Lead testing labs are a vital part of keeping your workplace safe from this harmful metal. While lead-based paint is much less common than it once was, it's still possible for it to be in the walls of your home or office. Contamination from heavy machinery or exhaust can place lead all around your workplace. In addition, lead contamination in your company’s drinking water can happen at any time.

There are three primary methods of testing for lead. You can hire an inspector to come to your workplace and do a wide battery of tests. You can find labs that test for lead which specialize in environmental lead, such as in the ground or water. Lastly, there are laboratories that focus specifically on clinical samples from workers, typically hair or skin. Consider the following when testing for lead:

1. On site inspectors are the easiest method for lead testing and are often the most error-free.

2. Ground water and soil leaching are common methods for lead contamination. By checking around your business, you can stop a problem before it starts.

3. Clinical samples are the easiest way to check for contamination in animals, whether that be livestock or employees.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Hire an inspector to evaluate your building and perform lead testing

The EPA recommends hiring a professional Certified Inspector or a Certified Risk Inspector when testing for lead content in paint and dust. A Certified Inspector will sample your home or office and forward your sample to a lead test lab for analysis.

I recommend: Search for a Certified Inspector through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. FindAnInspector and the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors also maintain directories of housing inspectors, some of which are Certified Lead Inspectors.

Find lead testing labs that test soil, water and waste

Nearly every state has its own list of preferred lead testing laboratories. If you don't want to look through your state's environmental division, try using a national directory.

I recommend: ASTM organizes laboratories that test for lead by state. The American Industrial Hygiene Association also maintains a directory of lead testing laboratories, but unlike ASTM's list, each lead testing lab has accreditation for handling and testing lead in environmental samples.

Locate lead test labs that focus on clinical samples

When you look for a lead testing laboratory to monitor human health, look for a laboratory that handles blood or hair samples. Researchers and governmental agencies consider hair and blood as the most routine of all human health monitoring samples.

I recommend: LabSafe offers blood testing throughout the United States. For an at-home lead and other trace metals hair test, try Genova Diagnostics.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Call your state's environmental and or health departments for additional listings of laboratories testing for lead to find more resources near you.
• •  As you begin talking to different lead test labs, ask their representatives about what certifications and accreditations they hold for lead work.