I have been looking for some posts on stories on how contractors are coping with lead abatement legislation. I have heard some outrageous stories including a young man hired off the street to scrape some windows for a day who was fined $15,000.00 for violating lead abatement protocall. I have turned down even looking at some larger projects because of fear of the tremendous fines being imposed on contractors who do not follow the exact letter of the law. I know home owners that are being blown away with prices now that lead abatement practices are being factored into the cost of renovating houses that have lead paint on them.
I find it obsurd that I have to plastic off a room and where a tyvek suit with hood, booties, resporator, double gloves, to score a line on lead painted sash to remove and install a replacement window. It will make a couple of chips that I could vac up with a shop vac. I have to purchase a hepa vac for $700.00 and then wet down and throw all the plastic away into plastic bags, goose neck the tops and then throw all plastic into a landfill. I find this absolutely obsurd. Is there a place where I can find posts similar to this here in any of the Fine Homebuilding forums? We are in Connecticut and some of the stories I am hearing of fines being imposed are fightening. We heard the story of a company that followed all the procedures and even though they kept a diary record of their abatements, it was not written to the satisfaction of the EPA and you guessed it, they where fined $32,000. I am located in Connecticut and will be looking to do work on post 1978 houses until further notice.
Replies
There is
a lead paint forum on the JLC site.
Did you take the RRP class?
If so, you know it's not lead abatement. And you know the worker protection you describe is something OSHA might be interested in. You seem to be exagerating that portion of the RRP rules also.
While I appreciate the concern in the new law and try to follow it to the letter, I also like to think with a more positive attitude.
You make a window job sound so hard you evidently never tried a kitchen gut and remodel.
FHB Lead Resource Page
Greg,
We've put together a pile of resources on the new lead rule: https://www.finehomebuilding.com/pages/guide-to-lead-safety.asp
Downloadable white papers, videos, article packs, etc.
I'd be really interested in names and phone numbers of contractors who were fined. We are in CT also and I haven't herd about it yet.
The personal protective gear is an OSHA requirement, not an EPA requirement, it is about worker protection as opposed to occupant protection, which the EPA rule is aimed at. However, if you are a remodeler and you have young kids, it would be wise to keep lead dust off of the clothes that you wear into your house.
If you have names of these contractors who have been hit with the fines, please email them to me.
Dan