CEDIA Lead-Based Paint Education & Certification

The Custom Electrons Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) is offering, in cooperation with National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH), a simple way for individuals to become educated and certified in dealing with lead paint issues according to the EPA and HUD guidelines and rules.  Since lead-safe certification became required as of April 22, 2010, there is a new urgency to have companies become compliant.

To fully understand the program and the problems, I decided to take the class. For sometime now I had noticed the handouts and brochures on the paint counters at all of the local home improvement centers and also at my paint suppliers. I had quite a few questions, and the CEDIA class would provide the answers.

First off, this is a big deal and the federal government is serious about how lead paint gets handled. With the Lead-Based Paint, Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) rule, pretty much anyone that disturbs painted surfaces that might contain lead must follow certain prescribed procedures, classes, certifications and safety measures to contain the work area, minimize dust and completely clean up when they are finished. This rule applies to any and all contractors. This means that if you work in electrical field,  mechanical, renovations, plumbing, painting, maintenance and, yes, even custom electronics installation; you probably will come into a situation where you will need to be certified. Also, if you ever have to replace windows and interior or exterior doors, then you also have to be certified. The rule says that if you disturb more then six square feet of lead paint on the interior or twenty square feet on the exterior of a building that was built before 1978 and the building is a home, school, day care center or anywhere children under the age of six spend time, or if there are pregnant women present, then you need to take notice and comply with the rule. There are no longer any exemptions possible.

Just to make sure they have your attention, the government is posing some pretty hefty fines to the tune of a maximum of $37,500 per violation, per day. This does not include any of the local or state fines that may be more less depending on how the program is implemented in your specific area. So, if it is not the fear of fines that gets your attention, then it might be the possibility of lawsuits or other risks that you might have if you do not follow proper procedures when working with lead-based paint.

OK, so now that I have your attention, this is where CEDIA has stepped up to the plate to make sure that industry professionals like us are properly prepared to be compliant with the EPA and HUD rules. To make the process as easy and pain free as possible, they offer a Certified Renovator class in two parts. The first portion is done online at your own pace and the second portion is a half-day long hands-on class with a written exam that must be passed in the end so that you can become a Certified Renovator.

It was interesting to note that even once you become a Certified Lead Renovator, your company still cannot legally do lead related work until they become a Certified Firm. To become a Certified Firm, a company must employ a Certified Renovator and they must submit an application to the EPA along with a fee. Once the firm is certified, then the company can safely and legally do the work.

So back to the classes. The Online portion took approximately 4 to 5 hours to compete. The classes are divided up into easy to digest chapters that cover all the major aspects of the law, the EPA rules, HUD rules and all the other background and procedural things you would need to know. You will become an expert on all the acronyms we keep using here too. At the end of each section, there are quick quizzes that you must pass before you are allowed to move on. There is a barrage of information that is covered so I would say to make sure to take your time and feel free to break up the online class into a few different sessions like I did. The LEAD education portion of the CEDIA website was easy to navigate and easy to jump right back into where I left off on my last session. At the successful completion of the online portion, a certificate is issued that states that Part One was completed which makes you then eligible for Part Two.

Part Two: Hands-On

This was the fun day; I had to get up at 3am so I could drive 4 hours to my nearest learning center for the hands-on class that was to last from 8AM to 12PM. Upon arriving at the learning center we all sat down for some helpful presentations and some great question and answer time with the instructors that were there. The hands-on class really just reinforced all the critical aspects of the on-line class to make sure that it was drilled into our heads what we are supposed to do once we became Certified Renovators. There was a lot of discussion on the health problems associated with disturbing LBP (Lead-Based Paint) and how it really affects young children with often life-long problems, hence the rules that have to do with schools and day-care facilities. A portion of the hands-on class was devoted to testing methods to detect if lead is present the paint.   Also there was discussions on how to properly set up a work site, how to contain the work area and how to minimize dust. Since I am in the renovation business, some of the topics in this area were pretty much best practice for us much in the same way we try to minimize the spread and inhalation of demolition and  drywall dust when we are working on a project. The biggest things to take from this is to minimize dust and to use a HEPA dust collection system as much as possible when using power tools. There was also the clean up procedures that are designed to minimize contamination to other parts of the building and other people that might be nearby.

In as much as there are precautions to protect the inhabitants of the building, there were also discussions on protecting and training workers so that they understand the implications and proper safety procedures on the job site. It was actually a fun part of the hands-on class was when we broke down into teams and had to set up a proper work space, with proper containment methods that included protecting furniture, existing surfaces and openings. Each step of the way was supervised by an instructor to ensure that we did things according to the rules. To help make it a little easier, there were handy check lists and books that they handed out too. To be honest, some parts of the procedures were a little overwhelming and it made it nice to be able to glance at the checklist to make sure we were doing all the right things in the right order. When we were all done with the practical part of the class, they handed out the test that was made up of multiple choice questions. In order to pass the program, you had to score an 80% or better on the test. For all you worried test takers out there, we did not have a single person fail in the group of 14 that I took the class with. So given that statistic, I think most folks pass without too much trouble.

So now that I passed, I received my Certified Renovators certificate that says I am able to safety and effectively renovate when there is LBP present. The key to remember at this point, is that this is not the last step if you plan to do this type of renovation work. You must make sure that your company also submits an application and pays the fee to the EPA (and also to your state or local jurisdictions if required) to become a Certified Firm before you begin any work. More information about becoming a Certified Firm can be found here: http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/sbcomplianceguide.pdf

For more information on what CEDIA has to offer, please visit http://www.cedia.net/lead/.

About CEDIA
CEDIA is an international trade association of companies that specialize in designing and installing electronic systems for the home. The association was founded in September 1989 and has more than 3,500 member companies worldwide. CEDIA Members are established and insured businesses with bona fide qualifications and experience in this specialized field. For more information, visit the association's website at www.cedia.org.