Tape Measures: Contractor Grade — is your measuring tape Lead-free?
For those new to this website:
Tamara Rubin is a multiple-federal-award-winning independent advocate for childhood Lead poisoning prevention and consumer goods safety, and a documentary filmmaker. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children (two of her sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in 2005). Since 2009, Tamara has been using XRF technology (a scientific method used by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission) to test consumer goods for toxicants (specifically heavy metals — including Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, Antimony, and Arsenic). Tamara’s work was featured in Consumer Reports Magazine in February 2023 (March 2023 print edition).
Published: November 19, 2017
ONLY one of these measuring tapes pictured below tested positive for Lead, at 5,621 parts per million (ppm). Can you guess which one? The answer is below the photo!
Below are three links to some potentially (likely) Lead-free measuring tapes. Because manufacturing standards change rapidly with items like this, I cannot guarantee that all of these will be Lead-free, but they are more likely to be Lead-free (than other brands) based on the XRF testing of other examples of various brands that I have tested to date!
NOTE: The amount of Lead considered safe in a new/ modern item intended for children is “below 100 ppm” in the substrate and “below 90 ppm” in the paint or coating. TIP: Tools made for adults should not be given to young children to play with! (I have such a hard time convincing my husband of this! … Even though he knows better!)
For more #SaferChoices for your family, click here.
To make a contribution in support of this independent consumer goods testing and Lead poisoning prevention advocacy work, click here. Thank you!
*Amazon links are affiliate links. If you choose to make a purchase after clicking one of these links, LEAD SAFE MAMA, LLC will receive a small percentage of what you spend, at no extra cost to you! Thank you!
The yellow and black “Fast Measure” tested positive for 5,621 ppm Lead —
all of the other tape measures pictured here are Lead-free!
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