16 Del. Admin. Code § 4459B
1.2 Purpose. These regulations shall be construed and applied to promote their underlying purpose of protecting the public health. The purpose of these regulations is to ensure the following:
1.4 Effective Dates
1.4.1 Training programs. On or after the effective date of these regulations, it shall be unlawful for any training program to provide, offer, or claim to provide training or refresher training for certification as a Renovator or a Dust Wipe Technician without first possessing accreditation from the Secretary under Section 11.0. Training programs accredited by EPA as of the effective date of these regulations shall be deemed accredited only:
1.4.2 Firms. On or after the effective date of these regulations, it shall be unlawful for any firm to perform, offer, or claim to perform renovations in target housing or child-occupied facilities without certification from the Secretary under Section 7.0, unless the renovation qualifies for 1 of the exceptions identified in subsections 1.5.1 and 1.5.2. A firm certified by EPA as of the effective date of these regulations shall be deemed certified only:
1.4.3 Individuals. On or after the effective date of these regulations, all renovations in target housing or child-occupied facilities must be directed by Renovators certified by the Secretary in accordance with subsection8.1 and performed by certified Renovators, or individuals trained in accordance with subsection 8.2.2, unless the renovation qualifies for 1 of the exceptions identified in subsections 1.5.1 and 1.5.2. An individual certified by EPA as of the effective date of these regulations shall be deemed certified only:
1.4.7 A written Occupant Protection Plan, or electronic equivalent, shall be developed for all Renovation, Repair, and Painting projects and shall be prepared according to the following procedures:
1.5 Applicability.
1.5.1 These regulations apply to all renovations performed for compensation in target housing and child-occupied facilities, except for the following:
1.5.1.1 Renovations in target housing or child-occupied facilities for which:
1.5.1.2 Renovations in target housing or child-occupied facilities for which:
1.5.1.3 Renovations in target housing or child-occupied facilities for which:
1.5.2 Emergency renovations.
1.5.2.3 Emergency renovations are not exempt from:
2.1 For purposes of these regulations, the definitions in16 DE Admin. Code 4459, as well as the following definitions apply. The following words and terms when used in this regulation shall have the following meaning unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
“Certified renovator” means an individual who has been certified by the Secretary to perform renovations and direct workers who perform renovations.
“Child-occupied facility” means a building, or portion of a building, constructed prior to 1978, visited regularly by the same child, under six years of age, on at least two different days within any week (Sunday through Saturday period), provided that each day's visit lasts at least three hours and the combined weekly visits last at least six hours, and the combined annual visits last at least 60 hours. Child-occupied facilities may include, but are not limited to daycares, preschools, and kindergarten classrooms. Child-occupied facilities may be located in target housing or in public or commercial buildings. With respect to common areas in public or commercial buildings that contain child-occupied facilities, the child-occupied facility encompasses only those common areas that are routinely used by children under age six, such as restrooms and cafeterias. Common areas that children under age six only pass through, such as hallways, stairways, and garages are not included. In addition, with respect to exteriors of public or commercial buildings that contain child-occupied facilities, the child-occupied facility encompasses only the exterior sides of the building that are immediately adjacent to the child-occupied facility or the common areas routinely used by children under age six.
“Cleaning verification card” means a card developed and distributed, or otherwise approved, by EPA for the purpose of determining, through comparison of wet and dry disposable cleaning cloths with the card, whether post-renovation cleaning has been properly completed.
"Componentor "Building component" means specific design or structural elements or fixtures of a building, residential dwelling, or child-occupied facility that are distinguished from each other by form, function, and location. These include, but are not limited to, interior components such as: ceilings, crown moldings, walls, chair rails, doors, door trim, floors, fireplaces, radiators, and other heating units, shelves, shelf supports, stair treads, stair risers, stair stringers, newel posts, railing caps, balustrades, windows and trim (including sashes, windows heads, jambs, sills or stools and troughs), built in cabinets, columns, beams, bathroom vanities, counter tops and air conditioners; and exterior components such as: painted roofing, chimneys, flashing, gutters and down spouts, ceilings, soffits, fascias, rake boards, corner boards, bulkheads, doors and door trim, fences, floors, joists, lattice work, railings and railing caps, siding handrails, stair risers and treads, stair stringers, columns, balustrades, windowsills or stools and troughs, casings, sashes, wells, and air conditioners.
“Dry disposable cleaning cloth” means a commercially available dry, electrostatically charged, white disposable cloth designed to be used for cleaning hard surfaces such as uncarpeted floors or counter tops.
"EPA" means U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“Firm” means a company, partnership, corporation, sole proprietorship or individual doing business, association, or other business entity; a Federal, State, Tribal, or local government agency; or a nonprofit organization.
“HEPA vacuum” means a vacuum cleaner which has been designed with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter as the last filtration stage. A HEPA filter is a filter that is capable of capturing particulates of 0.3 microns with 99.97% efficiency. The vacuum cleaner must be designed so that all the air drawn into the machine is expelled through the HEPA filter with none of the air leaking past it. HEPA vacuums must be operated and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
“Interim controls” means a set of measures designed to temporarily reduce human exposure or likely exposure to lead-based paint hazards, including specialized cleaning, repairs, maintenance, painting, temporary containment, ongoing monitoring of lead-based paint hazards or potential hazards, and the establishment and operation of management and resident education programs.
"Lead-based paint activities" means, in the case of target housing and child-occupied facilities, inspection, risk assessment, abatement, renovation, and dust sampling as provided in these regulations and in 16 DE Admin. Code 4459.
“Minor repair and maintenance activities” means activities including minor heating, ventilation or air conditioning work, electrical work, and plumbing, that disrupt six square feet or less of painted surface per room for interior activities or 20 square feet or less of painted surface for exterior activities where none of the work practices prohibited or restricted by subsection 4.1.3 are used and where the work does not involve window replacement or demolition of painted surface areas. When removing painted components, or portions of painted components, the entire surface area removed is the amount of painted surface disturbed. Jobs, other than emergency renovations, performed in the same room within the same 30 days must be considered the same job for the purpose of determining whether the job is a minor repair and maintenance activity.
"Occupant Protection Plan" means a plan developed by a certified renovator prior to the commencement of lead renovation, repair, and painting work in a residential dwelling or child-occupied facility that describes the measures and management procedures that will be taken during lead renovation, repair, and painting work to protect the building occupants from exposure to any lead- based paint hazards.
“Painted surface” means a component surface covered in whole or in part with paint or other surface coatings.
“Pamphlet” means the EPA pamphlet titled “Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers and Schools” developed under section 406(a) of the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, as amended, (15 USC §2601 et.seq.) (TSCA) for use in complying with section 406(b) of TSCA, or any State of Delaware pamphlet approved by EPA pursuant to 40 CFR §745.326 that is developed for the same purpose. This includes reproductions of the pamphlet when copied in full and without revision or deletion of material from the pamphlet (except for the addition or revision of State or local sources of information).
"Person"means any natural or judicial person including any individual, corporation, partnership, or association; any Indian Tribe, State, or political subdivision thereof; any interstate body; and any department, agency, or instrumentality of the Federal, State, or local government.
“Recognized test kit” means a commercially available kit recognized by EPA under 40 CFR §745.88 as being capable of allowing a user to determine the presence of lead at levels equal to or in excess of 1.0 milligrams per square centimeter, or more than 0.5% lead by weight, in a paint chip, paint powder, or painted surface.
"Secretary" means the Administrator of the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) of the State of Delaware or the Secretary’s designee, who shall hereafter in this document be referred to as: Secretary; The Secretary; or, Secretary, DHSS.
"Target housing" means any housing constructed prior to 1978, except housing for the elderly or persons with disabilities (unless any one or more children aged 6 years or under resides or is expected to reside in such housing for the elderly or persons with disabilities) or any 0-bedroom dwelling.
"Training hour" means at least 50 minutes of actual learning, including, but not limited to, time devoted to lecture, learning activities, small group activities, demonstrations, evaluations, and, if applicable, hands-on experience.
“Vertical containment” means a vertical barrier consisting of plastic sheeting or other impermeable material over scaffolding or a rigid frame, or an equivalent system of containing the work area. Vertical containment is required for some exterior renovations, but it may be used on any renovation.
“Wet disposable cleaning cloth” means a commercially available, pre-moistened white disposable cloth designed to be used for cleaning hard surfaces, such as uncarpeted floors or counter tops.
“Wet mopping system” means a device with the following characteristics: a long handle, a mop head designed to be used with disposable absorbent cleaning pads, a reservoir for cleaning solution, and a built-in mechanism for distributing or spraying the cleaning solution onto a floor, or a method of equivalent efficacy.
“Work area” means the area that the certified renovator establishes to contain the dust and debris generated by a renovation.
3.1 Written or electronic notification of the commencement of lead-based paint renovation activities in target housing or a child-occupied facilities or as a result of a Federal, State of Delaware, or local order shall be given to the Secretary 5 business days prior to the commencement of renovation activities. This requirement will be considered satisfied by compliance with subsection 3.1.1 of this regulation.
3.1.1 The lead renovation firm must submit a Start Work Notification to the Department of Health and Social Services at least 5 business days before beginning work that includes any set of measures designed to temporarily reduce human exposure or likely exposure to lead-based paint hazards, including:
3.2 Renovations in dwelling units. No more than 60 days before beginning renovation activities in any residential dwelling unit of target housing, the firm performing the renovation must:
3.2.1 Provide the owner of the unit with the pamphlet and Occupant Protection Plan, and comply with one of the following:
3.2.2 In addition to the requirements in subsection 3.2.1, if the owner does not occupy the dwelling unit, provide an adult occupant of the unit with the pamphlet and Occupant Protection Plan, and comply with one of the following:
3.3 Renovations in common areas. No more than 60 days before beginning renovation activities in common areas of multi-unit target housing, the firm performing the renovation must:
3.3.1 Provide the owner with the pamphlet and Occupant Protection Plan, and comply with one of the following:
3.3.2 Comply with one of the following:
3.4 Renovations in child-occupied facilities. No more than 60 days before beginning renovation activities in any child-occupied facility, the firm performing the renovation must:
3.4.1 Provide the owner of the building with the pamphlet and Occupant Protection Plan, and comply with one of the following:
3.4.2 If the child-occupied facility is not the owner of the building, provide an adult representative of the child-occupied facility with the pamphlet and Occupant Protection Plan, and comply with one of the following:
3.4.3 Provide the parents and guardians of children using the child-occupied facility with the pamphlet and Occupant Protection Plan, information describing the general nature and locations of the renovation and the anticipated completion date, and information on how interested parents or guardians of children frequenting the child-occupied facility can review a copy of the records required by subsections 5.3 and 5.4 or obtain a copy from the renovation firm at no cost to the occupants by complying with one of the following:
3.5 Written acknowledgment. The written acknowledgments required by subsections 3.2.1.1, 3.2.2.1, 3.3.1.1, 3.4.1.1, and 3.4.2.1 must:
4.1 Standards for renovation activities. Renovations must be performed by certified firms using certified renovators as directed in Section 7.0. The responsibilities of certified firms are set forth in subsection 7.4 and the responsibilities of certified renovators are set forth in subsection 8.8.
4.1.2 Containing the work area. Before beginning the renovation, the firm must isolate the work area so that no dust or debris leaves the work area while the renovation is being performed. In addition, the firm must maintain the integrity of the containment by ensuring that any plastic or other impermeable materials are not torn or displaced, and taking any other steps necessary to ensure that no dust or debris leaves the work area while the renovation is being performed. The firm must also ensure that containment is installed in such a manner that it does not interfere with occupant and worker egress in an emergency.
4.1.2.1 Interior renovations. The firm must:
4.1.2.2 Exterior renovations. The firm must:
4.1.3 Prohibited and restricted practices. The work practices listed below are prohibited or restricted during a renovation as follows:
4.1.4 Waste from renovations.
4.1.5 Cleaning the work area. After the renovation has been completed, the firm must clean the work area until no dust, debris or residue remains.
4.1.5.1 Interior and exterior renovations. The firm must:
4.1.5.2 Additional cleaning for interior renovations. The firm must clean all objects and surfaces in the work area and within two (2) feet of the work area in the following manner, cleaning from higher to lower:
4.2 Standards for post-renovation cleaning verification.
4.2.1 Interiors.
4.2.1.2 After a successful visual inspection, a certified renovator must:
4.2.1.2.1 Verify that each windowsill in the work area has been adequately cleaned, using the following procedure.
4.2.1.2.2 Wipe uncarpeted floors and countertops within the work area with a wet disposable cleaning cloth. Floors must be wiped using an application device with a long handle and a head to which the cloth is attached. The cloth must remain damp at all times while it is being used to wipe the surface for post-renovation cleaning verification. If the surface within the work area is greater than 40 square feet, the surface within the work area must be divided into roughly equal sections that are each less than 40 square feet. Wipe each such section separately with a new wet disposable cleaning cloth. If the cloth used to wipe each section of the surface within the work area matches the cleaning verification card, the surface has been adequately cleaned.
4.3 Optional dust clearance testing. Cleaning verification need not be performed if the contract between the renovation firm and the person contracting for the renovation or a Federal or Tribal law or regulation requires:
5.2 Records that must be retained pursuant to subsection 5.1 shall include, where applicable:
5.2.1 Records or reports certifying that a determination had been made that lead-based paint was not present on the components affected by the renovation, as described in subsection 1.5.1. These records or reports include:
5.2.6 Documentation of compliance with the requirements of Section 4.0, including documentation that a certified renovator was assigned to the project, that the certified renovator provided on-the-job training for workers used on the project, that the certified renovator performed or directed workers who performed all of the tasks described in subsection 4.1, and that the certified renovator performed the post-renovation cleaning verification described in subsection 4.2. If the renovation firm was unable to comply with all of the requirements of this rule due to an emergency as defined in subsection 1.5, the firm must document the nature of the emergency and the provisions of the rule that were not followed. This documentation must include a copy of the certified renovator's training certificate, and a certification by the certified renovator assigned to the project that:
5.2.6.5 The work area was contained by:
5.2.6.7 The work area was properly cleaned after the renovation by:
5.3 Compliance Information.
5.3.1 When the final invoice for the renovation is delivered or within 30 days of the completion of the renovation, whichever is earlier, the renovation firm must provide information pertaining to compliance with these regulations to the following persons:
5.4 Dust clearance sampling.
5.4.1 If dust clearance sampling is performed in lieu of cleaning verification as permitted by subsection 4.3 the renovation firm must provide, when the final invoice for the renovation is delivered or within 30 days of the completion of the renovation, whichever is earlier, a copy of the dust sampling report to:
6.4 Any individual or firm that performs any of the following acts shall be deemed to have committed a prohibited act. These include the following:
7.1 Initial certification.
7.1.1 Firms that perform renovations for compensation must apply to the Secretary for certification to perform renovations or dust sampling. To apply, a firm must:
7.1.1.2 Submit a completed application signed by an authorized agent of the firm attesting that:
7.1.2 After receipt of a firm's application, the Secretary will take one of the following actions within 90 days of the date the application is received:
7.2 Re-certification.
7.2.1 To maintain its certification, a firm must be re-certified by the Secretary every 5 years and must submit a timely and complete application. To be re-certified, a firm must:
7.2.1.2 Submit a completed application signed by an authorized agent of the firm attesting that:
7.2.1.4 An application for re-certification is timely if it is postmarked 90 days or more before the date the firm's current certification expires.
7.2.2 After receipt of a firm's application for re-certification, the Secretary will review the application and take one of the following actions within 90 days of receipt:
7.3 Amendment of certification. A firm must amend its certification within 90 days of the date a change occurs to information included in the firm's most recent application. If the firm fails to amend its certification within 90 days of the date the change occurs, the firm may not perform renovations or dust sampling until its certification is amended.
7.3.1 To amend a certification, a firm must submit a complete application for re-certification. A complete application for re-certification:
7.3.1.2 Is signed by an authorized agent of the firm attesting that:
7.4 Firm responsibilities. Responsibilities of firms performing renovations include, but are not limited to ensuring that:
8.1 Renovator certification and Dust Wipe Technician certification. Except as provided in subsection 8.2, individuals seeking Renovator and Dust Wipe Technician certification must either:
8.1.2 Submit to the Secretary, an application that includes:
8.2 A Renovator or Dust Wipe Technician accredited by EPA as of the effective date of these regulations shall be deemed accredited only:
8.7 To maintain Renovator certification or Dust Wipe Technician certification, an individual must complete a Renovator or Dust Wipe Technician Refresher course accredited by the Secretary, EPA, or a State or Tribal program authorized by EPA:
8.8 Renovator responsibilities. Certified renovators are responsible for ensuring compliance with Section 4.0 at all renovations to which they are assigned. A certified renovator:
8.8.7 Must have with them at the work site:
8.9 Dust Wipe Technician responsibilities. When performing optional dust clearance sampling under subsection 3.3, a certified Dust Wipe Technician:
8.9.2 Must have with them at the work site:
9.1 Grounds for suspension, revocation, or modification.
9.1.1 Grounds for suspending, revoking, or modifying an individual's certification. The Secretary may, after notice and opportunity for hearing, suspend, revoke, or modify an individual's certification if:
9.1.2 Grounds for suspending, revoking, or modifying a firm's certification.
9.1.2.1 The Secretary may, after notice and opportunity for hearing, suspend, revoke, or modify a firm's certification if the firm:
9.2 Process for suspending, revoking, or modifying certification.
9.2.1 Prior to taking action to suspend, revoke, or modify an individual's or firm's certification, the Secretary will notify the affected entity in writing of the following:
9.2.2 If an individual or firm requests a hearing within 20 days of the postmarked date of the Secretary’s notification in subsection 9.2.1, the Secretary will:
9.2.3 The Hearing Officer will:
9.2.4 If the Secretary determines that the public health, interest, or welfare warrants immediate action to suspend the certification of any individual or firm, or if an individual or firm denies the Secretary access for purposes of inspection or taking samples, prior to the opportunity for a hearing, the Secretary will:
9.2.7 Unless the decision and order issued under subsection 9.2.3.3 specify otherwise:
10.1 Persons who must pay fees. Fees in accordance with subsection 10.2 must be paid by:
10.2 Fee amounts.
10.2.1 Certification and accreditation fees. Initial and renewal certification and accreditation fees are specified as follows:
10.2.1.1 Training Program Accreditation.
10.2.1.2 Renovation Firm Certification.
10.2.1.3 Individual Renovator and Dust Wipe Technician Certification.
10.3 Failure to remit fees.
11.1 Accreditation of training programs. On or after the effective date of these regulations, it shall be unlawful for any person or firm to provide, offer to provide, or claim to provide training in one or more of the following disciplines without first possessing an approval from the Secretary as an accredited training program: Renovator and Dust Wipe Technician.
11.2 Application process. The following are procedures a training provider must follow to receive accreditation to offer Renovator and Dust Wipe Technician courses:
11.2.1 A training provider seeking accreditation shall submit a written application to the Secretary containing the following information:
11.2.1.7 If a training provider does not use EPA-recommended model training materials or training materials approved by the Secretary, its application for accreditation shall also include:
11.2.1.8 All training providers shall include in their application for accreditation the following:
11.3 Requirements for the accreditation of training programs. For a training provider to obtain accreditation from the Secretary to offer Renovator and Dust Wipe Technician courses, the program must meet the following requirements:
11.3.1 The training program must employ a training manager who has demonstrated experience, education, or training in the construction industry in the areas of lead abatement, painting, carpentry, renovation, remodeling, occupational safety and health or industrial hygiene, and meets one of the following requirements:
11.3.2 The training manager shall designate a qualified principal instructor for each course who has:
11.3.4 The following documents shall be accepted as evidence that training managers and principal instructors have the education, work experience, training requirements, or demonstrated experience, specifically listed in subsections 11.3.1 and 11.3.2. This documentation must be submitted with the accreditation application and retained by the training program as required by the record keeping requirements contained in 11.9. Those documents include the following:
11.3.6 To become accredited in the following disciplines, the training program shall provide training courses that meet the following training requirements.
11.3.7 Electronic learning and other alternative course delivery methods are permitted for the classroom portion of Renovator or Dust Wipe Technician courses but not the hands-on portion of these courses, or for final course tests or proficiency tests described in subsection 11.3.8. Electronic learning courses must comply with the following requirements:
11.3.8 For each course offered, the training program shall conduct either a course test at the completion of the course, and if applicable, a hands-on skills assessment, or in the alternative, a proficiency test for that discipline. Each student must successfully complete the hands-on skills assessment and receive a passing score on the course test to pass any course, or successfully complete a proficiency test.
11.3.9 The training program shall issue unique course completion certificates to each individual who passes the training course. The course completion certificate shall include:
11.3.10 The training manager shall develop and implement a quality control plan. The plan shall be used to maintain and improve the quality of the training program over time. This plan shall contain at least the following elements:
11.3.14 The training manager must provide notification of the courses offered.
11.3.14.2 The training manager must provide the Secretary updated notification when Renovator and Dust Wipe Technician courses will begin on a date other than the start date specified in the original notification, as follows:
11.3.14.2.5 Each notification, including updates, must include the following:
11.3.15 The training manager must provide notification following completion of Renovator and Dust Wipe Technician courses.
11.3.15.2 The notification must include the following:
11.3.15.2.4 The following information for each student who took the course:
11.4 Minimum training curriculum requirements. To become accredited to offer lead-based paint courses in the specific disciplines listed in this Section, training programs must ensure that their courses of study include, at a minimum, the following course topics.
11.4.1 Renovator. Instruction in the topics described in subsections 11.4.1.4, 11.4.1.6, 11.4.1.7, and 11.4.1.8 must be included in the hands-on portion of the course.
11.4.2 Dust Wipe Technician. Instruction in the topics described in subsections 11.4.1.4 and 11.4.1.6 must be included in the hands-on portion of the course.
11.5 Requirements for the accreditation of refresher training programs. A training provider may seek accreditation to offer refresher training courses in any of the following disciplines: Renovator and Dust Wipe Technician. To obtain accreditation to offer refresher training, a training provider must meet the following minimum requirements.
11.5.1 Refresher courses shall review the curriculum topics of the full-length course listed under subsection 3.5, as appropriate. In addition, to become accredited to offer refresher training courses, training providers shall ensure their courses of study include, at a minimum, the following:
11.5.5 A training provider seeking accreditation to offer refresher training courses only must submit to the Secretary a written application containing the following information:
11.5.5.6 If the refresher training course materials are not based on EPA-developed training materials or training materials approved by the Secretary, the training provider's application for accreditation shall include:
11.5.5.7 All refresher training providers shall include in their application for accreditation the following:
11.6 Re-accreditation of training programs.
11.6.3 The training provider’s application for program re-accreditation shall contain:
11.6.3.6 A statement signed by the program manager stating:
11.7 Suspension, revocation and modification of accredited training programs.
11.7.1 The Secretary may, after notice and an opportunity for hearing, suspend, revoke, or modify training provider or program accreditation, including refresher training accreditation, if a training provider, training manager, or other person with supervisory authority over the training program has:
11.8 Procedures for suspension, revocation, or modification of training program accreditation.
11.8.1 Prior to taking action to suspend, revoke, or modify the accreditation of a training provider or program, the Secretary shall notify the affected entity in writing of the following:
11.8.2 If a hearing is requested by the accredited training provider within 20 days of the postmarked date of the Secretary’s notification in subsection 11.8.1, the Secretary shall:
11.8.3 The Hearing Officer appointed pursuant to subsection 11.8.2 shall:
11.8.4 If the Secretary determines that the public health, interest, or welfare warrants immediate action to suspend the accreditation of any training provider or program prior to the opportunity for a hearing, or if the training provider or program denies the Secretary access for purposes of inspection, the Secretary shall:
11.9 Training program record keeping requirements.
11.9.1 Accredited training providers shall maintain, and make available to the Secretary, upon request, the following records:
11.9.1.3 Information regarding how the hands-on assessment is conducted, including, but not limited to:
11.10 Amendment of accreditation.
11.10.3 If the amendment includes a new training program manager, any new or additional principal instructors, or any new permanent training locations, the training provider is not permitted to provide training under the new training manager or offer courses taught by any new principal instructors or at the new training locations until the Secretary approves the amendment. Except:
To execute reasonable inspections and ensure compliance with these regulations, the Secretary has the authority to enter premises or facilities where certified firms and training programs conduct business and training programs.