Contaminated Land
JMB Environmental
Hazardous Materials Surveys and Contaminated Land Assessment Sydney
JMB Environmental Consulting Pty Limited are specialists in Hazardous Materials and Contaminated Land. We have fully qualified staff and a full laboratory to support all testing.
Asbestos is not the only hazard that can be found in our daily lives today.
lead paint management
Lead Based Paints
Lead-based paint is paint containing lead that was used as pigment. The heavy metal was added to paint to speed drying, increase durability and for moisture resistance.
Like all paint systems, leaded paint will chip, flake and peel over time, leading to contamination of indoor dust and exterior surrounding soils. Lead does not biodegrade, and so lead dust is a long-term exposure problem.
Lead is especially damaging to young children who are still developing, pregnant women to unborn and newborn babies via their pregnant or breastfeeding mothers.
Lead affects the hematopoietic, neurologic, gastrointestinal, and reproductive systems, but predominantly the nervous system. High levels of exposure can result in miscarriage in women, and may affect fertility in men.
Lead paint has been used extensively throughout residential and commercial buildings in Australia, and it was only in 1997 that the allowable level of lead in residential and commercial paint in Australia went down to 0.1% which is still higher than the US 1978 standard of less than 0.06% lead.
AS/NZS4361.2-2017 Guide to lead paint management Residential and commercial buildings defines lead paint as paint film or component coat of a paint system in which the lead content (calculated as lead metal) is in excess of 0.1% by weight of the dry film as determined by laboratory testing, thus bringing it in-line with the legislation for paint manufacture. Additionally, the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017 Section 7.2 (h) states that ‘Lead machine sanding or buffing surfaces coated with paint containing more than 1% by dry weight of lead’ constitutes a lead process.
However, research has previously shown that machine sanding or buffing surfaces coated with paint containing more 0.25% by dry weight of lead metal can lead to soil and dust concentrations which exceed the clearance levels given in AS/NZS4361 Guide to Lead Paint Management.
The standard also goes on to say at levels as low as 0.25%, the dust generated by dry sanding and abrasive blast cleaning can have sufficient lead content to produce levels exceeding exposure limits. It is generally accepted within the industry that paints exceeding 0.25% require precautions when working on them.
Finally lead is classified as a reproductive toxicant and as such the GHS and Safework Australia HCIS consider any mixture (or alloy) with a reproductive toxicant combined component (such as lead) of greater than or equal to 0.3% to present a reproductive risk and be labelled and controlled under GHS classifications. Furthermore, the Safework Australia HCIS specifically recommends no abrasive blasting be undertaken on any lead products (mixtures and alloys) over 0.1% due to the risk of exceeding exposure standards. As such further restrictions should be considered for these products to limit abrasive treatment and hot works that create excessive contaminated fumes, dust and particulate.
JMBEC acknowledge that outside of occupational exposure, legislated and recommended limits, it is widely accepted that there is no level of lead exposure that can be considered completely risk free particularly to susceptible individuals such as children, pregnant women and breast feeding mothers. We also recognise that other mixture components could also be reproductive toxins.
As such the following applies to the classification of the paints found on site:
- Concentrated Lead paint (> 1.0% w/w Pb)
- Formally First Schedule Paint (≥ 0.25% w/w Pb)
- Considered a negligible risk as a lead mixture (<0.1% w/w Pb)
LEAD AIR MONITORING SURVEY
If lead paint is being removed from an indoor environment, or lead dust is being cleaned up, lead air monitoring can be undertaken to ensure that the lead removal controls are satisfactory, and to eradicate the possibility that it is going to lead into harmful health effects.
LEAD CLEARANCES SURVEY
Following lead abatement, a clearance is required before the work are can be re occupied for normal use. A lead clearance consists to a visual examination and collection of surface lead swab samples by an occupational hygienist or LAA. The samples are then sent to a NATA accredited laboratory.
LEAD DUST SURVEY
Lead swab samples were taken in accordance with Section 5.6: Clearance testing and Appendix C: Standard Practice for Determining of Lead in Surface Dust of AS/NZS4361.2-2017 Guide to lead paint management Residential and commercial buildings.
This guidance document stipulates the following lead dust loadings for clearance purposes:
- 1mg/m2 for interior floors,
- 5mg/m2 for interior window sills, and
- 8mg/m2 for exterior surfaces
Should the area be due for demolition, other avenues of control and remedition can be considered as part of an overall demolition occupational health and safety management plan to reduce the risk to workers without having to achieve the clearance levels above.
LEAD PRODUCT SURVEY
Lead containing products (such as batteries) or Lead containing alloys (such as flashing) will be identified on site visually during the survey.
Products and bulk materials containing lead should be stored and managed as per GHS hazard classification rules and WHS regulations and should be considered and labelled a class 1A reproductive toxin if containing a combined level of lead, and any other class 1 reproductive toxin, to a level greater or equal to 0.3%.
In addition, lead alloys and materials noted to be built into the fabric of the building material, should not be subjected to un controlled abrasive or hot working methods that will give off particulate and fumes. Works of this type on these material should be considered a lead process and be controlled accordingly. In particular no abrasive blasting should be undertaken on any lead mixture with a concentration of lead greater or equal to 0.1% as per Safework Australia HCIS guidelines.
Services
Services that we offer
We use science and technology to assess contaminated land and hazardous materials, with soil, water, and air samples analysed in accredited labs. This ensures contamination is accurately identified and managed in line with regulatory standards. From asbestos and chemical residues to heavy metals and hydrocarbons, our work helps protect people, property, and the wider environment.
Survey Management
Hazardous Materials Surveys
Similar to asbestos, The purpose of a hazardous materials survey is to gather accurate and sufficient information to create a register that is fit for purpose for a building (could be site or asset) at any given point during a buildings lifespan. Once again these are:
Hazardous Materials Management Surveys (non-Destructive or non- Intrusive)
More Services
Contaminated Land
Sydney’s beautiful city has a contaminated land issue derived from a legacy of mining, heavy industry and shipping.
With remediation, construction and infrastructure booming, encountering sites with land that is contaminated with such things as of which are dioxins, heavy metals and organochlorine pesticides (e.g. DDT).
JMB Environmental Consulting Pty Ltd can work with you to develop appropriate and site-specific scopes of work for the following services:
Soil Sampling
- Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments
- Phase 2 Environmental Site Assessments
- Waste Classifications
- ENM/VENM Assessments
- Remedial Action Plans (RAPs)
- Site Validation
- Long Term Environmental Management Plans
- Asbestos in Soil Management and Investigations
