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Home ▪ Essentials for Practitioners ▪ Health Opportunities in Energy Audits and Upgrades ▪ Green & Healthy Management Strategies for Multi-Family Properties ▪ Listserves |
EPA Rule on Safe Renovation, Repair and Painting
Frequently Asked
Questions and Answers
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 in or is expected to
reside in such housing) and 0-bedroom dwellings.
Child-Occupied Facility: Day care,
pre-school, kindergarten classroom, or other facility in a
building constructed prior to 1978 that is visited regularly 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
6 hours, and the combined annual visits last at least 60 hours.
What types of renovation 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; 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; and window replacement.
What must a renovation professional do to prepare
to comply?
An individual renovator must complete a renovator
training course accredited by EPA or a state program and obtain a renovator
certification from EPA or a state program.
What must a renovation firm do to prepare to
comply?
A renovation firm must be certified and employ at
least one trained, certified renovator, who must provide uncertified workers
with on-the-job training on job-specific work practices.. Renovation firms may
begin applying for certification in October 2009.
When does the rule go into effect?
As of April 22, 2010, all renovation work in target
housing must be conducted by certified firms, certified renovators, and workers
who have had on the job training regarding job-specific work practices. States
may adopt the rules with different timeframes. What actions must renovators take for each project in a home or child-occupied facility?
2. Place a visible sign defining the work area and warning occupants not to enter it. 3. Isolate/contain the work area so that no visible dust or debris leaves the work area. 4. Contain, store, and transport renovation waste material safely to prevent release of and access to dust and debris. 5. Avoid banned practices such as using high-temperature heat gun, torch, and uncontrolled use of machines such as power sander and plane. 6. After completing work, clean the work area until no visible dust, debris or residue remains. 7. After cleaning, conduct post-cleaning verification.
8. After all interior work area passes cleaning
verification or dust clearance sampling and all exterior work area passes the
visual inspection, remove the warning sign.
Are there exceptions to the requirements?
The following exemptions to the rule apply:
Abatement: Activities conducted under
abatement rules by certified abatement contractor.
Minor Repair or Maintenance Activities:
Activities that will, within a 30-day period, disturb less
No Lead-Based Paint Will be Disturbed: as
determined by:
Do-It-Yourself: Work performed by an owner an
owner-occupied residence.
Are there any other limits to the scope of the
rule?
Owner-Occupied Target Housing: Exempt from
requirements if owner certifies that the property is not occupied by a child
under age 6 or a pregnant woman, and it is not a child-occupied facility.
Emergency Renovations Not Due to an Elevated
Blood Level: May be exempt from information distribution, warning signs,
containment, waste handling, training and certification requirements; cleaning
requirements, cleaning verification, and recordkeeping still required.
Emergency Renovations in Response to Elevated
Blood Lead in Resident Child: Interim controls are exempt only from advance
information distribution requirements. Who will certify renovators and accredit training courses?
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