The Lead-Safe Ceritified Guide to Renovate Right

1-800-424-LEAD (5323)
epa.gov/getleadsafe
EPA-740-K-10-001
Revised September 2011

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THE LEAD-SAFE CERTIFIED GUIDE TO

RENOVATE

RIGHT
Important lead hazard information for
families, child care providers and schools.
AD- SAFE
LE

T IFIE D F I R

M

C

ER

IT’S THE LAW!
Federal law requires contractors that disturb painted surfaces
in homes, child care facilities and schools built before 1978 to
be certified and follow specific work practices to prevent lead
contamination. Always ask to see your contractor’s certification.
Federal law requires that individuals receive certain information
before renovating more than six square feet of painted surfaces
in a room for interior projects or more than twenty square feet
of painted surfaces for exterior projects or window replacement
or demolition in housing, child care facilities and schools built
before 1978.
• Homeowners and tenants: renovators must give you this
pamphlet before starting work.
• Child care facilities, including preschools and kindergarten
classrooms, and the families of children under six years of age
that attend those facilities: renovators must provide a copy
of this pamphlet to child care facilities and general renovation
information to families whose children attend those facilities.

WHO SHOULD READ THIS PAMPHLET?
This pamphlet is for you if you:
• Reside in a home built before 1978.
• Own or operate a child care facility, including preschools and kindergarten
classrooms, built before 1978, or
• Have a child under six years of age who attends a child care facility built before 1978.

You will learn:
• Basic facts about lead and your health.
• How to choose a contractor, if you are a property owner.
• What tenants, and parents/guardians of a child in a child care facility or school
should consider.
• How to prepare for the renovation or repair job.
• What to look for during the job and after the job is done.
• Where to get more information about lead.

This pamphlet is not for:
•A
 batement projects. Abatement is a set of activities aimed specifically at
eliminating lead or lead hazards. EPA has regulations for certification and training of
abatement professionals. If your goal is to eliminate lead or lead hazards, contact the
National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD (5323) for more information.
• “ Do-it-yourself” projects. If you plan to do renovation work yourself, this document
is a good start, but you will need more information to complete the work safely. Call
the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD (5323) and ask for more
information on how to work safely
in a home with lead-based paint.
•C
 ontractor education. Contractors
who want information about working
safely with lead should contact
the National Lead Information
Center at 1-800-424-LEAD (5323)
for information about courses and
resources on lead-safe work practices.

1

RENOVATING, REPAIRING, OR PAINTING?
• Is your home, your building, or the child care facility
or school your children attend being renovated,
repaired, or painted?
• Was your home, your building, or the child care facility
or school where your children under six years of age
attend built before 1978?
If the answer to these questions is YES, there are a
few important things you need to know about
lead-based paint.
This pamphlet provides basic facts about lead and
information about lead safety when work is being
done in your home, your building or the child care
facility or school your children attend.

The Facts About Lead
• Lead can affect children’s brains and developing nervous systems, causing reduced
IQ, learning disabilities, and behavioral problems. Lead is also harmful to adults.
• Lead in dust is the most common way people are exposed to lead. People can also
get lead in their bodies from lead in soil or paint chips. Lead dust is often invisible.
• Lead-based paint was used in more than 38 million homes until it was banned for
residential use in 1978.
• Projects that disturb painted surfaces can create dust and endanger you and your
family. Don’t let this happen to you. Follow the practices described in this pamphlet
to protect you and your family.

2

LEAD AND YOUR HEALTH
Lead is especially dangerous to children
under six years of age.
Lead can affect children’s brains and developing
nervous systems, causing:
• Reduced IQ and learning disabilities.
• Behavior problems.
Even children who appear healthy can have
dangerous levels of lead in their bodies.
Lead is also harmful to adults. In adults, low levels
of lead can pose many dangers, including:
• High blood pressure and hypertension.
• Pregnant women exposed to lead can transfer lead to their fetuses. Lead gets into
the body when it is swallowed or inhaled.
• People, especially children, can swallow lead dust as they eat, play, and do other
normal hand-to-mouth activities.
• People may also breathe in lead dust or fumes if they disturb lead-based paint.
People who sand, scrape, burn, brush, blast or otherwise disturb lead-based
paint risk unsafe exposure to lead.

What should I do if I am concerned about my family’s exposure to lead?
• A blood test is the only way to find out if you or a family member already has lead
poisoning. Call your doctor or local health department to arrange for a blood test.
• Call your local health department for advice on reducing and eliminating
exposures to lead inside and outside your home, child care facility or school.
• Always use lead-safe work practices when renovation or repair will disturb
painted surfaces.
For more information about the health effects of exposure to lead, visit the EPA lead
website at epa.gov/lead/pubs/leadinfo or call 1-800-424-LEAD (5323).

There are other things you can do to protect your family every day.
• Regularly clean floors, window sills, and other surfaces.
• Wash children’s hands, bottles, pacifiers, and toys often.
• Make sure children eat a healthy, nutritious diet consistent with the USDA's dietary
guidelines, that helps protect children from the effects of lead.
• Wipe off shoes before entering the house.
3

WHERE DOES THE LEAD COME FROM?
Dust is the main problem.
The most common way to get lead in the body is from dust. Lead dust comes from
deteriorating lead-based paint and lead-contaminated soil that gets tracked into
your home. This dust may accumulate to unsafe levels. Then, normal hand to-mouth
activities, like playing and eating (especially in young children), move that dust from
surfaces like floors and window sills into the body.

Home renovation creates dust.
Common renovation activities like sanding, cutting, and demolition can create
hazardous lead dust and chips.

Proper work practices protect you from the dust.
The key to protecting yourself and your family during a renovation, repair or painting
job is to use lead-safe work practices such as containing dust inside the work area,
using dust-minimizing work methods, and conducting a careful cleanup, as described
in this pamphlet.

Other sources of lead.
Remember, lead can also come from outside soil, your water, or household items
(such as lead-glazed pottery and lead crystal). Contact the National Lead Information
Center at 1-800-424-LEAD (5323) for more information on these sources.

4

CHECKING YOUR HOME FOR LEAD-BASED PAINT

Older homes, child care facilities, and schools are more likely to contain
lead-based paint.
Homes may be single-family homes or apartments. They may be private, governmentassisted, or public housing. Schools are preschools and kindergarten classrooms. They
may be urban, suburban, or rural.

You have the following options:
You may decide to assume your home, child care facility, or school contains lead.
Especially in older homes and buildings, you may simply want to assume lead-based
paint is present and follow the lead-safe work practices described in this brochure
during the renovation, repair, or painting job.
You can hire a certified professional to check for lead-based paint.
These professionals are certified risk assessors or inspectors, and can determine if
your home has lead or lead hazards.
• A certified inspector or risk assessor can conduct an inspection telling you whether
your home, or a portion of your home, has lead-based paint and where it is located.
This will tell you the areas in your home where lead-safe work practices are needed.
• A certified risk assessor can conduct a risk assessment telling you if your home
currently has any lead hazards from lead in paint, dust, or soil. The risk assessor
can also tell you what actions to take to address any hazards.
• For help finding a certified risk assessor or inspector, call the National Lead
Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD (5323).
You may also have a certified renovator test the surfaces or components being
disturbed for lead by using a lead test kit or by taking paint chip samples and sending
them to an EPA-recognized testing laboratory. Test kits must be EPA-recognized and
are available at hardware stores. They include detailed instructions for their use.

5

FOR PROPERTY OWNERS
You have the ultimate responsibility for the safety of your family, tenants, or children
in your care.
This means properly preparing for the renovation and keeping persons out of the work
area (see p. 8). It also means ensuring the contractor uses lead-safe work practices.
Federal law requires that contractors performing renovation, repair and painting projects
that disturb painted surfaces in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978
be certified and follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination.
Make sure your contractor is certified, and can explain clearly the details of the job
and how the contractor will minimize lead hazards during the work.
• You can verify that a contractor is certified by checking EPA’s website at
epa.gov/getleadsafe or by calling the National Lead Information Center at
1-800-424-LEAD (5323). You can also ask to see a copy of the contractor’s
firm certification.
• Ask if the contractor is trained to perform lead-safe work practices and to see a
copy of their training certificate.
• Ask them what lead-safe methods they will use to set up and perform the job in your
home, child care facility or school.
• Ask for references from at least three recent jobs involving homes built before 1978,
and speak to each personally.
Always make sure the contract is clear about how the work will be set up,
performed, and cleaned.
• Share the results of any previous lead tests with the contractor.
• You should specify in the contract that they follow the work practices described on
pages 9 and 10 of this brochure.
• The contract should specify which parts of your home are part of the work area and
specify which lead-safe work practices will be used in those areas. Remember, your
contractor should confine dust and debris to the work area and should minimize
spreading that dust to other areas of the home.
• The contract should also specify that the contractor will clean the work area, verify
that it was cleaned adequately, and re-clean it if necessary.

If you think a worker is not doing what he is supposed to do or is doing something
that is unsafe, you should:
• Direct the contractor to comply with regulatory and contract requirements.
• Call your local health or building department, or
• Call EPA's hotline 1-800-424-LEAD (5323).
If your property receives housing assistance from HUD (or a state or local agency that
uses HUD funds), you must follow the requirements of HUD’s Lead-Safe Housing Rule
and the ones described in this pamphlet.
6

FOR TENANTS AND FAMILIES OF CHILDREN UNDER SIX
YEARS OF AGE IN CHILD CARE FACILITIES AND SCHOOLS
You play an important role ensuring the ultimate
safety of your family.
This means properly preparing for the renovation
and staying out of the work area (see p. 8).
Federal law requires that contractors performing
renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb
painted surfaces in homes built before 1978 and in
child care facilities and schools built before 1978, that
a child under six years of age visits regularly, to be
certified and follow specific work practices to prevent
lead contamination.
The law requires anyone hired to renovate, repair, or do
painting preparation work on a property built before
1978 to follow the steps described on pages 9 and 10 unless the area where the work
will be done contains no lead-based paint.

If you think a worker is not doing what he is supposed to do or is doing something
that is unsafe, you should:
•C
 ontact your landlord.
•C
 all your local health or building department, or
•C
 all EPA's hotline 1-800-424-LEAD (5323).
If you are concerned about lead hazards left behind after the job is over, you can
check the work yourself (see page 10).

7

PREPARING FOR A RENOVATION
The work areas should not be accessible to occupants while the work occurs.
The rooms or areas where work is being done may need to be blocked off or sealed
with plastic sheeting to contain any dust that is generated. Therefore, the contained
area may not be available to you until the work in that room or area is complete,
cleaned thoroughly, and the containment has been removed. Because you may not
have access to some areas during the renovation, you should plan accordingly.

You may need:
•A
 lternative bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen arrangements if work is occurring in
those areas of your home.
•A
 safe place for pets because they too can be poisoned by lead and can track lead
dust into other areas of the home.
•A
 separate pathway for the contractor from the work area to the outside in order to
bring materials in and out of the home. Ideally, it should not be through the same
entrance that your family uses.
•A
 place to store your furniture. All furniture and belongings may have to be moved
from the work area while the work is being done. Items that can’t be moved, such as
cabinets, should be wrapped in plastic.
• T o turn off forced-air heating and air conditioning systems while the work is being
done. This prevents dust from spreading through vents from the work area to the
rest of your home. Consider how this may affect your living arrangements.
You may even want to move out of your home temporarily while all or part of the
work is being done.
Child care facilities and schools may want to consider alternative accommodations
for children and access to necessary facilities.

8

DURING THE WORK
Federal law requires contractors that are hired to perform renovation, repair and painting
projects in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 that disturb painted
surfaces to be certified and follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination.
The work practices the contractor must follow include these three simple procedures,
described below:
1. Contain the work area. The area must be contained so that dust and debris do not escape
from that area. Warning signs must be put up and plastic or other impermeable material
and tape must be used as appropriate to:

•C
 over the floors and any furniture that cannot be moved.

• S eal off doors and heating and cooling system vents.

• For exterior renovations, cover the ground and, in some instances, erect vertical
containment or equivalent extra precautions in containing the work area.

These work practices will help prevent dust or debris from getting outside the work area.
2. Avoid renovation methods that generate large amounts of lead-contaminated dust.
Some methods generate so much lead-contaminated dust that their use is prohibited.
They are:

•O
 pen flame burning or torching.

• Sanding, grinding, planing, needle gunning,
or blasting with power tools and equipment
not equipped with a shroud and HEPA
vacuum attachment.

•U
 sing a heat gun at temperatures greater
than 1100°F.

There work places will eliminate dust, but some renovation methods make less dust than
others. Contractors may choose to use various methods to minimize dust generation,
including using water to mist areas before sanding or scraping; scoring paint before
separating components; and prying and pulling apart components instead of breaking
them.
3. Clean up thoroughly. The work area should be cleaned up daily to keep it as clean as
possible. When all the work is done, the area must be cleaned up using special cleaning
methods before taking down any plastic that isolates the work area from the rest of the
home. The special cleaning methods should include:

•U
 sing a HEPA vacuum to clean up dust and debris on all surfaces, followed by

•W
 et wiping and wet mopping with plenty of rinse water.

When the final cleaning is done, look around. There should be no dust, paint chips, or debris
in the work area. If you see any dust, paint chips, or debris, the area must be re-cleaned.
9

FOR PROPERTY OWNERS: AFTER THE WORK IS DONE
When all the work is finished, you will want to know if your home, child care facility, or
school where children under six attend has been cleaned up properly.

EPA Requires Cleaning Verification.
In addition to using allowable work practices and working in a lead-safe manner,
EPA’s RRP rule requires contractors to follow a specific cleaning protocol. The protocol
requires the contractor to use disposable cleaning cloths to wipe the floor and other
surfaces of the work area and compare these cloths to an EPA-provided cleaning
verification card to determine if the work area was adequately cleaned. EPA research
has shown that following the use of lead-safe work practices with the cleaning
verification protocol will effectively reduce lead-dust hazards.

Lead-Dust Testing.
EPA believes that if you use a certified and trained renovation contractor who follows
the LRRP rule by using lead-safe work practices and the cleaning protocol after the
job is finished, lead-dust hazards will be effectively reduced. If, however, you are
interested in having lead-dust testing done at the completion of your job, outlined
below is some helpful information.
What is a lead-dust test?
• L ead-dust tests are wipe samples sent to a laboratory for analysis. You will get a
report specifying the levels of lead found after your specific job.
How and when should I ask my contractor about lead-dust testing?
•C
 ontractors are not required by EPA to conduct lead-dust testing. However, if you
want testing, EPA recommends testing be conducted by a lead professional. To
locate a lead professional who will perform an evaluation near you, visit EPA’s
website at epa.gov/lead/pubs/locate or contact the National Lead Information
Center at 1-800-424-LEAD (5323).
• I f you decide that you want lead-dust testing, it is a good idea to specify in your
contract, before the start of the job, that a lead-dust test is to be done for your job
and who will do the testing, as well as whether re-cleaning will be required based on
the results of the test.
•Y
 ou may do the testing yourself. If
you choose to do the testing, some
EPA-recognized lead laboratories
will send you a kit that allows
you to collect samples and send
them back to the laboratory for
analysis. Contact the National Lead
Information Center for lists of EPArecognized testing laboratories.

10

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
You may need additional information on how to protect yourself and your children
while a job is going on in your home, your building, or child care facility.
The National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD (5323) or
epa.gov/lead/nlic can tell you how to contact your state, local, and/or tribal programs
or get general information about lead poisoning prevention.
• State and tribal lead poisoning prevention or environmental protection programs
can provide information about lead regulations
and potential sources of financial aid for reducing
lead hazards. If your state or local government has
requirements more stringent than those described in
this pamphlet, you must follow those requirements.
• Local building code officials can tell you the
regulations that apply to the renovation work that you
are planning.
• State, county, and local health departments can
provide information about local programs, including
assistance for lead-poisoned children and advice on
ways to get your home checked for lead.
The National Lead Information Center can also provide
a variety of resource materials, including the following
guides to lead-safe work practices. Many of these
materials are also available at
epa.gov/lead/pubs/brochure.
• Steps to Lead Safe Renovation, Repair and Painting.
• Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home
• Lead in Your Home: A Parent’s Reference Guide

For the hearing impaired, call the Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339
to access any of the phone numbers in this brochure.

11

EPA CONTACTS
EPA Regional Offices
EPA addresses residential lead hazards through several different regulations.
EPA requires training and certification for conducting abatement and renovations,
education about hazards associated with renovations, disclosure about known lead
paint and lead hazards in housing, and sets lead-paint hazard standards.
Your Regional EPA Office can provide further information regarding lead safety and
lead protection programs at epa.gov/lead.
Region 1
(Connecticut, Massachusetts,
Maine, New Hampshire,
Rhode Island, Vermont)
Regional Lead Contact
U.S. EPA Region 1
Suite 1100
One Congress Street
Boston, MA 02114-2023
(888) 372-7341

Region 4
(Alabama, Florida, Georgia,
Kentucky, Mississippi, North
Carolina, South Carolina,
Tennessee)
Regional Lead Contact
U.S. EPA Region 4
61 Forsyth Street, SW
Atlanta, GA 30303-8960
(404) 562-9900

Region 2
(New Jersey, New York,
Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands)
Regional Lead Contact
U.S. EPA Region 2
2890 Woodbridge Avenue
Building 205, Mail Stop 225
Edison, NJ 08837-3679
(732) 321-6671

Region 5
(Illinois, Indiana, Michigan,
Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin)
Regional Lead Contact
U.S. EPA Region 5
77 West Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60604-3507
(312) 886-6003

Region 3
(Delaware, Maryland,
Pennsylvania, Virginia,
Washington, DC, West
Virginia)
Regional Lead Contact
U.S. EPA Region 3
1650 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA
19103-2029
(215) 814-5000

12

Region 6
(Arkansas, Louisiana, New
Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas)
Regional Lead Contact
U.S. EPA Region 6
1445 Ross Avenue,
12th Floor
Dallas, TX 75202-2733
214) 665-7577

Region 7
(Iowa, Kansas, Missouri,
Nebraska)
Regional Lead Contact
U.S. EPA Region 7
901 N. 5th Street
Kansas City, KS 66101
(913) 551-7003
Region 8
(Colorado, Montana,
North Dakota, South Dakota,
Utah, Wyoming)
Regional Lead Contact
U.S. EPA Region 8
1595 Wynkoop Street
Denver, CO 80202
(303) 312-6312
Region 9
(Arizona, California, Hawaii,
Nevada)
Regional Lead Contact
U.S. Region 9
75 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 947-8021
Region 10
(Alaska, Idaho,
Oregon, Washington)
Regional Lead Contact
U.S. EPA Region 10
1200 Sixth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101-1128
(206) 553-1200

OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES
CPSC
The Consumer Product Safety
Commission (CPSC) protects the public
from the unreasonable risk of injury or
death from 15,000 types of consumer
products under the agency’s jurisdiction.
CPSC warns the public and private
sectors to reduce exposure to lead and
increase consumer awareness. Contact
CPSC for further information regarding
regulations and consumer product safety.
CPSC
4330 East West Highway
Bethesda, MD 20814
Hotline 1-(800) 638-2772
cpsc.gov

CDC Childhood Lead Poisoning
Prevention Branch
The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) assists state and local
childhood lead poisoning prevention
programs to provide a scientific basis
for policy decisions, and to ensure that
health issues are addressed in decisions
about housing and the environment.
Contact CDC Childhood Lead Poisoning
Prevention Program for additional
materials and links on the topic of lead.

HUD Office of Healthy Homes and Lead
Hazard Control
The Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) provides funds
to state and local governments to
develop cost-effective ways to reduce
lead-based paint hazards in America’s
privately-owned low-income housing. In
addition, the office enforces the rule on
disclosure of known lead paint and lead
hazards in housing, and HUD’s lead safety
regulations in HUD-assisted housing,
provides public outreach and technical
assistance, and conducts technical
studies to help protect children and their
families from health and safety hazards
in the home. Contact the HUD Office of
Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control
for information on lead regulations,
outreach efforts, and lead hazard control
research and outreach grant programs.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development
Office of Healthy Homes and
Lead Hazard Control
451 Seventh Street, SW, Room 8236
Washington, DC 20410-3000
HUD’s Lead Regulations Hotline
(202) 402-7698
hud.gov/offices/lead/

CDC Childhood Lead Poisoning
Prevention Branch
4770 Buford Highway, MS F-40
Atlanta, GA 30341
(770) 488-3300
cdc.gov/nceh/lead

13

SAMPLE PRE-RENOVATION FORM
This sample form may be used by renovation firms to document compliance with the Federal
pre-renovation education and renovation, repair, and painting regulations.

Occupant Confirmation

Pamphlet Receipt
q I have received a copy of the lead hazard information pamphlet informing me of the
potential risk of the lead hazard exposure from renovation activity to be performed in my
dwelling unit. I received this pamphlet before the work began.
Printed Name of Owner-occupant
Signature of Owner-occupant

Signature Date

Renovator’s Self Certification Option (for tenant-occupied dwellings only)

Instructions to Renovator: If the lead hazard information pamphlet was delivered but a tenant
signature was not obtainable, you may check the appropriate box below.
q Declined – I certify that I have made a good faith effort to deliver the lead hazard
information pamphlet to the rental dwelling unit listed below at the date and time indicated
and that the occupant declined to sign the confirmation of receipt. I further certify that I
have left a copy of the pamphlet at the unit with the occupant.
q Unavailable for signature – I certify that I have made a good faith effort to deliver the lead
hazard information pamphlet to the rental dwelling unit listed below and that the occupant
was unavailable to sign the confirmation of receipt. I further certify that I have left a copy of
the pamphlet at the unit by sliding it under the door or by (fill in how pamphlet was left).

Printed Name of Person Certifying Delivery

Attempted Delivery Date

Signature of Person Certifying Lead Pamphlet Delivery

Unit Address

Note Regarding Mailing Option — As an alternative to delivery in person, you may mail the
lead hazard information pamphlet to the owner and/or tenant. Pamphlet must be mailed at
least seven days before renovation. Mailing must be documented by a certificate of mailing
from the post office.