Abstract
Up until now, remodelers have been able to sidestep most of the EPA's lead paint rules - including the pre-renovation education provision in effect since 1999 - as long as they weren't "abating," or permanently eliminating, lead-based paint hazards. But beginning next year, projects that disturb more than 6 square feet of potentially contaminated surface inside a building or 20 square feet outside will be subject to the EPA's 2008 Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting rule. Most of the provisions of the new rule take effect April 22, 2010, when remodelers who work on homes or "child-occupied" businesses (such as schools or daycare centers) built before 1978 will need to be registered with the EPA and undergo certified lead-safety training. Work-practice and record-keeping procedures will also fall under the EPA's jurisdiction, though the program may actually be run by state agencies. Phase-in of the new rule was launched back in December 2008, when renovators had to start giving property owners and occupants the updated EPA pamphlet "Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers and Schools" before beginning work. Starting next year, contractors will also have to get signatures from owners or occupants acknowledging receipt of the pamphlet, and notify them in writing of the scope, location, and expected starting and ending dates of the planned project. The new rule is the result of a four-year-long EPA study showing that renovation work - including weatherization, window replacement, hvac modifications, demolition of interior plaster walls, and drilling and sawing into painted wood and plaster - exposes both occupants and workers to the same kind of hazards as lead-paint abatement. And even though painting isn't considered a renovation or remodeling activity, it too is subject to the new regulations if the surface to be painted is disturbed by sanding, scraping, or other activities that cause dust.
Keywords
Epidemiology; Exposure-levels; Lead-compounds; Statistical-analysis; Humans; Men; Women; Blood-tests; Metals; Monitors; Risk-analysis; Demographic-characteristics; Hazards; Paints; Painting; Construction; Construction-workers; Training; Safety-education; Safety-measures; Safety-practices;
Author Keywords: Safety; Lead-Safe Practices; Jobsite Safety; Whole-House Remodeling; Workforce; Paints; Remodeling; Natural Metals
