Every contractor that works in homes built prior to 1978 should follow these tips if there is a chance of disturbing paint.
- Provide information. If your company is doing work in a pre-1978 home, you are required by law to provide the homeowner with the EPA’s informational pamphlet “Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home.”
- Utilize lead-safe work practices. This includes hanging plastic sheeting to isolate the work area, posting warning signs, cleaning up thoroughly every day, and avoiding paint removal techniques that create a lot of dust or vapors. These techniques include dry sanding or scraping, open flame burning or torching, high temperature heat guns, abrasive blasting or sandblasting without high efficiency particulate exhaust control.
- Train employees. Have your employees trained in lead-safe work practices and check to make sure they follow the guidelines. Remodelers and renovators are not required to be trained; however, federal training in lead-safe work practices is available for all contractors.
- Have a clearance exam. Lead dust can be invisible. The only way to be sure that a house is safe, even after a thorough cleaning, is to have a clearance exam. That’s when a trained third-party professional takes dust wipe samples from floors and window sills to see how much lead dust remains.
- Know the laws. Contractors in some states may not use work practices that create a lot of dust or vapors when disturbing more than a minimum amount of lead-based paint. Violation of the disclosure requirements can result in civil penalties. The use of prohibited practices is both a civil violation and can be a Class D felony if intentional, knowing or reckless and may subject the contractor to fines and/or imprisonment.
To learn more about lead-safety, visit leadsafety.angieslist.com.