For centuries, lead paint has been a dangerous aspect of painting. It wasn’t until the 20th century that the hazards of lead paint were realized; the U.S. government banned its use or sale in 1978. Unfortunately, many American homes and schools still have lead paint in their walls. And while renovating, repairing, or painting your home can be an exciting time, it can also be a dangerous one – it can turn existing lead paint into dust that children or adults can inhale quite easily. Certified Lead Paint Renovator methods are increasingly effected by lead paint. This is why the Environmental Protection Agency has a new certification policy that requires renovation, repair, and painting RRP workers to take specialized training and use “lead-safe” practices on jobsites. RRP workers agree: it’s a long overdue and important safety measure.
In April 2010, the EPA’s Lead-Safe Certification Program, published in 2008, took effect. The program requires RRP workers, when working with lead paint in schools, child-care centers, or homes built before 1978, to be certified in lead paint removal. The EPA also began a PR campaign to encourage consumers to only go with certified RRP firms. The EPA estimates that more than 200,000 United States renovators will have done work on buildings built before 1978 within one year of the program’s institution.
If lead paint is in technically “good shape,” it won’t usually harm humans; it’s only when removed improperly does it cause problems. Lead paint dust or chips are more likely to be on the areas of your house that get the most use, i.e., doors, stairs, windowsills, and porches. When a RRP worker sands, scrapes, or heats an area with lead paint, it can turn it into particle matter that hangs out in the air.
Another air of lead paint concern that homeowners may not know about is the dirt around your house. The dirt can absorb lead paint particles from the exterior walls, and dust inside the building can contain lead. Children that may have prolonged exposure from lead should be taken to the doctor immediately to get a blood test.
Landlords of buildings built pre-1978 are required by the EPA to talk about possible lead paint present in the home with potential tenants; important information must also appear on the lease agreement. If you’re selling a building built pre-1978, you must also provide all lead paint details to the buyers making a purchase. If a seller or buyer doesn’t know if the building contains lead, they can have a paint inspection and risk assessment done to determine how much lead if any is in the paint and what problems it may cause.
The EPA’s Lead-Safe Certification Program may seem like its purpose is to intrude upon a home or business owner’s privacy, but that’s not what it’s meant for. If a child is exposed to lead paint, he or she can have behavioral problems, learning disabilities, and compromised intelligence; symptoms may not be present until the damage done is irreversible. Not taking a child’s health seriously is a crime, especially when it comes to lead paint – their bodies are still developing, so poisonous lead exposure takes a greater toll on them than it does on adults. Lead poisoning in children is preventable, but it unfortunately still affects over one million kids.
Lead paint is also harmful to pregnant women. If a pregnant woman inhales lead dust, it can be harmful for the baby. In adults, excess lead can lead to nerve damage, hypertension, declined memory or concentration, reproductive issues, or pain in the joints or muscles. About two-thirds of American homes were built before 1978, so the EPA’s new program is extremely important current issue.
RRP workers who use lead-safe work practices aren’t just protecting consumers – they’re also protecting themselves. Protective clothing and facemasks should be employed as well as plastic sheeting to contain a work area. Workers should also take regular blood tests.
While it’s true that the practices demanded by the EPA’s certification program cost RRP companies more than the old, unsafe methods did, it’s important for RRP workers to follow the new rules. Lead-safe projects cost between $8 and $167 more on average. Exterior projects that need vertical containment will cost more. Because of the higher cost of following EPA rules, some home and business owners may take it upon themselves to do these projects; that way, they don’t have to follow the EPA rules exactly, but it would be a bad idea not to. An aspect of the program that should be followed to the letter is to sandblast lead paint only at low power and to seal vents, faucets, and drains when going through the paint removal process; otherwise, the lead dust could filter into your home.
A company needs to apply for certification with a form and a $300 fee. Its workers then receive eight hours of training, two of which are hands-on. The EPA provides accredited instructors to give proper training, and some contractors may serve as trainers in their area. There are hundreds of approved trainers across the U.S., and each one decides their own instructor fees. After being trained, RRP workers will lessen the quantity of lead dust produced on each job, effectively contain their work area, and clean up completely after a job is finished. The RRP workers also prepare the homes before starting work and notify the owners about safety concerns during the process of renovating their home.
Lead paint certification by the EPA for removal is valid for up to five years. If your RRP company isn’t certified yet, you can contact the EPA to get started. E-learning is a popular choice as well. Training materials come in Spanish and English and inform the student about preparation, dust containment, proper clean-up, etc. Smaller jobs, or ones that disturb less than 6 square feet of interior paint or 20 square feet of exterior paint, do not have to follow the new procedures. States and tribes can create their own personal lead-safe practices, but they must be equivalent to the federal practices.
A contractor should provide the EPA’s pamphlet on lead dangers to a customer. Clients have the right to view a firm’s certification and/or receive a copy of it, and the company should explain the lead-safe practices it will employ on a certain job. Remember that your contractor should have at least three references based on pre-1978 jobs; he or she should also keep a record of all major details in relation to their employees’ training in lead-safe practices.
Not hiring a certified RRP company and going instead with an uncertified one isn’t worth it; you’re putting yourself and others in danger, and your contractor would even risk large fines of up to $37,500/violation/day or even jail time. If you still have reservations about the EPA’s lead-safe certification, call 1-800-424-LEAD; you can also look for a firm in your area by going to the EPA website.
Lead paint dangers should not be taken lightly. The EPA is, after all, only trying to protect consumers and workers. It’s now the consumers’ choice to demand the safest possible work practices, and to the contractors to become certified and use only EPA-regulated practices. If everyone works together, we can ensure greater safety in buildings and homes all across the United States.