There was an increased awareness of the environmental issues relating to paint during the late 1960’s when Lead used as a pigment was prohibited from all building paints.
See Health and Safety: Lead based paints.
This directive was instigated by the Greater London Council (GLC) for all paints used on interior trim work. Soon this directive was followed by other major metropolitan authorities.
The exclusion of lead as a pigment and the changes made resulted in decorative building paints becoming easier to apply for both the trade and retail markets.
Lead may be present in properties built before the 1980’s especially where the overall paint thickness of the existing coatings is high.
If Lead is suspected then portable Lead Testing Kits will assist. Alternatively, consultancy companies are available to carry out site surveys.
It is essential that any suspected lead based paint removed is bagged up, sealed and labelled ‘contaminated material’.
Disposal should be in accordance with local authority instructions.
For further information: https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/cis79.pdf