Recent legislation aimed at preventing
lead poisoning may pose serious
problems for renovators. Regulations
such as those enacted by Massachusetts
require the certification and eventual
licensing of any person involved with
the deleading of a building. Certified
contractors must also implement safety
procedures that are similar to those
required in the removal of asbestos,
including protective clothing and respirators
for all employees, complete
isolation of the work area, and cleanup
using High-Efficiency Particulate
(HEPA) vacs and phosphate washing.
What is most startling is that these regulations
can apply to anyone engaged
in the renovation of a building that
contains lead-based paint.
Many homes contain lead paint and
consequently a lot of renovators may
be affected by such legislation. The
Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA)