ARM receives many calls from people who have questions about the EPA Lead RRP Certification rule and our training classes. We have included the most common questions and their answers on this page. If you do not see the answer to your question, you can use our Contact Form or call us at 205-533-7660 and we will be happy to answer your questions.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. How will this law affect me/my company?
This law will require you to change your business practices. There will be more time spent on setup and cleanup, more expense for plastic sheeting, tape, equipment, etc., and record keeping requirements that will tie up more of your job supervisor/foreman’s time.
2. Who needs to get certified?
All of your staff does NOT have to be certified. You will have to certify at least some of your job supervisors/foremen, and some companies are certifying sales people as well. A Certified Renovator must train the non-certified workers but cannot certify additional Certified Renovators.
Certified Renovators must also be physically present during the setup and cleanup portions of the work, so this may place an additional burden on your supervisory staff. Any property that falls into the target housing category (residential properties built before 1978 or child occupied facilities) will have to either be tested for lead (in the area that will be disturbed by the work) or you will have to assume that lead is present. Any job that lead is present or assumed to be present will have to be supervised by a Certified Renovator.
Only a Certified Renovator or a trained lead professional can conduct a lead test, which is why some companies are certifying sales people. This is a judgment call on your part. You should look at the percentage of jobs that you do that would fall under target housing, the average length of time required to complete the jobs, and how many crews/supervisors are on staff.
3. Do I have to certify all of my staff?
No. Your Certified Renovators must train your staff to be compliant with the RRP Rules, but you do not have to certify them all.
4. What is required to become certified?
All you, as an individual, must do is complete this course. Once you are Certified, it is your responsibility to use lead safe work practices and to work for a Certified Firm.
5. What is the difference between a Certified Renovator and a Certified Firm? How do they interact?
Certified Renovators are individuals that have completed this course and received their certificate. Firms must also become certified, which involves submitting an application to the EPA along with a fee for $300. We have this application available on our website and it is also available on the EPA’s website.
Certified Renovators are required to work for Certified Firms and Certified Firms are required to use Certified Renovators to supervise jobs and train non-certified workers. Individuals who operate as DBA companies are required to become Certified Firms as well as Certified Renovators.
6. Will / When will Alabama issue their own rule?
Alabama took over the RRP program from the EPA in January 2011.
7. What is the class like?
The class is an 8 hour class. It is scheduled to start at 8:00 and end at 5:00, with check in beginning at 7:30. We do encourage students to arrive as close to 7:30 as possible to ensure that class starts on time. You will need a government issued picture ID because we will not be able to issue you a certificate without verifying your identification.
The class will be presented as a combination of lecture and hands on activities. Students should dress in comfortable, casual attire. None of the activities will be dirty but they will require lifting, stretching, bending, etc. Breaks will be provided throughout the day, including a 1 hour lunch break. Instructors will demonstrate the hands on activities and explain them. Students will then form groups and perform each of the activities.
Once a student has completed the hands on activities, they will be eligible to sit for the exam. The exam will be administered in the last half hour or so of class. It is a 35 question multiple choice exam and they must complete it with a 70% or greater to pass. Once the students have completed the exam, they will be issued their certificate at the end of the day.
8. Where are the classes located?
We use several locations in each of the cities we travel to. About 2 weeks prior to the class we will confirm a location that is appropriate for the number of students that are enrolled in the class. About 7-10 days prior to the class, we will send out an email with all of the information about the class, including location and directions. We will also send a reminder email 3-5 days prior to the class date.
9. How do I register?
The easiest way to register is through this website.
Another way to register is over the phone. We can accept credit card payments over the phone or we can also invoice you. We prefer to email the invoice, and (depending on the date) the payment may be mailed to us or it may be brought to the class with the student.
10. Do you need the names of everyone that I am registering?
That information is helpful but is not required. We use the company name to confirm group reservations, and it can be confusing if the attendees have to change. As long as attendees identify themselves with your company then we do not need their name to register them.
11. Can you send me an invoice? I don’t have a credit card, can’t get the registration to go through, or don’t want to use my credit card online?
Another way to register is over the phone. We can accept credit card payments over the phone or we can also invoice you. We prefer to email the invoice, and (depending on the date) the payment may be mailed to us or it may be brought to the class with the student. For large organizations we can also accept a purchase order (PO).
12. I am having trouble registering online / My payment won’t go through.
The first thing to try is to verify that the registration address is an exact match for the credit card billing address. The system will automatically lock out a credit card number on the third unsuccessful try. We have very strict security on our website to protect your personal identification. We apologize for any inconvenience that this causes.
Another way to register is over the phone. We can collect your company information and invoice you. We prefer to email the invoice, and (depending on the date) the payment may be mailed to us or it may be brought to the class with the student. For large organizations we can also accept a purchase order (PO).
13. Will you reserve a seat for my organization?
Unfortunately, our classes are filling up very quickly and we need to have payment prior to the class date if at all possible. We cannot reserve seats without payment.
14. I missed a class date. Can I reschedule?
Our policy is stated on the website, and is as follows:
If notice of cancellation is received 7 days or more before the class date, we will happily refund your payment or reschedule your class for another date with no penalty. Registration that is canceled with under 7 days’ notice may be subject to a $50.00 cancellation fee if the seat cannot be filled. If the student reschedules the registration for a different date, no penalty will be assessed. If notice of cancellation is received less than 2 business days prior to the scheduled class date, regardless of whether the student has requested to change the registration date, a penalty of $50.00 will be incurred. Any students who fail to notify us of cancellation and do not attend the class for which they are scheduled will not receive a refund and will be required to re-register and pay for any rescheduled class.
15. I reserved a class date but have a schedule conflict / can’t make it. Can I change my reservation?
If notice of cancellation is received 7 days or more before the class date, we will refund your payment or reschedule your class for another date with no penalty. Registration that is canceled with under 7 days’ notice may be subject to a $100.00 cancellation fee if the seat cannot be filled. If notice of cancellation is received less than 2 business days prior to the scheduled class date, or any students who fail to notify us of cancellation and do not attend the class for which they are scheduled will not receive a refund and will be required to re-register and pay for any rescheduled class.
16. I want a private class for my organization.
We will be happy to try to get your organization scheduled for a private class. However, please understand that we require a minimum of 10 students for a private class and we will schedule it when we are already in the area.
Please call the office at 205-533-7660; and we will help you schedule a class.
17. What other classes do you teach?
We are certified to teach the RRP Refresher course.
18. Is this an abatement class?
NO! Abatement is defined as a project for the sole purpose of removing lead. This is class is more about safe handling and cleanup practices when lead may be present in the area disturbed when doing remodeling and repair projects.
19. What does a certified renovator have to do?
A Certified Renovator is responsible for a job site. They must be physically present during set up and cleanup activities. They are responsible for training the workers in proper setup and cleanup procedures. They are ultimately responsible for anything that happens on the job site. Additionally, they have record keeping requirements in order to be compliant with the RRP rule.
20. What if my job supervisors can’t read/write or don’t speak English?
Only a Certified Renovator can complete the record keeping requirements established by the RRP rule. If the foremen/supervisors do not read or write English well, they will have a difficult time, not only in the class but also in the record keeping portion of their responsibilities. Unfortunately, they cannot have someone else do this for them. You may consider using them for jobs that do not fall under the RRP rule.
21. How long is the class?
This is a 1 day class. Check in starts at 7:30 and the class starts at 8:00 am and ends at 5:00 pm. Occasionally we will finish a little earlier or a little later than that. This includes all of the lecture portion, the hands on portion, and the testing portion of the class. There are several breaks scheduled throughout the day, including a 1 hour lunch break.
22. What should students wear or bring with them to the class?
Students should dress in comfortable, casual attire.
They MUST bring a government issued ID (drivers license, ID card, passport, military ID, etc.) because we cannot issue a certificate without proof of identification. We cannot originate a legal form of ID without verifying this.
Students may want to bring pencil and paper for taking notes. There is a lot of material to cover and a limited time to cover it.
23. Where can I find more information about the RRP rule, the course materials, etc.
The EPA has posted a great deal of information about lead and about the RRP rule on their website, www.epa.gov/lead. We have quick links to some of these posted on our website as well. Please check the Resources tab at the top of the page for quick links and additional information.
24. Can you administer the exam orally?
We can. We have administered it orally due to the following reasons: dyslexia, learning/reading disability, illiteracy, and English as a second language. If a student needs special arrangements for any reason, we will do our best to accommodate them. We do request that they discuss their special needs with us as early in the day as possible in order to ensure that they receive the special attention that they need.
25. We are interested in environmental (lead, asbestos) testing or clearance services. Do you do this?
We do offer these services. Please use our Contact Form or call the office at 205-533-7660, and we will contact you about scheduling and price.