To get lead-safe certified, certain requirements must be met. First, a contractor or construction firm will need to apply for the certification. This can be done by locating the local EPA office and requesting an application form for lead-safe certification. The application can also be downloaded from the EPA web site. In some states, the application form can be obtained from the state community health department or agency. Once you have the application form, the next step is filling it out and preparing the documents you will need to submit with it, such as copies of business permits, licenses, insurance forms and other pertinent documents. Attaching a record of all of the paint repair or removal projects you or your firm have completed in the past is also a good idea, provided that these projects complied with the guidelines set forth by the EPA. The last document you will need to attach to the application form before submission is the certification of training for lead-based paint handling. In order to obtain this certification, you and your workers will have to undergo a mandatory one-day training session conducted by an EPA-accredited training school.
Get the required training. Because the EPA has required that all contractors and construction firms receive proper training in properly handling and removing lead-based paint in order to receive lead-safe certification, it has accredited about 120 training schools across the country. Check local directories to find a school nearby to help you get certified. The enrollment fee for this training course will vary from school to school; this can be a sizable investment for any contractor or construction firm because it is required that every worker and supervisor in the organization receives individual certification.
Prior to the day of the training session and upon enrollment, you will be given numerous educational materials relevant to the training. It is critical that you and your colleagues properly prepare for the training session by carefully reviewing and studying these materials. Doing so will ensure that you are ready for the certification exam that is given at the end of the training session.
Submit the application. Once you have completed the training and have secured the certification of training, compile the application form, the training certification, the other relevant documents and a check for $550 (the EPA lead-certification fee) into an envelope. The materials can be mailed or submitted in person to the local EPA office.
The processing of your certification should take 1 to 2 weeks, and it will be mailed to you when it is approved. Once received, you will also be given the right to use the EPA Lead-safe Certified logo for advertising and marketing purposes.