewise when sanding lead based paints or materials.

The original post was pertaining to lead based paints being used on machinery and tools and as stated above, chances of becoming poisoned by just touching an object that is painted with a lead based paint that is cured and dry is, to say the least, very unlikely.

[AlexS]

This may be an opportune time to remind those of you who restore old rocking horses that horses made prior to 1969 were almost certainly painted with lead-based paint. If you're sanding them or removing the paint with a heat gun, wear the proper protection and work in a well-ventilated area.