Lead pamphlet checks before an older-home visit: 4 steps

• Confirm the home's construction date against the 1978 federal ban on the sale of lead-based paint for use in homes, childcare facilities, and preschools, as stated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
• Ensure the pamphlet is provided within the 60-day window before renovation activities begin, a requirement specified in the regulation text published by Cornell Law School.
• Obtain a written acknowledgment from the owner that they received the pamphlet, or if mailed, retain the mailing certificate, as detailed by Cornell Law School.
• If your firm is paid to perform the work, confirm certification and lead-safe training before the technician is sent, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

In 1978, the federal government banned the sale of lead-based paint for use in homes, childcare facilities and preschools, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Dispatchers must verify the home's construction year against the 1978 federal ban date before sending a technician to work that may disturb paint. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states that approximately three-quarters of the homes in the United States built before 1978 still contain some lead-based paint, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This statistic defines the scope of risk for pre-1978 properties. The certification requirements apply specifically to firms paid to perform renovation, repair, or painting activities. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes that in general, the RRP Rule does not apply to homeowners doing RRP projects in their own pre-1978 homes, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This distinction is critical for dispatchers: if the customer is a homeowner working on their own property, the federal certification mandate for paid firms does not govern that specific activity. However, if your firm is paid to perform the work, the rules for paid firms apply regardless of who owns the home.

The federal threshold for this rule is the year 1978. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the RRP Rule applies to work that disturbs painted surfaces in homes, childcare facilities, and preschools built before 1978. If your technician’s job involves scraping, sanding, or otherwise disturbing paint in a property from that era or earlier, the certification requirement is triggered. This date serves as the primary filter for determining whether lead-safe work practices are mandated under this specific federal program.

The requirement covers anyone paid to perform this work. The rule mandates that these individuals be certified and that their employees be trained in lead-safe work practices. Training can take the form of becoming a certified renovator or receiving on-the-job training from a certified renovator. The goal of these practices is to minimize occupants’ exposure to lead hazards. This applies broadly to the workforce involved in the renovation, repair, and painting activities.

Crucially, the scope of "anyone paid" is extensive. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, this includes all firms, even sole proprietorships. There is no exemption for small, single-owner operations. The rule does not distinguish between large corporations and individual business owners in this context.

The EPA’s Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program outlines these requirements. The program specifies that the certification and training are necessary to ensure that workers follow the correct procedures to limit lead exposure. The rule targets the specific risk associated with disturbing that older paint.

The regulation sets a specific timeframe for distributing lead hazard information. No more than 60 days before beginning renovation activities in any residential dwelling unit of target housing, the firm performing the renovation must take action, according to Cornell Law School. The first requirement within this window is to provide the owner of the unit with the pamphlet, according to Cornell Law School. The regulation then requires the firm to comply with one of two specific options to document this distribution.

The first option is to obtain, from the owner, a written acknowledgment that the owner has received the pamphlet, according to Cornell Law School. This written acknowledgment serves as the primary proof the pamphlet was handed over. The second option is to obtain a certificate of mailing at least 7 days prior to the renovation, according to Cornell Law School. This 7-day line is distinct from the 60-day window; it is the minimum lead time for the mailing certificate specifically.

If the owner does not occupy the dwelling unit, the regulation adds a further requirement. In addition to the requirements for the owner, if the owner does not occupy the dwelling unit, provide an adult occupant of the unit with the pamphlet, according to Cornell Law School. This ensures that if the owner is absent, an adult living in the unit still receives the information and the firm documents it.

This pamphlet includes general information about legal requirements for lead-safe work practices for homeowners, tenants, childcare providers and parents during renovation activities, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency published this version in September 2011.

Keep the year built, the pamphlet status, and the signature or certificate date on the work order. Use the Field Service Work Order Checklist for Dispatch Handoffs for that handoff.

A dispatcher has one older-home paint job on the board. The work can start in 60 days. On day 1 the dispatcher writes the year built on the work order and sets the pamphlet task. The pamphlet is handed to the owner 10 days before the start, which is still inside the 60-day window. The owner signs a written acknowledgment the same day. The firm does not mail the pamphlet on this job. The work order then shows the year built, the pamphlet handoff, and the signature day. That is enough to send the technician.

Local pages set their own year thresholds and advice, distinct from the federal certification rules. Keep each line tied to its specific publisher and page.

New York City Housing Preservation and Development notes that lead is often found in paint used in apartments and residential buildings in New York City built before 1960, according to New York City Housing Preservation and Development. This 1960 line applies to that city’s housing context. The same page describes lead as a harmful metal often found in old paint that can poison people, especially children, when ingested, according to New York City Housing Preservation and Development. For a general overview of what landlords must do and what every tenant should know, the page offers the Lead Paint Hazards in the Home (Peligros de la Pintura con Plomo en el Hogar) pamphlet, according to New York City Housing Preservation and Development.

The State of Michigan takes a different approach on its Mi Lead Safe page. It states that all Michigan residents are encouraged to apply, especially if your home was built before 1978, according to State of Michigan. This is an encouragement for residents, not a certification requirement for paid firms. The page also notes that exposure to lead-based paint chips and dust, as well as soil with higher levels of lead, are most often to blame when it comes to having elevated levels of lead in the body, according to State of Michigan.

Do not treat the New York City 1960 line as the federal line. The federal pages use 1978. Do not treat the Michigan sentence as a mandate for your shop to certify or test a child’s blood. It encourages residents to apply. Keep these local lines on their own rows in your dispatch notes.

When writing your pre-visit card, list the city or state line separately from the federal 1978 line. If the job is in New York City, note the 1960 threshold from the HPD page. If the job is in Michigan, note the 1978 encouragement from the Mi Lead Safe page. This keeps your records accurate to the source.

The table below lists four distinct regulatory or informational lines. Each row names the publisher and the specific rule or statement found on their page. Use this table to verify which year applies to your job location and what action is required before disturbing paint.

Check the year built on the work order against the row that matches your job location. If the home is in New York City, the 1960 line from the city page applies to that specific jurisdiction. For federal certification and the 60-day distribution window, the EPA and Cornell Law School pages provide the specific requirements for paid firms. Keep the city and state lines distinct from the federal certification rule when documenting your pre-visit checks.

On the next job in an older home, write the year built, whether the pamphlet was handed over, and who signed, before the tech is sent. Then read Work order statuses: 6 words to check at dispatch and Set a job priority before dispatch: 3 fields.

What year do the federal pages use for lead paint in homes?

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states that the federal government banned the sale of lead-based paint for use in homes, childcare facilities, and preschools in 1978, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Who does the certification line cover?

EPA's RRP Rule requires that anyone paid to perform work that disturbs painted surfaces in homes, childcare facilities, and preschools built before 1978 be certified, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This requirement also mandates that their employees be trained in lead-safe work practices.

How many days before the job must the pamphlet step be done?

The regulation text specifies that no more than 60 days before beginning renovation activities in any residential dwelling unit of target housing, the firm performing the renovation must distribute the required information, according to Cornell Law School. This establishes the maximum allowable time window for the pre-visit notification step.

What can stand in for a signature if the mailing line is used?

If the firm chooses to mail the information rather than hand it over, the regulation requires obtaining a certificate of mailing at least 7 days prior to the renovation, according to Cornell Law School. This certificate serves as the documented substitute for a signed acknowledgment.

How is New York City's year different?

This local line is distinct from the federal 1978 ban year cited by the EPA.