The men in space suits around the Landscape Architecture Building are not from Venus.

The building has been scraped to remove lead-based paint from the exterior of the building so it can be repainted later this semester.

As a precautionary measure, workers have worn protective suits to prevent accidental ingestion of lead particles, said John Anderson, interim director of university relations.

University officials said they took special precautions to make sure all of the paint was removed and safely disposed of. Workers used the standard method of lead abatement as determined by the Occupational Safety and Health Association.

Windows were also sealed to prevent lead from entering the offices, said Roger Bertelsen, assistant director of the intensive English and orientation program. Bertelsen’s office is in the building.

“In an old building like this, this is a pretty common practice,” he said.

Even though the workers are being protected from the possibility of overexposure, studies have shown they will not be exposed for a long enough time to be affected, said John Sluis, assistant director for facilities services.

The precautions are mainly being taken to keep people away from the area where they could accidentally ingest the lead, Anderson said.

“The only problem is if you accidentally ingest lead,” he added.

Sluis said the goal is to finish the work by the end of the month.

The amount of lead that is found will be studied so the university can find a more cost-effective way to remove the paint while maintaining safety standards, officials said.