If you run a contracting business in Los Angeles or Orange County, it may seem like there is an endless list of rules and regulations you are required to adhere to. You have to get licensed as a contractor by the State of California, obtain insurance, have an Injury & Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) in place, follow other rules set by OSHA, and more. One regulation that may have slipped under the radar for some contractors is the EPA’s requirement that they have a lead safe certification in order to perform certain types of work.
Who Is Required to Obtain a Lead Safe Certificate from the EPA?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires that anyone doing renovation, repair, or maintenance work on homes built prior to 1978 be a “Lead-Safe Certified Firm.” This requires an individual or company to go through an application process and obtain a certificate that says they know how to properly handle lead-based paint in their line of work.
According to the EPA, “Ordinary renovation and maintenance activities can create toxic lead dust that can harm your customers, workers and even yourself. But by following lead-safe work practices, you can prevent lead hazards.”
Up until recently, the EPA has been fairly lax in enforcing the lead-safe certification requirement for contractors in Los Angeles and Orange County, but that is rapidly changing. The EPA has begun sending out letters to individuals and companies that they suspect are out of compliance with their Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule (RRP Rule). The letter states that if an individual or company performs covered work on pre-1978 homes without the proper certification, they can be fined up to $40,000+ per occurrence! In fact, even bidding on a job in a pre-1978 house without being lead-safe certified by the EPA can incur a hefty fine!
Diamond Touch Strategies (DTS), a company that helps contracting companies in Los Angeles and Orange County stay on top of various compliance issues, is working with local companies to help them obtain their lead safe certification from the EPA and avoid steep fines.
DTS owner Jim Diaz, a small business compliance expert, had this to say, “Most contractors don’t have the time to do the research and create a written guidebook (with records keeping sections) to comply with the EPA’s RRP Rule. This is where DTS comes in. We provide everything a contactor needs to become compliant, including a compliance guidebook and field ready guides. I highly encourage contracting companies to get their lead-safe certification before the EPA comes knocking—even if they don’t use the services of DTS. Not doing so can subject a company to very steep fines that can easily bankrupt a small contracting business.”
To learn more about DTS and how their helping contracting businesses stay in compliance with the EPA’s lead-safe certification requirement, visit their website.