Every child should have a lead-safe home. That's why HUD is working to create lead-safe affordable housing through outreach and public education, a lead hazard control grant program, worker training, and the enforcement of regulations. This guide is one part of HUD's comprehensive approach to lead safety in the home. If you perform routine maintenance on homes or apartments built before 1978, this guide will help you plan and carry out your work safely. Step-by-step instructions and illustrations explain and show what you need to do to protect yourself and your clients if you are working in older housing that could contain lead paint. This Field Guide is a valuable tool that thousands of workers and contractors across the country are using as part of a national effort to eliminate childhood lead poisoning.