Common renovation activities like sanding, cutting, and demolition can create hazardous lead dust and chips by disturbing lead-based paint, which can be harmful to adults and children.

To protect against this risk, on April 22, 2008, EPA issued a rule requiring the use of lead-safe practices and other actions aimed at preventing lead poisoning.

Under the rule, beginning in April 2010, contractors performing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 must be certified and must follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination.

Contractors who perform renovation, repairs, and painting jobs in pre-1978 housing and child-occupied facilities must, before beginning work, provide owners, tenants, and child-care facilities with a copy of EPA's lead hazard information pamphlet Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools (PDF) (20 pp, 3.3MB) | en español (PDF) (20 pp, 3.2MB). Contractors must document compliance with this requirement—EPA’s

Pre-renovation disclosure form (PDF) (1 pp, 36K) may be used for this purpose.

Understand that after April 2010, federal law will require you to be certified and to use lead-safe work practices. Read more about EPA's rules and lead-safe work practices in EPA's pamphlet Contractors: Lead Safety During Renovation (PDF) at the EPA’s web site.

Contractors who perform renovation, repairs, and painting jobs should also:

• Take training to learn how to perform lead-safe work practices.

• Provide a copy of your EPA or state lead training certificate to your client.

• Tell your client what lead-safe methods you will use to perform the job.

• Learn the lead laws that apply to you regarding certification and lead-safe work practices beginning in April 2010.

• Ask your client to share the results of any previously conducted lead tests.

• Provide your client with references from at least three recent jobs involving homes built before 1978.

• Keep records to demonstrate that you and your workers have been trained in lead-safe work practices and that you followed lead-safe work practices on the job.

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