The deadline for compliance with the EPA’s Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule was October 1, 2010. Has your company been certified yet? Your business is affected by this rule if your company performs any of the following types of work in pre-1978 homes:

• Renovating, repairing, or painting that disturbs more than six sq. ft. on an interior wall or twenty sq. ft. on an exterior wall
• Replacing doors and/or windows

If your company is performing this type of work and is not compliant, your company is subject to penalties up to $37,500 per violation, per day.

Avoid starting the new year with fines by making sure your company is compliant. CEDIA is offering a two-part Certified Lead Renovator course in cooperation with the National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) and other EPA-accredited training providers. Part one, available conveniently online, focuses on how to handle lead-based paint dust, understanding the health problems associated with disturbing lead-based paint, and how to properly dispose of lead-based paint waste. The online course is a prerequisite for the second lab portion and certification exam.

CEDIA has already scheduled two hands-on labs for the New Year: both will be offered February 10 in Denver, CO and Gaithersburg, MD. To register for the online training or to learn more about how the EPA’s Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting rule affects your business, visit http://www.cedia.org/lead.