Let NESI Train Your Contractors for EPA Compliance
To become a certified renovator, the individual must successfully complete the 8-hour Renovator initial course or the 4-hour Refresher course conducted by NESI or other EPA or State-accredited RRP training provider. Please see our training dates below throughout the Southeast EPA Region IV and register on line. Or call/email NESI to schedule a training date at your facility.
New Federal Lead Paint Program Concerning Lead Safety During Renovation
As a building owner, manager or contractor, you play an important role in protecting public health by helping to prevent lead exposure. It is time to prepare for a new EPA rule which will go fully into effect on April 22, 2010. The Lead-based paint Renovation Repair and Painting Program (RRP, 40 CFR Part 745) significantly impacts your duties during disturbance of lead-based paint in pre-1978 housing, child care facilities and schools.
Please read the following to see how this new rule will affect you.
Overview of the new rule: Common renovation activities that disturb LBP, like sanding, cutting, and demolition, can create hazardous lead dust and chips that can be harmful to adults and children. Therefore, as of April 22, 2010, renovators must be certified and follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination. This rule will affect the following trades:
Painters & other specialty trades
Renovation and remodeling contractors
Maintenance Workers
Weatherization Contractors
What types of structures are covered by the rule?
Target Housing: Housing constructed prior to 1978, except housing for the elderly or persons with disabilities (unless a child under age 6 years resides or is expected to reside in the house) and 0-bedroom dwellings.
Child-Occupied Facilities: Day care, pre-school, kindergarten classrooms, or other facility in a building constructed prior to 1978 that is visited by the same child under age 6, on at least two different days within any week, provided that each day’s visit lasts at least 3 hours and the combined weekly visits last at least 60 hours.
What types of renovations are affected?
Any work performed for pay, including painting and remodeling, that results in the disturbance of painted surfaces in pre-1978 homes and child-occupied facilities. Examples:
• Removal or modification of painted components such as doors or windows
• Repairing a painted surface or preparing it for repainting by sanding, scraping, burning, or other action that may generate paint dust
• Removal of walls, ceilings, and other structures
• Re-plastering
• Re-plumbing
• Weatherization work that disturbs painted surfaces
• Window replacement
What are the exceptions to the requirements?
Abatement: activities conducted under abatement rules by certified abatement contractors/although these contractors also have to become certified renovators.
Minor repair or maintenance activities: activities that will, within a 30 day period, disturb less than 6SF per room for interior activities; or 20SF for exterior activities. This exemption does NOT apply to window replacement; demolition; or use of banned practices.
No LBP will be disturbed: as determined by: Testing of paint by certified lead inspector/risk assessor; or Proper use of EPA-recognized test kit by certified renovator.
Do-it-yourself: work performed by an owner or owner-occupied residence.
What RRP Courses will NESI offer?
EPA/HUD Model Renovator 8 hour Initial Training Course – This course was developed by the U.S. EPA in conjunction with HUD to train renovation, repair and painting contractors.
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Links to Federal Government Lead-Based Paint Resources:
Lead Hotline – The National Lead Information Center, 1(800) 424-LEAD [5323] or website http://www.epa.gov/lead/nlic.htm. HUD, EPA & CDC jointly created and funded NLIC to provide general lead information, testing, laboratory, contractor, training resources and copies of publications by phone or fax. Multiple copies of lead documents can be purchased at the US Government Printing Office (GPO) at (202) 512-1800.
US Department of Housing & Urban Development Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control (HUD OHHLHC), (202) 755-1785 extension 104 for regulation questions or website http://www.hud.gov/offices/lead.
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), http://www.epa.gov/lead for EPA Lead Regulations 40 CFR 745 and recommended Publications/Resources.
US Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), http://www.osha-slc.gov/SLTC/lead/index.html. These regulations cover Federal worker protection requirements for workers in general industry, construction, remodeling and renovation.
Respirator Website: http://osha.gov/SLTC/etools/respiratory/index.html. 29 CFR 1926.62 Lead in Construction; 29 CFR 1926.59 Hazard Communication; 29 CFR 1910.1025 Lead in General Industry US National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH), (800) 232-4636, or (800) CDC-INFO, http://www.cdc.gov/niosh NIOSH provides lead information and resources for workplace safety and health, including reports on occupational exposures to lead and guidelines on respiratory protection issues.
US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), HOTLINE (800) 638-2772, or http://www.cpsc.gov. This independent agency helps keep American families safe by preventing risk of harm from lead in consumer products, including paint, public playground equipment, crayons, mini-blinds, candies, candles, toys, etc.
HUD User, http://www.huduser.org Policy Development & Research Information (PD&R/HUD User) primary function is to support HUD’s mission but you can also purchase training material from this group. National Safety Council National Lead Information Center, http://www.nsc.org mission is to educate and influence people to prevent accidental injury and death. Go to this site for information on calcium supplements, hair dye, lead in candy, mini-blinds, necklaces, playground equipment, toys, lead in dishes and crystal, etc.
Links to Non-Government Lead-Based Paint Resources:
National Center for Healthy Housing, (410) 992-0712 or website http://www.nchh.org NCHH is a non-profit corporation dedicated to creating healthy & safe housing for children through practical and proven steps. It offers technical information about lead poisoning prevention, real estate, property rehabilitation, finance or insurance issues.
National Conference of State Legislatures, (303) 364-7700 Denver office or (202) 624-5400 or website http://www.ncsi.org is a bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staffs of the nation’s 50 states. NCSL provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on state issues.
National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), (202) 289-7800 or website http://nibs.org is a non-profit organization that brings together industry, labor and consumer interests, and regulatory agencies to focus on the identification and resolution of problems that hamper the construction of safe, affordable structures for housing, commerce and industry in the U.S.
United Parents Against Lead (UPAL), http://www.upal.org/about.htm is an organization of and for parents of lead poisoned children working to end the continuing threat of lead poisoning through education, advocacy, resource referral and legislative action.
Kennedy Krieger Institute, (443) 923-9200, http://www.kennedykrieger.org, is an internationally recognized institution dedicated to improving the lives of children and adolescents with pediatric developmental disabilities through patient care, special education, research, and professional training.
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