Healthcare tips
Handling, storing and using lead products in the healthcare sector
If you’re planning to fit lead sheets yourself this page will be a useful resource. It is not an exhaustive guide – and if the lead is used for radiation protection, we do recommend that you work with a government appointed radiation protection advisor (RPA) to determine the appropriate thickness of lead sheet for your needs.
You can also get in touch for any more information you need. We’ll be glad to put you in touch with the right people who will be able to advise you.
Handling and storage tips
Lead is not covered by COSHH (control of substances hazardous to health), and handling lead is perfectly safe – but we do recommend you take certain precautions:
Fixing tips for lead-lined walls
Just follow these steps:
- Install lead-lined drywalls vertically – the joints should run from floor to ceiling
- Use plasterboard with a minimum thickness of 12.5mm.
- Ensure the lead overlaps at vertical joints by 50mm.
- Fix the lead-lined walls at 30mm centres along the panel edge
Fixing tips for ceilings and floors
Because it offers greater structural strength than plasterboard, we recommend you use lead bonded to plywood for use on ceilings and floors.
You will also need to consider the panel weight (try to limit it to 25kg for ceilings and 60kg for floors if you can).
Fitting tips on weight
Before you can fit lead-lined boards to any wall or ceiling, you need to calculate the weight of the bonded panels before you fit them.
Use our weight chart to find the weight (in kg) of our lead-lined boards per square metre.
| Lead-lined board weight fitting guide | ||
| Lead thickness | 12.5mm plasterboard | 12mm hardwood plywood |
| Code 3 (1.32mm) | 23kg | 32kg |
| Code 4 (1.80mm) | 29kg | 37.5kg |
| Code 5 (2.24mm) | 34kg | 42.5kg |
| Code 6 (2.65mm) | 39kg | 47.5kg |
| Code 7 (3.15mm) | 44kg | 52.5kg |
| Code 8 (3.55mm) | 49kg | 57kg |
Technical drawings of lead-lined board applications
Our technical drawings will help you to visualise precisely what you need to do. Please do contact us if you need any further assistance; we’ll be glad to give you any recommendations, or to put you in touch with someone who can advise you.
