May 312012
 

Advance Concept is an EPA Certified Instructional Facility. Upon completion and passing of the class, students are given their individual certificates.

What makes our classes unique?  We offer extended support to our students. After completing our class, if you have questions about a lead project or come across a situation you aren’t sure of how to handle, we will talk you through the problem.  And if we don’t know the answer, we’ll find out from the EPA and let you know!  

We often get asked, “Who needs to be certified?”  The EPA RRP Ruling is for homes built before 1978 that work disturbs more than 6 square feet of interior surface or 20 square feet of exterior, or replaces any window or door.  The ruling also covers child occupied facilities such as day care or schools, also built before 1978.

Traditional construction practices create dust that contains enough lead to cause serious health problems.

Why worry about lead paint?  Lead paint is a neurotoxin that can cause learning disabilities, lower IQ, behavior problems, joint pain and kidney disease.  Children under 6 years of age are especially vulnerable.  The ruling protects both homeowners and workers.  It also protects the family members of the workers so they don’t bring home lead dust and make their loved ones sick.

I spoke to a contractor a few months ago who was having serious health issues.  He asked me if I thought it could be from exposure to lead paint.  Certainly many of his symptoms could have been caused by lead and I suggested he get a lead blood level test done by his doctor.

“The greatest risk is for young children living in homes during renovations,”
“One study found they were 30% more likely to have unsafe levels of lead in their blood than kids in homes where renovations were not occurring. So it’s very important that contractors learn how to work leadsafe and that families hire lead-safe certified contractors.” Steve Owens, EPA

If you have any questions, please call us at 505-715-5495 or send an email to anne_bowker@advanceconceptgroup.com

Classes are held in Albuquerque, NM.