Lead-Safe Wisconsin: Lead Hazard Investigator and Risk Assessor Study Guide
The lead hazard investigator exam includes 75 questions and covers the general topic areas below. The risk assessor exam includes 125 questions and covers the general topic areas below, as well as the lead inspector topics.
Most of the information you need to study for the test will come from the course manuals from your initial lead risk assessor and inspector courses.
In addition, you can use the specific knowledge areas listed under each topic below to help guide you as you study.
Note: The exam also includes questions about applicable Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) lead in construction regulations.
Learn more about the lead certification exams
- Roles and responsibilities of a risk assessor
- Difference between an inspection and a risk assessment
- When a risk assessment is not needed
- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) notification and disclosure requirements
- Purpose and goals of the EPA Title X
- Key elements of the 2012 HUD guidelines
- Importance of state and local regulations related to risk assessment
- Adult health effects from lead
- Child health effects from lead
- Basic building construction and architecture terminology
- Types of liability issues as they relate to risk assessment
- Types of insurance relevant to risk assessment
- General contract terms and requirements
- Field staff requirements for a risk assessment
- Risk assessor’s personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Key elements of the OSHA lead in construction standard
- Basic terms and concepts related to lead risk assessments
- Background information about lead
- Dangers for children living in or using buildings that contain lead
- RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) regulations as they relate to hazardous waste disposal
- Wisconsin Admin. Code ch. DHS 163 certification requirements
- Wisconsin Admin. Code ch. DHS 163 abatement definition
- Wisconsin Admin. Code ch. DHS 163 lead-based paint definition
- Wisconsin Admin Code ch. DHS 163 lead-abatement activities notification requirements
- The state regulation that covers lead training and certification
- Wisconsin Admin. Code ch. DHS 163 interim control activity definition
- The state agency that regulates solid waste storage, transportation, and disposal
- Which certified staff is authorized by Wis. Admin. Code ch. DHS 163 to perform clearance
- Which certified staff is required by Wis. Admin. Code ch. DHS 163 to always be present at the abatement site
- Who owns the certification card
- Which certified staff may conduct lead inspections, write inspection reports, and conduct clearance after a lead hazard reduction activity
- Which certified staff may conduct lead risk assessments, write risk assessment reports, conduct clearance, conduct lead hazard screens, and provide options to reduce specific lead hazards
- Which certified staff may oversee or perform onsite lead abatement and grand-funded lead hazard reduction activities, develop occupant protection plans, and write abatement reports
- Key items to review with an owner before performing a lead evaluation
- Elements of the elevated blood lead level questionnaire
- Characteristics of a child with an elevated blood lead level
- How to outline the current information needed about a property (building age, size, use, occupants, ownership, blueprints)
- Historical information needed about a property (painting, additions, renovations, remodeling, prior sampling or inspection reports, prior controls or abatement)
- Factors in scheduling a risk assessment
- Hobbies that may contribute to lead exposure
- Jobs that may contribute to lead exposure
- How absorption and diet can influence a child’s blood lead level
- How routes of exposure can influence a child’s blood lead level
- Places where lead can be found
- Interior areas that must be examined
- Exterior areas that must be examined
- Conditions under which lead paint is considered a hazard
- Possible sources of lead outside the building
- How to assess paint condition
- Sources of lead in drinking water
- Lead hazard screen definition
- How to determine the number of paint samples to collect from paint that’s in poor condition for a screen
- How to describe the collection of composite dust samples for a screen
- Why composite dust sample standards for a screen are stricter than single-surface samples
- The next steps an owner may take after getting their screen results
- How to select dust sample location(s) for a risk assessment
- Units of measurement of lead in a dust sample
- How to composite dust samples
- How to collect single-surface dust samples
- Equipment needed to perform dust wipe sampling
- How to calculate dust concentration in µg/ft2
- Spiked dust sample definition
- How many field blank dust samples to collect
- How to select soil sampling locations for a risk assessment
- Equipment needed to collect a soil sample
- Units of measurement of lead in a soil sample
- How to describe soil sampling
- How to composite soil samples
- How to collect water samples
- How to select paint sample locations
- How to collect paint chip samples from deteriorated surfaces
- How to collect paint chip samples from intact surfaces
- How to calculate lead in PPM and mg/cm2 for paint chip results
- How to take X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer readings of painted surfaces
- How to use a performance characteristics sheet (PCS)
- Safety issues when using an XRF analyzer
- How to select units for risk assessment
- Worst-case sampling of multi-family housing definition
- Targeted sampling of multi-family housing definition
- Random sampling of multi-family housing definition
- HUD paint condition categories
- HUD paint deterioration categories
- State EPA and HUD guidance levels for lead in dust
- State EPA guidance levels for lead in soil
- State EPA standards for lead in drinking water
- Lab accreditation programs for lead analysis
- Different lab methods for analyzing lead
- How to interpret the results of a single-surface paint chip sample of multi-family housing
- How to interpret the results of a composite paint chip sample of multi-family housing
- How to compare the results of a risk assessment with a building’s planned use
- Interim hazard control actions
- Lead abatement methods
- Paint removal methods
- Conditions when encapsulation is effective
- Hazard control activities prohibited by HUD
- Appropriate hazard controls for different scenarios
- How to determine approximate costs of hazard control options
- Soil control and abatement methods
- How to determine approximate costs of soil control options
- Elements of a hazard control plan
- Elements involved in ongoing lead hazard monitoring
- How to differentiate between a reevaluation and a risk assessment
- How to justify schedules for a reevaluation
- Data collection forms required for a risk assessment
- How to explain categorization of damaged or deteriorated painted surfaces
- How to prepare an inventory of painted surfaces
- Elements of proper field documentation
- Elements of a multi-family housing management plan
- All parts of the HUD standard risk assessment report
- Creating summary tables for all samples