I did it. I just took the RRP lead paint class with 49 other guys and 1 gal. It was a stunning class with five instructors, lots of lecture and some hands-on practice of prepairing and cleaning a space for lead safety.

I have a background as a volunteer fire fighter with training in hazardous materials operations, but this class was still overwhelming. It requires a paradigm shift from the way I have been working for over two decades.

There is too much to the class to detail it all here but I will give some highlights.

Approximately 900,000 children in the U.S. have elevated lead levels. Children under the age of 6 are most suseptable, but anyone can be poisoned. Workers who wear dusty clothes home and add these clothes to the family wash are constaminating their vehicle(s), house and famlies.

Symptoms of lead poisoning are: high blood pressure, fertility problems, sexual disorders, digestive problems, nerve disorders, memory and concentration problemsl, and/or muscle or joint pain. Lead poisoning is easily mis-diagnosed or overlooked so mention any exposure to your doctor.

Lead in a house is not a hazard until it turns into a dust. One gram of lead dust will contaminate 150 sq. ft. of area. The instructors had a good example of opening a packet of the sweetener sweet-and-low and sprinkled it on the floor representing one gram of paint dust. Windows are the most likely place for lead dust to be concentrated since the sash sliding creates dust.

Disturbance of 6 square feet indoors or 20 sq ft outdoors in "target housing" or "child-occupied facilities" is now illegal, without following safe work practices. Target housing is all pre 1978 housing except elderly housing where children under the age of 6 reside or are expected to reside and "zero bedroom dwellings" such as a studio apartment, hospital, hotel, dormatory, etc.

Normal renovation or repair work is covered by this class. If a building owner asks you to remove lead paint because of the possible hazard, that is called abatement and requires a different license. This is an important distinction to the regulators.

Homeowners can renovate there own dwelling without following the safe practices, also emergency repairs can be made such as to prevent more water damage from storm damage, but when the emergency is over, the rules apply. Homeowners can "opt-out" of following the rules if no children or pregnant women live there. Other conditions apply.

Only one person on the job needs to be certified, but all other employees need specific training to prevent creating or spreading lead dust. Each sub contractor must be certified. Each company must purchase a five-year permit for $300. The individual certification is good for 5 years, then there is a 4 hour refresher class. Copies of the certifications need to be on the job site.

The fine is up to $37,500 per violation or imprisonment or both.

There is a lot more to the story and some states have made additional requirements and additional state certifications.

Here is a list of tools you need:
*spray bottle (and water source) to wet surfaces (keeps the dust down)
*HEPA rated vacuume (not just a vacuume with a HEPA filter) with a beater bar if you need to clean carpet.
*shrouded power tools to collect the dust with the vacuume
*PPE- booties, single spun, triple spun, or tyvek suits that fit your crew, disposable painter's hats, resperator and filters, disposable gloves, safety glasses.
*doctor's permission to use a resperator and annual physical exam for employees
*trash bags
*wet wipes
*tacky pads or floor runners
*lots of polyethelene sheeting and duct tape, maybe some painters tape so the duct tape does not damage the finish.
*stapler/ staples
*lumber to create enclosures if needed and a burm and perimiter warning "fence" if outdoors.
*signs in the language of the persons dwelling in the building
*orange cones or caution tape
*lead safety booklets to give the homeowners free of charge
*lead test kits
*a means of disposal such as a dumpster and or a "secure place" to store waste until disposed of.
*cleaning supplies- disposable mop, wipes, non-oily soap, etc.
*pollution insurance?
*Workman's comp insurance?
*a helper to set up barriers and doff (take off) protective clothing
*file folders and storage system to keep records of signed warnings, job report, and other records you may need to defend yourself(to be kept for 3 years by EPA rules or 7 years if you want to be extra cautious by TORT law)
*"Steps guide" to use in training your employees

Working outdoors is difficult with wind or rain and covering obsatcles and uneven ground. Good luck with this one. Rainwater or power-washing water must be captured and disposed of in a toilet, it the local waste treatment plant allows this.

If Federal money is involved such as a house with a Farmers Home loan, VA loan, HUD project, or subsidized housing, more stringent HUD rules apply, such as work must stop if the wind exceeds 20 mph. OSHA also has it's own lead work rules.

Don't forget to clean your tools before going to another area or job.

For an individual contractor such as myself I estimate about $1,000 cash expense to get set up initally and then a significant amount of time in planning, training and prepairing/cleaning, and recordkeeping for each job and disposable materials such as protective equipment and polyethlene.

Take the class or you will poison yourself or others.

Jim