Becoming a lead-safe certified firm is vital to any contracting company. It’s not just about what an official EPA lead certification logo can do to boost your brand, it’s about how important a proper lead inspector training program can be for saving children’s lives.
Somewhere around three-quarters of all American homes contain lead paint, and its exposure to children is estimated to prompt 600,000 new cases of intellectual disabilities every year.
In an effort to keep all contractors well informed about the latest government initiatives and lead policies, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead-Safe Certification Program requires both an initial lead abatement training program and periodic refresher certifications in order to become and stay certified.
How do you know when your company is due for an EPA lead certification renewal? The answer depends on when you received your initial certification, as some policies have changed within the past few years.
- If you completed your first or most recent EPA training on or before March 31, 2010, your certification is already expired, as of March 2016. Find a local EPA lead certification renewal program and register your company online.
- If you completed initial training between April 2010 and March 2011, you have six years before you have to renew, starting from the date certified.
- Contractors who gained initial certification during or after April 2011 must obtain EPA lead certification renewal every five years.
Don’t wait for your certification to expire before you apply for renewal. There’s no penalty for early application, and the certification period will begin its new five-year stretch only after the old one has expired.
Our country has come a long way in eliminating the hazards of lead and lead paint. Since 1992, the Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act, or Title X, has required the disclosure of lead levels in homes built before 1978. But it’s not enough just to know — we have to know what to do with that knowledge.
With the EPA Lead Safe Certification Program, your company can take pride in making all of our homes safer for the future. Find a training or renewal program for your construction firm today, and start making a difference tomorrow.
