Being EPA certified

3/28/2016 (Permalink)

You should never allow a contractor or painter to work on your home (built before 1978) unless he/she shows you their training certificate that proves they are EPA certified in lead safe procedures. The law also requires that every contractor working on a home built before 1978 either test the paint to prove that it is lead free, or follow lead safe practices. All contractors are also required have you sign a form stating that they gave you an EPA guide to lead safe practices if they do over 6 square feet of interior work or 20 square feet for exteriors. There are large fines for failures to follow these steps. You should not try to remove this paint yourself without first going to the EPA website www.epa.gov/lead to learn how to do it safely.