Making Your Home Lead Safe
The "Keep it Clean" Campaign: A Unique Opportunity for Paint and Hardware Retailers To Help Prevent Lead Poisoning
What is the Keep It Clean Campaign?
- The Keep It Clean Campaign is a regional effort throughout New England that is dedicated to eliminating lead poisoning in children and adults as the result of home improvement projects. By educating the consumer through customer interaction, we hope that paint and hardware retailers will spread the word on how to work lead-safe.
What is the Keep It Clean Video about?
- The Keep It Clean video explains the basic safety precautions that customers should take when they are doing their own home painting or renovation projects. The video also explains where lead is found in older homes, and what precautions to take so that homeowners and their children do not become lead poisoned from the work done.
What can paint and hardware retailers do to help their customers reduce their risk of exposure?
Explain to customers that they should:
- Choose work methods that create the least amount of dust.
- Play it safe by following the basic safety guidelines explained in this video.
- Keep children and pregnant women out of work area.
- Use the proper equipment to help complete the job safely.
- Always clean up carefully at the end of each work day.
- Never use dangerous paint-removal methods.
- Test for lead dust when the job is finished.
Why have a Keep It Clean Campaign?
The disturbance of lead paint that occurs during home improvement and painting poses a serious threat to the health of adults and children. Many homeowners undertaking painting and home improvement projects are unaware that when they break painted surfaces tiny lead particles can be released – too small even to see. Helping New Englanders understand the simple measures they can take to avoid lead poisoning during home improvement projects is the main focus of our campaign. The educational messages of the campaign focus on easy steps that can make home projects safer: testing for lead, containing the work area, and cleaning up completely.
Campaign Goals
The Campaign relies on partnerships with local hardware and paint stores, like yours, where families already go to receive "how to" information and to purchase materials.
What does Partnership Mean?
Your business’s involvement and contribution to this important cause can start with:
- Distributing the brochure "Insider’s Guide to Lead Safe Painting and Home Improvement" to customers by placing one brochure in each shopping bag at time of purchase and having brochures available at checkout and in the paint department.
- Displaying The Right Stuff poster and Keep It Clean shelf talkers.
- Having staff participate in training to promote lead safe practices.
- Working with local contacts to set up a safety display in the store.
- Including lead safety information in any promotional activity including circulars and advertisements.
- Being available to newspapers and television reporters who may want to cover the campaign.
Benefits to Stores and the Community
- Community involvement will help increase the store’s visibility.
- Sales of lead safe products may increase during and after the campaign.
- Participation gives customers the added value that keeps them coming back to the store.
- Community residents will gain valuable information because of spreading the message of lead safety, so fewer children will be poisoned.
For more information or to participate, call Ruth Lindberg 222-7681 |
