Certified Lead Renovator Training

Who Should Attend

ANYONE who will work on a renovation, repair or painting project on homes, rental facilities, child-occupied facilities, and schools built before 1978.

Course Outline

Online Training Course (5 hours) Trainees may complete the online portion at your own convenience, as long as it is completed prior to the live training session.

(ACCESSIBLE ONE WEEK PRIOR TO TEST DATE)

• Lead RRP Overview
• Why Should I be Concerned About Lead Paint
• Regulations
• Before Beginning Work
• Contain Dust During Work
• During the Work
• Cleaning Activities & Checking your Work
• Record Keeping
• Training Non-Certified Renovation Workers
• Exam

Live Portion (3 hours) After you complete the Online Training Course, you will attend the live training in your area to complete the EPA requirement for hands-on training and testing

• Online Content Review
• Q&A
• 3 hour appointments for Field Training & Testing

Completing this course fulfills EPA requirements and contractors will become Certified Lead Renovators in only 8 hours of training!

FAQ

1. Why do I need this training?
2. How long is the accreditation good for?
3. Where is lead found?
4. I thought lead-based paint had been phased out. How many homes still contain lead-based paint?
5. When testing a work area, does one spot-test suffice for any single component? What if a component's surface area is extensive (i.e. a large wall)?
6. Does the RRP Rule apply to work on windows that have been installed within the last 20 years in a pre- 1978 housing unit? Would confirmation of the window installation based on property owner documentation (i.e., receipts, warranty paperwork, contracts) and/or date of manufacture of the windows be sufficient to exclude this work from the lead-safe work practices and other requirements?
7. If all or a portion of a pre-1978 housing unit has been gut-rehabbed after January 1, 1978, as evidenced by property owner and/or other verifiable documentation, do the RRP Rule requirements apply to work in that unit?
8. When a certified renovator uses an EPA-recognized test kit to determine the presence of lead, can the results be grouped? For instance, may the certified renovator test just one window sill in a room if all will be affected?

Question: Why do I need this training?
Answer: The EPA requires that all contractors must be registered for a Lead RRP-Certification Course by September 30, 2010.In order to perform renovation, repair and painting projects in homes, rental facilities, child-occupied facilities, and schools built before 1978. For any contractor performing this work without the Lead RRP Certification, the EPA may seek penalties of up to $37,500 per violation, per day.

Question: How long is the accreditation good for?
Answer: An individual certification lasts 5 years, after which there is a refresher course to maintain it. For a firm, they must apply for re-certifcation after 5 years.

Question: Where is lead found?
Answer: Many homes built before 1978 have lead-based paint. In general, the older the home, the more likely it has lead-based paint. Soil around a home can contain lead from sources like deteriorated exterior paint, past use of leaded gas in cars, or from past renovation activities. Household dust can pick up lead from deteriorating lead-based paint, from past renovation projects, or from soil tracked into a home. If a homeowner works with lead, they can bring it home on their hands or clothes.

Question: I thought lead-based paint had been phased out. How many homes still contain lead-based paint?
Answer: HUD’s National Survey of lead and Allergens in Housing estimated that 38 million permanently occupied housing units (40% of all housing units) in the United States contain some lead-based paint that was applied before the residential use of lead-based paint was banned in 1978. “Housing units” include single-family homes, manufactured housing, and multi-unit dwellings like apartments. Vacant housing, group quarters (e.g., prisons, hospitals, and dormitories), hotels, motels, and other short-term housing,
military bases, and housing where children are not permitted to live (e.g., housing designated exclusively for the elderly and those with zero-bedroom units) are not included in this number. More information on these statistics is available from HUD.

Question: When testing a work area, does one spot-test suffice for any single component? What if a component's surface area is extensive (i.e. a large wall)?
Answer: The certified renovator is only required to use one spot test kit for each component, even if the surface of the component is extensive (e.g., a large wall).

Question: Does the RRP Rule apply to work on windows that have been installed within the last 20 years in a pre- 1978 housing unit? Would confirmation of the window installation based on property owner documentation (i.e., receipts, warranty paperwork, contracts) and/or date of manufacture of the windows be sufficient to exclude this work from the lead-safe work practices and other requirements?
Answer: The RRP Rule applies unless you have determined that all the components affected by the renovation, including the windows, are free of paint or other surface coatings that contain lead equal to or in excess of 1.0 milligrams per square centimeter (mg/cm2) or 0.5% by weight. This determination must be made either by a certified inspector or risk assessor, or by a certified renovator using an EPA recognized test kit. You must keep records of any lead-based paint free determination and make the records available to EPA if requested.

Question: If all or a portion of a pre-1978 housing unit has been gut-rehabbed after January 1, 1978, as evidenced by property owner and/or other verifiable documentation, do the RRP Rule requirements apply to work in that unit?
Answer: If only a portion of the unit has been gutted, the RRP Rule applies unless you have determined that the components affected by the renovation are free of paint or other surface coatings that contain lead equal to or in excess of 1.0 milligrams per square centimeter (mg/cm2) or 0.5% by weight. This determination must be made either by a certified inspector or risk assessor, or by a certified renovator using an EPA recognized test kit. You must keep records of any lead-based paint free determination and make the records available to EPA if requested. EPA believes that whole house gut rehabilitation projects may demolish and rebuild a structure to a point where it is effectively new construction. In this case, it would not be a modification of an existing structure, and therefore not a renovation.

Question: When a certified renovator uses an EPA-recognized test kit to determine the presence of lead, can the results be grouped? For instance, may the certified renovator test just one window sill in a room if all will be affected?
Answer: No. The certified renovator must test each component affected by the renovation. If the components make up an integrated whole, such as the individual stair treads and risers of a single staircase, the renovator is required to test only one of the individual components, unless the individual components appear to have been repainted or refinished separately. Multiple window sills are not integrated parts of a whole. They are separate components and must be tested separately.