EPA RRP Lead Paint 8 Hour Certification Training

EPA Lead Paint safety training

Become Lead-Safe Certified now

Any contractor, from plumbers to electricians to painters, who disturbs lead paint while working in a pre-1978 home, school or day care center, now must be Lead-Safe Certified. If you are not, you can face tens of thousands of dollars in fines. Plus, you put the health of yourself, your workers and your customers at risk, which could result in lawsuits.

Our EPA-accredited trainers in your area you can help get you certified immediately. One class certifies you for five years. Don't put it off any longer.

Laws Relating to Lead Paint Safety

EPA Requirements

Common renovation activities like sanding, cutting, and demolition can create hazardous lead dust and chips by disturbing lead-based paint, which can be harmful to adults and children.

To protect against this risk, on April 22, 2008, EPA issued a rule requiring the use of lead-safe practices and other actions aimed at preventing lead poisoning. Under the rule, beginning April 22, 2010, contractors performing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 must be certified and must follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination.

EPA requires that firms performing renovation, repair, and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in pre-1978 homes, child care facilities and schools be certified by EPA and that they use certified renovators who are trained by EPA-approved training providers to follow lead-safe work practices. Individuals can become certified renovators by taking an eight-hour training course from an EPA-approved training provider.

Contractors must use lead-safe work practices and follow these three simple procedures:

• Contain the work area.
• Minimize dust.
• Clean up thoroughly.
• Read EPA's Regulations on Residential Property Renovation at 40 CFR 745.80, Subpart E.
• Read about lead-hazard information for renovation, repair and painting activities in the EPA lead hazard information pamphlet Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools (PDF) (11 pp, 1.1MB) | en español (PDF) (20 pp, 3.2MB)
• Read about how to comply with EPA's rule in the EPA Small Entity Compliance Guide to Renovate Right (PDF) (34 pp, 2.5MB) | en español (PDF) (34 pp, 1.3MB).
• Find additional EPA publications and brochures on lead-safe renovation, repair and painting and on lead poisoning prevention.

Beginning in December 2008, the rule requires that contractors performing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint provide to owners and occupants of child care facilities and to parents and guardians of children under age six that attend child care facilities built prior to 1978 the lead hazard information pamphlet Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools (PDF) (11 pp, 1.1MB). | en español (PDF) (20 pp, 3.2MB)

The rule affects paid renovators who work in pre-1978 housing and child-occupied facilities, including:

• Renovation contractors
• Maintenance workers in multi-family housing
• Painters and other specialty trades.

Under the rule, child-occupied facilities are defined as residential, public or commercial buildings where children under age six are present on a regular basis. The requirements apply to renovation, repair or painting activities. The rule does not apply to minor maintenance or repair activities where less than six square feet of lead-based paint is disturbed in a room or where less then 20 square feet of lead-based paint is disturbed on the exterior. Window replacement is not minor maintenance or repair.

Read EPA's Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting rule.

View the implementation deadlines associated with the Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting rule.

Information For Contractors

The Lead-Safe Law Regarding Contractors

As a contractor, you play an important role in helping to prevent lead exposure. Ordinary renovation and maintenance activities can create dust that contains lead. By following the lead-safe work practices, you can prevent lead hazards.

Contractors who perform renovation, repairs, and painting jobs in pre-1978 housing and child-occupied facilities must, before beginning work, provide owners, tenants, and child-care facilities with a copy of EPA's lead hazard information pamphlet Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools (PDF) (11 pp, 1.1MB) | en español (PDF) (20 pp, 3.2MB). Contractors must document compliance with this requirement; EPA's pre-renovation disclosure form (PDF) (1 pp, 53K) may be used for this purpose.

After April 22, 2010, federal law requires you to be certified and to use lead-safe work practices. To become certified, renovation contractors must submit an application and fee payment to EPA.

Application for firm certification (PDF) (9 pp, 590K)

EPA began processing applications on October 22, 2009. The Agency has up to 90 days after receiving a complete request for certification to approve or disapprove the application.

Contractors who perform renovation, repairs, and painting jobs should also:

• Take training to learn how to perform lead-safe work practices.
• Find a training provider that has been accredited by EPA to provide training for renovators under EPA's Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Program.
• Please note that if you previously completed an eligible renovation training course you may take the 4-hour refresher course instead of the 8-hour initial course from an accredited training provider to become a certified renovator.
• Provide a copy of your EPA or state lead training certificate to your client.
• Tell your client what lead-safe methods you will use to perform the job.
• Learn the lead laws that apply to you regarding certification and lead-safe work practices beginning April 22, 2010.
• Ask your client to share the results of any previously conducted lead tests.
• Provide your client with references from at least three recent jobs involving homes built before 1978.
• Keep records to demonstrate that you and your workers have been trained in lead-safe work practices and that you follow lead-safe work practices on the job. To make recordkeeping easier, you may use the sample recordkeeping checklist (PDF) (1 pg, 83K) that EPA has developed to help contractors comply with the renovation recordkeeping requirements that took effect April 22, 2010.
• Read about how to comply with EPA's rule in the EPA Small Entity Compliance Guide to Renovate Right (PDF) (34 pp, 2.5MB) | en español (PDF) (34 pp, 1.3MB).
• Read about how to use lead-safe work practices in EPA's Steps to Lead Safe Renovation, Repair and Painting (PDF) (36 pp, 878K) | en español (PDF) (36 pp, 1.5MB).

NOTE: Contractors and training providers working in Wisconsin, Iowa, North Carolina, Mississippi, Kansas, Rhode Island, Utah and Oregon must contact the state to find out more about its training and certification requirements. These states are authorized to administer their own RRP programs in lieu of the federal program In following the above links you will leave the EPA Web site.

Contractors should also read the EPA Enforcement Alert newsletter titled Compliance with New Federal Lead-Based Paint Requirements (PDF) (4 pp, 120K).