EPA Makes Contractors Take Precautions With New Lead-Safety Rules

The Environmental Protection Agency's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule, which kicked in last month, requires additional safeguards by contractors working on homes, schools and childcare facilities built before US regulators banned lead paint in 1978. The intention is tho reduce the harm from lead for contractors and their workers as well as for the people who live, work or attend school in older structures.

About 38 million US homes contain lead paint, which can be disturbed by even small renovations, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The EPA rule is an extension of Cal/OSHA rules that expand the 1979 federal employer lead standards to California's construction industry in 1993. Also, the rule calls for lead-dust containment, thorough cleanup, documentation, consumer education and completion of an EPA-accredited course on lead-safe work practices.

Important Precautions:

• Cover floors with durable plastic sheeting
• For larger jobs, make dust-containing doors by covering each entry to the work area with two layers of sheeting: One should be taped along all edges and cut down the middle. The other should be taped only on top, as a flap covering the slit in the first layer.
• Remove furniture, rugs, curtains and other such items from the work area.
• Turn off heating and air conditioning. Cover vents with plastic sheeting.
• Keep windows closed
• When disturbing lead paint, spray water on painted surfaces to keep dust from spreading

Note:
You can read the original, full article written by Michelle Hofmann for the LA Times.