Lead Paint/Dust Safety
Federal law requires contractors of all types as well as maintenance/repair personnel that disturb painted surfaces in homes, rental units, child care facilities and schools built before 1978 to be lead-safe certified and follow specific lead-safe work practices to prevent lead contamination. The EPA’s Renovation Repair and Painting Rule formally took effect on April 22, 2010 for any activity that disturbs 6 square feet of interior painted/stained surfaces or 20 square feet of exterior painted/stained surfaces. Contractors are required to give you the latest version of the EPA’s “Renovate Right” brochure. Contractors that do not comply with all of these safety practices can be fined up to $37,500 per violation and possibly serve jail time.
Who is affected by the EPA Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Law?
Remodelers, handymen, window installers, door installers, painters, insulation contractors, electricians, plumbers, siding contractors, appliance installers and any other contractors working in pre-1978 housing where there’s a risk that lead-based paint will be disturbed or lead-based paint dust will be created must receive lead paint training and become a Lead-Safe Certified Firm.
Stay Sharp & Stay Protected:
Please make sure you hire contractors that are doing things right when it comes to lead paint/dust safety. If you think a company you’ve hired, or one of their workers, is not properly containing lead paint/dust or is doing something that is unsafe based on the materials you’ve been given on lead paint safety, you should contact your landlord or call your local health or building department right away. You can also contact the EPA’s hotline at 1-800-424-LEAD or representatives from Region 7 in MO as noted in the section below (What to do if you see a Violation of EPA's Renovation Repair and Painting (RRP) Rules).
How to Find a Local Lead-Safe Certified Firm:
You can call the EPA's National Lead Information Center hotline 1-800-424-LEAD (5323) for names of companies certified. Be sure to ask each company if they can produce their Certified Lead Renovator certificate, as well as their Lead-Safe Certified Firm credentials before you sign a contract to have them work on your pre-1978 project.
Contact Tracy Chiesa (314-817-5631) to learn more.